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Compiled by: Jack Foley
Q. In your character’s final speech there is a
reference to the beauty industry discarding women once they reach
the age of 40. You say in the production notes that you got the
joke, but I wondered what your experience of the film industry
has been? Is it the same?
A. Actually that speech came from a conversation that
Denise and I had one afternoon at work, where we were talking
about what had happened when I so cavalierly started announcing
that I was 40, and I think that they mis-heard that I had leprosy.
Suddenly, I didn’t work, so Denise said, ‘you know,
I think that we should put that in the movie’. So she put
it in the movie, in this very interesting way, where Laurel has
to kill Lambert [laughs] and I felt a lot better about things
after that.
I think there was certainly a lot of truth to that, at that time.
Things have evolved because a lot of us have held the course of
being proud of being 40, and being interesting, and having life
to bring to film, and not being particularly interested in pretending
to be 35. So, now, there has been an evolution, where you can
be 45 and works in films, and say you’re 45 and have an
interesting career.
Q. You’re very much role models for women all over
the world, and this film is very much providing role models for
young women, is that something that you’re aware of?
A. [Pause, looking at each other] I certainly think that
you are, I have to say. You’re a terrific step-mother and
have shown that in so many beautiful ways; and you have made such
enormous strides for women culturally, and you’ve made such
great successes as an actress and philanthropist. I think you
are an amazing role model.
Halle: Wow, I never expected that [whole room
starts laughing]
Stone: But I think to be a role model, and this
is probably true of both of us, is that you have to be willing
to fail in public, and that it’s so important not how you
fall, but how you get up. And I think that both of us have fallen,
in public, and we’ve both gotten up in public. Neither of
us have tried to pretend that we’re perfect in public. We
both have crises in our lives, and we’ve both had successes
in our lives. We’re both mothers, and we’re both mothers
in non-traditional ways, and we both try to succeed in our craft
as actresses in non-traditional ways. We don’t believe that
we have to be actresses who can only play certain roles to show
your talent.
I think that we both feel that you can be attractive and not use
your beauty just as a shallow thing, but explore the fact that
sometimes being beautiful means that you feel that you are so
not beautiful, because you are being seen as a shell. And there’s
so many ways that we have wanted to show women that you can be
more, and so when you want to do that, very often the press wants
to show how much less you are. And the constant needing to stand
in the glare of that while people are trying to undress you and
show that you are less. And so, I think a way to try to be a role
model is to say that you may say what you want to say about who
I am, but I will be able to stand the distance of the glare of
that, and for me sometimes just standing there, while that happens,
is enough.
Halle: Well said…
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Q. How long did it take to
do the cat-fight and did you hold anything back at all?
A. I loved the way that Pitof chose to create the fight
sequence, because instead of doing some kind of wire-on-wire effects
scene, he made it like a bar brawl, which I thought was very interesting,
because the two women are wild and primal beings. I found that
much more interesting than some sort of hair-pulling contest,
or some exaggerated scene. We had fantastic stunt doubles.
Q. What was working with Lambert Wilson like?
A. He’s just the most delicious, gorgeous, smart,
well-dressed, sexy, fabulous, tall, gorgeous, could we just…
But you know, we loved just to be in a hundred movies together;
it was a fantastic experience. It’s so telepathic. I’d
come up with some weird/kinky idea and would look at him and he
was like, ‘got it’. It really was so fun.
Q. You were quite low-profile in Hollywood for some time,
but now you’ve come back, how did you do that and how has
your attitude changed?
A. One more thing and I’d be a country and western
song. So, I’m back working, but I’ve actually been
through so many things that it’s more a case, now, that
I like work, but it’s not my life anymore. It’s just
a part of my life.
Q. Are there any female baddies that inspired you for
the role, such as Joan Crawford, perhaps?
A. I didn’t really look at it like that, but I
have to say I have always liked those movies. I like the old films
and the way they depict those bad girls in those movies.
Q. You look terrific in the film? Did you have to work
out much? And what do you think about plastic surgery?
A. Well, when I first saw Halle in the catsuit, I went
straight to the gym [laughs] and I worked out all the time that
we were shooting. Once she took off the catsuit, I never worked
out again. So I’ve got left-overs from the movie. I’m
not big on plastic surgery for me, but I don’t fault it
for someone who wants it for them. I think you have to do what
makes you feel good in you, what works for you, but it’s
not my thing.
Q. What was your favourite comic book character as a
kid? And which comic book character would you still like to play,
perhaps?
A. I don’t collect comic books, but my son is crazy
for them already. And I am going to direct a movie, but not a
comic book…
Q. Can you say what it is?
A. Not yet, but it’s in production and we’re
writing the script for it. |
