Hedy LaRue

Who is Hedy LaRue?

Hedy is hired as J.B. Biggley's secretary despite having no relevant office skills, a hiring decision driven entirely by the fact that she and Biggley are having an affair. Glamorous and none too interested in the actual work of the office, she nonetheless proves sharper than her coworkers give her credit for.

Hedy's presence in the office adds to the show's satire of executive hypocrisy, since her open romance with Biggley is treated as an open secret that everyone tiptoes around while pretending not to notice.

Hedy's role in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Hedy is a supporting role built for a performer who can play both glamour and comedy, since the character is often the butt of jokes about her competence while also getting some of the show's sharper punchlines at other characters' expense. Her scenes are concentrated in the office comedy surrounding Biggley.

Virginia Martin originated the role on Broadway in 1961, helping establish Hedy as a memorable comic archetype, the underestimated secretary whose glamorous surface hides more shrewdness than the men around her assume.

Hedy LaRue: frequently asked questions