The actress was a master of deadpan humor, and she made everybody laugh with her stellar performance in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias as Clairee Belcher. Dukakis stars as the wealthy widow of a Southern mayor known for her love of gossip who goads Shirley MacLaine to distraction.
Belcher encouraged a grieving M’Lynn Eatenton, portrayed by Sally Field, to slap Shirley MacLaine’s Ouiser Boudreaux, saying, “Knock her lights out, M’Lynn!” Dukakis was nominated for the role in the Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture category at the American Comedy Awards.
