Christine Baranski

He died before I was born.

But my grandmother, Janina, lived with us in Buffalo.

When I transferred out of that crib...

I made my way to another bedroom that I shared with Nana.

She didn't act on the stage anymore, but she had a radio show that she wrote with her friend, and they wrote a comedy show on Buffalo Polish Radio.

So I grew up with an actress.

We had twin beds, and Nana was to the left of me, and she was a huge influence on my life.

But I have very fond memories, and to this day I treasure my Polish-American upbringing.

Well, she performed.

She was also a singer.

She sang in the Countess Maritza and the Merry Widow.

And I don't know what kind of plays.

You see, I didn't see her on the stage, but she certainly...

in her life, behaved like an actress.

I always say she was my Auntie Mame.

She had a flamboyant, utterly gracious personality.

She wore vivid, colorful clothes.

She claimed she knew Mae West, and she had some clothes.

One was a feather fan that she said belonged to Mae West.

How she might have known Mae West, I don't know.