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“I had just randomly sent my picture to six casting directors that week. I sent it to Paula Herold who was casting for a film called Reversal of Fortune, which I had no idea what it was about. And I guess I had a reversal of fortune because they called me in for Cry Baby.” Kim McGuire's unique looks are what landed her the role of Mona “Hatchet Face” Malnorowski in the 1900 movie Cry Baby with Johnny Depp. The director was looking for a woman who had a good body but a face that was unique and not necessarily conventionally attractive. McGuire fit the bill perfectly, and managed to get the part.

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Her life changed drastically at that point, since she was hired on the spot when she showed up for the audition. Her eyes were nearly translucent and her skin was very pale, so she already had the kind of look the director was going for. Then she spent hours in makeup, to exaggerate her features and make her look what some critics of the film called "gorgeously grotesque." McGuire acted in several other movies after Cry Baby, but she didn't make the kind of impact there that she had with her first role. The parts were small, and her unconventional looks complicated things. So what happened after that? Read on to find out.

Getting Her Start in Acting in a Big Way

Working with Johnny Depp in Cry Baby was a huge step for someone who hadn't acted in films before. McGuire was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and she grew up with a normal, quiet childhood. Her father was an attorney, and she planned to follow him into law as she grew up. She got her education at the University of New Orleans, but her bachelor's degree was in theater and dance. Along the way of learning and growing into her own person, she discovered that she had a passion for the performing arts. She wanted to dance, but she also wanted to act and be good at more than just one kind of performance.

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Since McGuire was three she had wanted to act, but she had also been interested in a law career. Since the two didn't really work well together, she chose acting and put her dreams of becoming an attorney on hold. She started working in New York City on the stage until 1989, when she saw the open casting call for Cry Baby. Because director John Waters had spent so much time writing the script for the movie and refining the characters, he knew exactly what he was looking for in the actress who would play Hatchet Face. He found that in McGuire, and propelled her to stardom.

The movie itself, and the part of Hatchet Face, received a high level of praise from critics. The plan for McGuire was to become a full-on leading lady in a number of films in her future. She was touted as the next up-and-coming starlet. Unfortunately, that was not the case for her. Ultimately, she had trouble fitting into other roles. She played parts in Acting on Impulse and Disturbed, but neither of those films increased her value in Hollywood or helped further her acting credentials in any significant way. Redefining herself was too difficult, and she decided to give up on Hollywood and do something else with her life.

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Turning From Acting to a Career in Law

After McGuire signed on to play the lead in Misery, but the role went to Kathy Bates instead, McGuire decided it was time to move on. She went back to school, and received her law degree. In 1997, she was admitted to the California State Bar and began practicing primarily entertainment law. She was visiting New York with her partner when the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred. Returning to California, the couple then moved to Biloxi, Mississippi. McGuire practiced law there, and also acted with a theater group. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home. Eventually, the couple moved to Alabama.

A Cry Baby reunion was planned for 2005, and McGuire surprised everyone by showing up with the rest of the cast. The director hadn't seen her in the 20 years since the movie was made. After the reunion, McGuire returned to Alabama where she continued to practice law for another decade. She became ill with pneumonia in 2016 and passed away from complications of the illness. While her career in Hollywood may have been a short-lived one, it was certainly not due to a lack of talent on her part. McGuire's iconic role as Hatchet Face will be remembered for decades to come.