Annie Starke on Following Mom (Glenn Close) On Stage and Her Fashionable Debut in Love, Loss and What I Wore

Age and Hometown: 22; Bedford, NY

Current Role: Taking on the voices of a variety of women who recall their personal clothing-related memories in off-Broadway hit Love, Loss and What I Wore.

Artist vs. Actor: The daughter of two-time Tony winner Glenn Close and producer John Starke, Annie Starke describes her upbringing as similar to any other child’s. “When I was little, I would travel with her," she says of Close, "but I’ve always had an independent existence [from her career]. I look back and see a lot of people go haywire, so I’m enormously appreciative I was raised that way.” Starke felt the pull of acting at a young age, but set out to Hamilton College to study art history instead. “Art is a passion of mine, but I neither have the patience nor the talent to become an artist,” she laughs, explaining her post-graduation shift to performance. “It was time to start pursuing [acting] and not be such a chicken about it.”

Love Life: Love, Loss and What I Wore marks Starke's New York stage debut alongside another second generation actress, Rumer Willis. “The women I work with leave me speechless,” she says of off-Broadway co-stars Willis, Donna McKechnie, Fredi Walker-Browne and Sonia Manzano. “They’re incredibly supportive of [Rumer] and I. We’re younger, naive and make asses of ourselves,” she says with laugh. The show's fashion-centric monologues "are incredibly applicable to my life,” Starke adds. “I once had the worst experience with breaking a high heel. My boyfriend is always like, 'I carry you everywhere!'"

Make 'em Laugh: Starke ends her limited run in Love, Loss in April, and she doesn’t have any immediate plans. “Stay tuned. I’m still figuring that out,” she admits. "I never really thought I'd be a theater person; I love it and have such a respect for it, but it was a surprise when I got this." For now, Starke is enjoying living in Manhattan’s West Village with her two “purebred mutt” dogs, Jake and Billy. She still paints and sketches in her free time. “It’s therapeutic and fun. I recently painted Fred Flintstone!” While continuing to pursue acting, she would also like to hone her comedic skills. “I’m a big fan of Judd Apatow and all the guys he works with,” she says. "I like to laugh."