Penelope Winston

**Penelope Margaret Chase Winston** (Born June 26, 1961) is an American Actress, Author, and Activist who was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2009 to December 28, 2016. She is the widow of former President Albert Winston.

As an actress, Penelope is best known for her role as Phoebe on the award winning hit television show "*Friends"*, a role that won her two Primetime Emmy Awards and 3 Screen Actors Guild awards. She is also widely known for playing Mary Ingalls in "*Little House on the Prarie",* Dr. Elsa Schneider in *"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"*, and Catwoman in the cult classic "*Batman Returns"*.

Winston campaigned for her husband's presidential bid throughout 2008, delivering a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She returned to speak at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, but did not attend the 2016 Democratic National Convention due to the rising unpopularity of her husband's administration.

As First Lady, Mrs. Winston became an international role model for girls, an advocate for women's rights and education in the developing world, and a champion in the fight against childhood obesity. She also gained renown for sparking several fashion trends.

Since leaving the White House Mrs. Winston has become a spokeswoman for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and has donated substantial sums of money to similar organizations.

## Early Life

#### **Birth and Early Childhood**

Penelope Margaret Chase was born on June 26, 1961, an only child, in Los Angeles California, to Peter J. Chase, a managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, and Theresa Kensington, A British supermodel. At age 2, her mother abandoned her and her father and returned to England. Penelope's father never remarried, and the two lived in a small home in the city's suburban area.

Peter Chase became a violent alcoholic shortly after his wife's departure, and Penelope was the victim of child abuse for years, the assaults beginning when she was just 6 years old and continuing up until her father's death by suicide in 1972. Penelope has described her early childhood as "monstrous and horrifying", indicating that at the time she was made to feel "As if I was responsible for my mother's departure and responsible for everything he did to me." Penelope often sought refuge in her elementary school's principal, Diana McDaniel, viewing her as "My first real role model" and using her as a "Substitute Mom". It was during these years that Penelope says she began to learn to act, as she had been directed to do by her father, in order to cover up the abuse that went on at home. "I believe I was convincing," Penelope would later write in her 2009 book *In My Own Words,* "or else someone would have said something."

At age 11, Penelope's father killed himself via hanging while she attended school. Upon being informed of this development, Penelope recalls:

> "*I was overcome with an odd mixture of relief and shock, as if the entirety of the world had been both removed from my shoulders and slammed into my gut. I was free for the first time in my life."*
>
>

Penelope would relay later that her first words following the incident expressed a desire to live with and be adopted by Principal McDaniel, something that would come to be after Penelope spent a brief time in the United Kingdom with her birth-mother, who behaved "like an absolute stranger" for the entirety of her stay.

#### **Adolescence**

Adopted by Principal McDaniel after a smooth legal process, Penelope moved in with her new parents and began to enjoy what remained of her childhood, performing at a much higher level than prior to her adoption and rapidly gaining friends and social skills she had previously lacked. A child actor, Penelope recalled being one of the popular children at her high school in an interview with NPR, relaying that "everyone wanted to know what was happening next episode, everyone wanted to be my friend."

As a teenager, Penelope maintained an extensive interest in both Art and Baseball, spending many of her weekends perusing LA's many artistic and cultural centers and attending LA Dodgers games as often as she could. Involved in her high school's student council, she gathered the funds to start an Art Club, overseeing its growth and allowing it to blossom into a community of 50+ active students. "It was my first shot at administration," she joked in *In My Own Words*, "and I was pretty good at it, if I do say so myself." Penelope graduated from her high school in the top 15% of her class, something she attributes to deliberate study and a good memory, rather than inherent intelligence.

## Acting Career and College

#### ***Little House on the Prairie***

At the age of 14, Penelope was chosen to play the part of Mary Ingalls in "Little House on the Prairie", a role that she received after open auditions for the part resulted in her selection, though the influence of her adoptive father, Former Hollywood Producer Norman MacDaniel, likely played a role in her inevitable selection. Penelope played the part well, becoming an American sweetheart and remaining on the show for its entirety. The remainder of her adolescence was one of love, affection, and care, and the psychological damage done in her early childhood was remedied by routine visits with a mental health professional.

#### **College Break**

In 1983, with the end of the show, the now 22 year old Penelope decided to attend college, using her fame and excellent writing skills to gain admission to Stanford University, where she studied English and creative Writing. Penelope took on small roles throughout her college career, with her acting interfering with her education, which led to her late graduation in 1988 at age 27.

#### ***Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade***

Winston's next large role came in the year 1989, when she was cast as Dr. Elsa Schneider in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, performing as the Nazi sympathizing femme fatale in the film. This shocked many, who still regarded her as the little girl from Little House, but it showed that she was not limited to just one caricature or role. The movie was a hit, and her work continued. During the filming of the movie, she developed a close personal relationship with Harrison Ford, who she has called "one of the best actors to ever live".

#### ***Silence of the Lambs Rejection***

In 1991 Winston turned down the chance to assume the role of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, stating that the script made her "Rather uncomfortable" and claiming that the role "Just Wasn't for her." Upon the film's release, she stated "It was exactly what I expected it to be, good, but not something I'd ever want to be a part of."

#### ***Batman Returns***

In 1992, Penelope assumed her favorite role "to date", that of Catwoman in Batman Returns. Her performance as the sly and sneaky Anti-Hero received critical acclaim, with that performance being widely described as "Astounding."

#### ***Friends***

Following this major success, Penelope waited two years before signing onto the defining gig of her career, that of Phoebe on the hit television show Friends. Penelope acted brilliantly throughout the show and gained international acclaim, befriending the other cast members and dating Matt LeBlanc for three years, from 1996 - 1999. Friends was Penelope's last real acting job, though she has maintained her friendships and contacts throughout Hollywood and the Los Angeles area.

## Marriage and Family

Shortly after her 3rd Screen Actors Guild Award win, Penelope was set up on a blind date with Albert Winston, a former actor turned politician who was "charismatic and kind" in "all the right ways", a man who would go to on to be her husband.

In 2000, the couple married after a year of dating, and it was announced shortly thereafter that Penelope was pregnant. A few months later, literally in the middle of her husband's campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles, Penelope would go into labor. She gave birth at UCLA medical center to a healthy baby girl, named Diana after her adoptive mother.

## First Lady of Los Angeles

As First Lady of Los Angeles, Penelope spearheaded Los Angeles' "One City, One Book" initiative, with Ray Bradbury's *Fahrenheit 451* serving as the selected work. She has called the book "very important" and "key" in literary education, and further encouraged all Americans to read it later during her time as First Lady of the United States.

Penelope was vital in her husband's effort to keep Hollywood from seceding from the Los Angeles area, and she served as an effective de facto mediator between the two opposing sides.

Mrs. Winston's role in her husband's campaigns was surprisingly large, and her stumping for him, even during her second pregnancy in 2004, turned several heads. The world of politics was "foreign" to the former actress, but she determined that it all really boiled down to "kind of the same thing" as the climate in the acting world. Once again, Penelope went into labor in Albert's Campaign office, this time the circumstance requiring an emergency Caesarian section due to a previously unobserved problem with the umbilical cord in the womb. This issue ultimately resulted in her newborn son, Brian Winston, being born with a minor heart defect. Albert was once again elected, and Penelope was there every step of the way, taking care of the children and overseeing affairs that her husband simply did not have the time to handle.

## First Lady of the United States

#### **2008**

Penelope was blindsided by her Husband's entrance into the 2008 race, and she was, according to some sources, privately vehemently against such the idea, though she reluctantly supported him in his efforts publicly. A former friend of the couple has stated that Penelope assumed that the strong female candidate would beat out Albert, but this proved not to be the case, with her husband narrowly winning the primary and ultimately, the Presidency.

#### **Tenure as First Lady**

##### **Domestic Agenda**

###### ***Let's Move!***

Obama's predecessors Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush supported the organic movement by instructing the White House kitchens to buy organic food. Obama extended their support of healthy eating by planting the White House Kitchen Garden, an organic garden, the first White House vegetable garden since Eleanor Roosevelt served as First Lady. She also had bee hives installed on the South Lawn of the White House. The garden supplied organic produce and honey for the meals of the First Family and for state dinners and other official gatherings.

In January 2010, Winston undertook her first lead role in an administration-wide initiative, which she named "*Let's Move!*," to make progress in reversing the 21st-century trend of childhood obesity. On February 9, 2010, the First Lady announced *Let's Move!* and President Albert Winston created the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to review all current programs and create a national plan for change.

Michelle Obama said that her goal was to make this effort her legacy: "I want to leave something behind that we can say, 'Because of this time that this person spent here, this thing has changed.' And my hope is that that's going to be in the area of childhood obesity." Her 2012 book *American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America* is based on her experiences with the garden and promotes healthy eating. Her call for action on healthy eating was repeated by the United States Department of Defense.

###### ***LGBT Rights***

After the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell on September 20, 2011, Mrs. Winston included openly gay service members in her national military families initiative.

On May 9, 2012, Albert Winston came out publicly in favor of same-sex marriage, a position his wife had held for "her entire adult life". Senior White House officials have said that Penelope Winston and Senior Adviser Ron Fieri had been the two most consistent advocates for same-sex marriage in the President's life, with his wife pushing for him to change his view on the subject "many times" before his mind finally changed.

##### **Major Foreign Trips**

Penelope Winston is noted to have undertaken fewer foreign trips than her immediate predecessors, though not by a massive amount.

###### ***Term 1***

On April 1, 2009, Winston met with Queen Elizabeth II in Buckingham Palace, drawing controversy for curtsying to her before attending an event with world leaders.

In April 2010, Winston traveled to Haiti, her first solo visit to a nation. In Haiti, Winston spoke to students, encouraging them to take responsibility for their futures. Referring to the underprivileged children, Winston argued that "potential can be found in some of the most unlikely places", citing herself as an example.

Winston traveled to South America in June 2011, touring Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo and meeting with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a woman who the First Lady has described as "a friend". Winston was also involved with community events in the foreign countries. It was commented by White House staff that her trip would advance the foreign policy of her husband.

In February 2012, Winston underwent an extended tour of Scandinavia, including Iceland, meeting with the Monarchs of Denmark and Sweden and discussing various matters from alternative energy to technological advancement.

###### ***Term 2***

In 2013, Winston's trip to Turkey was cut short by a thwarted assassination attempt in Ankara, in which attackers planned to blow up the First Lady's armored escort with improvised explosives and open fire with rifles. Turkish Intelligence was lambasted for its slow response to the threat, which was hours away from being carried out when the would-be assassins were finally arrested. The leader of the plot, Amir Al-Busan, claimed to be acting on behalf of Al-Qaeda as an act against the American President.

In March 2014, Winston visited China along with her daughter Diana. She met with Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, visited historic and cultural sites, as well as a university and two high schools. Deputy National Security Adviser Tim Roads said that the visit and intent in Winston journeying there was to symbolize "the relationship between the United States and China is not just between leaders, it's a relationship between peoples".

In January 2015, Winston traveled to Saudi Arabia alongside her husband, following the death of King Abdullah. She received criticism for not covering her head in a nation where women are forbidden from publicly not doing so, though Winston was defended for being a foreigner and thus not having to submit to Saudi Arabia's customs, even being praised in some corners. Winston was neither greeted nor acknowledged by King Salman during the encounter.

In June 2015, Winston undertook a week long trip to London and three Italian cities. In London, she spoke with students about international education for adolescent girls and met with both British Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince Harry. She was joined by her son and daughter. In November, she spent a week in Qatar, her first official visit to the Middle East. She continued advancing her initiative for international education for women by speaking at the 2015 World Innovation Summit for Education for her "Let Women Learn" initiative in Doha, Qatar and touring a school in Amman, Jordan, where she met with female students. During the Qatar trip, Winston had intended to visit Jordan as well, but the trip was canceled due to weather conditions. In Jordan, Winston had intended to visit an Amman school, which had been constructed with assistance from U.S. funds.

In March 2016, Winston traveled to India and met with various members of the Indian entertainment scene, including various Bollywood stars, many of whom she later said "recognized her first from movies, second from politics."

##### **Personal Popularity**

Penelope's approval rating throughout her husband's historic tenure hovered consistently in the range of 65 - 70%, with her support of non-partisan causes like the fight against childhood obesity and her advocation for women's education remaining popular, even while her husband's policy did not. When the downward slope for her Husband began, she stayed by his side, but the First Lady noticeably began attending fewer and fewer public events, rarely leaving the White House at all. When her husband hit his lowest approval, in the single digits, towards the end of his tenure, Penelope remained at a starkly contrasting 50 - 60%, depending on the polls. Following President Winston's death, her personal approval received a "sympathy bump."

#### **Husband's Downfall**

In December of 2016, Albert Winston was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Mrs. Winston released no public statement at the time, and has not given a public interview since the occurrence.

Shortly afterwards, the former President took his own life at his home in California. Following this, the former First Lady has rarely been seen in public, though she is noted to have visited the White House following the Inauguration of Calvin Reed, with her discussion primarily being with current First Lady Aubrey Reed.

## Subsequent Activities

Since her husband's suicide, Winston has partnered with The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as a spokeswoman and advocate. She has donated large sums of money to advocacy groups and similar causes.

Upon the nomination of Anna Rossi to the Supreme Court, Mrs. Winston issued a rare public statement carefully questioning the independence and neutrality of the nominee, adding that she hoped the then congresswoman would prove her wrong.

## Personal Life

Penelope Chase-Winston is the Widow of Former United States President Albert Winston, with whom she had two children, Diana (age 17) and Brian (age 13).

In May 2009, Chase-Winston delivered the commencement speech at a graduating ceremony at Stanford University, the address being praised afterward by students who found her relatable. Kevin Fagan of the *San Francisco Chronicle* wrote that there was chemistry between Winston and the students that was "hard to describe". Winston has called the speech "the one she'll always remember."

Mrs. Winston is a patron of the arts and has several works commissioned, primarily from talented but relatively unknown artists. Several commissioned paintings were placed in the White House, and a couple are believed to have been left there upon her departure from the residence.

Penelope Winston is the recipient of 2 Emmys for her work on *Friends,* as well as 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The former First Lady is CPR and First Aid certified, with her son's heart defect causing her to become "constantly wary" of potential complications.

The former First Lady is proficient in Spanish, as she demonstrated in her visits to Chile and Argentina in 2013. She has called the language "beautiful".