Monica Lewinsky: Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

The question

Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

The Guardian's Q&A repeatedly uses this prompt, sometimes dropping 'living' while retaining the same comparative judgment.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Monica Lewinsky

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

My mom, for her unflappable ability to be sanguine (though she sometimes dips into Pollyanna territory).

Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, August 2021 source ↗

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James Corden English actor and comedian

My dad. It's only now that I realise the huge sacrifices that he made to give us a good upbringing.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 February 2013 source ↗

Cerys Matthews Welsh singer-songwriter

President Jimmy Carter, for his single-handedness in working to eradicate the guinea worm.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 July 2016 source ↗

Malala Yousafzai Education campaigner; co-founder of the Malala Fund; United Nations Messenger of Peace

Women in leadership positions in every field who are using their advantages to inspire younger women.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, July 2019 source ↗

Stanley Tucci

President Zelenskyy.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, October 2024 source ↗

More from Monica Lewinsky

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Question What do you fear most? Identity & self

It’s a toss-up between a tarantula crawling on me and dying alone.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, August 2021 source ↗

Question If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be? Identity & self

How my PTSD manifests—it feels like being the only ballerina in the company saddled with a 100-pound backpack and told to go out onstage and still be graceful.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 12 August 2021 source ↗

Question Which quality in your friends matters most to you? Relationships

Compassion. Wisdom. Wit. The delicate balance of knowing when I need tough love and when I need support. Plus, call me crazy, but I’m also partial to friends who don’t surreptitiously record our calls.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 12 August 2021 source ↗

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