Let’s be real. When people talk about 90s comedies, they usually bring up The Birdcage or Happy Gilmore. But if you were a kid flipping through cable channels on a Saturday afternoon in 1997, you definitely ran into Down Periscope. It’s that weirdly charming, slightly crude Navy comedy starring Kelsey Grammer at the height of his Frasier fame. And right there in the middle of the chaos—playing Lt. Emily Lake—was Down Periscope Lauren Holly.
At the time, people sort of did a double-take. Holly was coming off Dumb and Dumber, where she played the "straight man" to Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, and she was a staple on the high-brow drama Picket Fences. Dropping her into a submarine full of misfits felt like a gamble. Was she just the "token girl" in a boy's club movie? Or was there something more tactical about her choice to join a slapstick military flick? Honestly, looking back thirty years later, her performance holds the whole sinking ship together.
The Reality of Down Periscope Lauren Holly and the 90s Comedy Machine
The mid-90s were a strange era for female leads in comedy. You were either the love interest who existed just to roll her eyes at the protagonist’s antics, or you were the "tough as nails" foil who eventually softened. Down Periscope Lauren Holly had to navigate both. She played Lt. Emily Lake, a diving officer participating in a naval war game to see if women could serve on submarines.
It’s easy to dismiss the movie as a relic of its time. Some of the jokes haven't aged perfectly. But Holly’s character wasn't just a cardboard cutout. She had to be believable as a Navy officer while dealing with a script that, let’s be honest, focused a lot on her uniform fitting a certain way. Yet, she played it with a level of deadpan sincerity that made the absurdity around her work. Without her playing it straight, Kelsey Grammer’s Commander Dodge would have just been a cartoon. Instead, they had a weird, crackling chemistry that felt like a screwball comedy from the 1940s trapped inside a 1996 hull.
Think about the context of her career then. She was a massive star. She was also half of one of the most talked-about couples in Hollywood during her brief marriage to Jim Carrey. She could have done anything. Choosing a movie about a rusty, diesel-powered submarine called the USS Stingray was a pivot. It showed she didn't mind getting her hands dirty in a genre that was usually reserved for the "Saturday Night Live" alumni circuit.
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Breaking the Brass Ceiling (Sorta)
There’s a specific nuance to the role of Emily Lake that gets overlooked. The plot is basically about a group of losers proving the "Old Guard" wrong. Rear Admiral Graham (played with delicious spite by Bruce Dern) hates Dodge and wants him to fail. Part of that "failure" plan is assigned Emily Lake to the crew, under the assumption that a woman on a sub would be a disaster.
Holly plays this with a subtle chip on her shoulder. She isn't shouting about feminism every five minutes; she's just trying to do her job while Rob Schneider's character, Marty Pascal, is having a literal nervous breakdown in the galley. It’s a very specific type of comedic acting. You have to be the anchor. If the anchor laughs at the jokes, the movie isn't funny. Holly never blinked.
Why the Chemistry Worked
- Grammer brought the sophisticated, "intellectual rebel" energy.
- The supporting cast (Harland Williams, Ken Hudson Campbell) handled the pure slapstick.
- Lauren Holly provided the stakes.
If Lake wasn't competent, the mission wouldn't feel real. If the mission didn't feel real, the victory at the end wouldn't matter. It’s a lesson in ensemble casting that modern comedies often miss. You need someone to represent the "normal" world.
The Cultural Impact and Why We Still Watch
You won't find Down Periscope on many "Best of All Time" lists. The critics in 1996 weren't exactly kind. Roger Ebert gave it two stars, calling it "leisurely" and "not very funny." But critics often miss what audiences actually like: comfort.
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Down Periscope Lauren Holly represents a specific kind of nostalgia. It’s a movie that feels like a warm blanket. It’s safe. It’s funny in a way that doesn't require you to think too hard. And for Holly, it solidified her as a versatile lead. She could do the small-town drama of Picket Fences, the blockbuster slapstick of Dumb and Dumber, and the military ensemble of Down Periscope all within a few years of each other.
There’s also the "Discover" factor. Nowadays, these mid-budget comedies are the lifeblood of streaming services. People are tired of $300 million superhero movies where the world is ending. Sometimes you just want to see a guy get a tattoo on his penis that says "Welcome Aboard" while a talented actress tries to keep a straight face. That’s the magic of this film. It’s small, it’s contained, and it knows exactly what it is.
Beyond the Periscope: Holly's Enduring Career
Lauren Holly didn't stop there, obviously. She went on to have a massive run on NCIS as Director Jenny Shepard, which, if you think about it, is like the evolved, high-ranking version of her Down Periscope character. She traded the diesel sub for the director's office, but that same "I'm the smartest person in this room full of men" energy remained.
She’s also been incredibly candid in interviews about the industry. She once mentioned that during the 90s, she felt like she was constantly being pushed into certain boxes. Down Periscope was a chance to play a character with authority, even if it was wrapped in a comedy. It’s a testament to her longevity that she’s still working constantly, moving between indie films, Canadian TV dramas like Motiv, and major network procedurals.
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The Lasting Legacy of the Stingray Crew
The movie has developed a massive cult following within the actual Navy. Ask any submariner. They love this movie. Not because it’s accurate—it’s definitely not—but because it captures the "us against the world" mentality of a crew stuck in a metal tube under the ocean. Down Periscope Lauren Holly is a huge part of that. She wasn't a damsel. She was a submariner.
What’s wild is how the movie handles the "first woman on a sub" storyline. While it plays it for laughs (the whole "narrow hallways" scene), it actually predated the real-world policy change by over a decade. The U.S. Navy didn't officially allow women to serve on submarines until 2010. In a weird, unintentional way, this silly comedy was ahead of the curve.
What to take away from Lauren Holly’s performance:
- Deadpan is an art form. Watch her face when Kelsey Grammer explains the "whale sounds" strategy. She’s doing a lot with very little.
- Wardrobe matters. The costume designers definitely leaned into the "pin-up" aesthetic of the 90s, but Holly’s performance worked against that to keep the character grounded.
- Genre hopping is healthy. Actors who stay in one lane burn out. Holly’s willingness to do a "low-brow" comedy helped her bridge the gap between her early TV work and her later prestige roles.
Practical Steps for the Retro Movie Fan
If you're looking to revisit this era of Lauren Holly's career or just want a solid 90s movie night, here is how to do it right.
- Watch the "Straight Man" dynamic: Pay attention to how Holly reacts to Rob Schneider. Most actors would try to out-funny him. She does the opposite, which makes him funnier.
- Check out Picket Fences: If you only know her from movies, find the episode "Away in the Manger." It shows the dramatic range she was bringing to the table at the exact same time she was filming comedies.
- The NCIS Connection: If you’re a fan of her as Jenny Shepard, re-watch Down Periscope immediately after. The DNA of the character is there. It’s the same authoritative, slightly weary professional dealing with eccentric subordinates.
Ultimately, Down Periscope Lauren Holly isn't just a footnote in a 90s comedy. It was a strategic move by an actress who knew how to play the Hollywood game. She took a role that could have been invisible and turned it into the grounded heart of a movie that people are still talking about thirty years later. It’s not "prestige" cinema, but it’s damn good entertainment.
To get the most out of your re-watch, look for the scenes where the crew is actually working together during the final "silent running" sequence. The tension is surprisingly well-directed for a comedy, and Holly’s performance in those moments is what makes the ending land. Stop looking for high art and start appreciating the skill it takes to make a movie this silly feel this cohesive. Check your local streaming listings—Down Periscope usually cycles through platforms like Starz or Hulu every few months. It's worth the ninety minutes.