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Compiled by: Jack Foley
Q: How was it to go to Paris and shoot Le Divorce?
A: For me, my experience of Paris was probably the most exciting
I've had so far in my life. I felt like I was in the centre of
everything. Except for a few sexual escapades I had, I was experiencing
Paris parallel to my character.
As I was enjoying and being as wide-eyed and wondrous in the real-life,
I was doing the same thing in the film. Paris was incredible.
Everything about it for me, from spending hours eating, drinking
and talking to walking through the streets…at that time I
hadn't seen that sort of political passion in the youth, and I
got to experience that first hand.
Q: When was your first time in Paris?
A: I don't remember my first time in Paris. My mother was
quite a single Mom, and everywhere she went, she just packed up
her two kids and took us wherever she was going. So I was travelling
with her all the time. I do remember being a little girl, and
my only memory of being that age - I must have been five-years-old
- was looking at all these clothes and fabrics. She bought this
big blue dress. I just remembered that!
Q: Was your mother (Goldie Hawn) living in France at the time?
A: My mother was dating this Frenchman. I was two-years-old,
and we were living in Ibiza. I remember the way he was with his
daughter, and it was so beautiful. It was cultural. The way he
would brush her hair, the way he would speak to her in French.
It was quite beautiful…he would take us to fig trees in Ibiza.
I was very little. I never experienced details like that in America
now.
Q: Was it very different to the US?
A: Yeah, people are running around naked, not afraid to show
their bodies. I think America is very different. I remember running
around in Ibiza as a little girl, not being fazed by all these
naked people, or people smoking and drinking.
Nobody stopped to think there was a child in the room when they
were having a cigarette. It was just the way it was. To me, that's
the way it should be. People should do what they do. If you don't
like it, you don't have to be there. It's a very different attitude
in Europe to the States.
Q: Aside from Paris, what was the chief attraction of making
the film?
A: Really, the reason I came to do this film was to work with
James [Ivory, director] and Ismail [Merchant, producer], and be
a part of their body of work. To be able to say I could be a little
sliver in their world.
Q: Apparently, you were scared of going up the Eiffel Tower,
to shoot the film's finale…
A: Yeah. There were crew members who didn't go up. I had to…well,
I didn't have to, as it wasn't written in the script. I took a
little thing for vertigo, an anti-anxiety drug. My knees buckled,
my head started spinning. It's funny. I'm not afraid of heights.
I rock climb. I can repel off the side of a building. It was being
in a very small space - it was very bizarre. I went into a cold
sweat. It was the first time I realised what vertigo was like.
It was scary. And heavy! You can't do anything about it.
Q: How did you get on creating a sisterly bond with your co-star
Naomi Watts?
A: It was very easy. We were two girls who really liked each
other. I started working three weeks before Naomi came. When she
showed up, I was really excited to have a girl with me. Usually,
I work with guys! Naomi is a very hard worker, and very interested
in the character. I am too.
I think when you are doing a picture, you know it's important
for the role and for the characters and the story to be able to
tell that story. And part of that is that these two women are
very close and in each other's lives at times.
Q: Your character is an American who goes to Paris - but do
you see the trend in reverse too?
A: I think that there's a lot of European people, and Latin
and African people who come to American in search of the American
Dream, to be able to make money, to send money home to their families
and be able to really prosper at something.
All these people who say 'I've lived in New York for thirty years!'
and they're from Pakistan or wherever. And I think there are people
who do fall in love with what our ideals are. The American Dream
is a romantic notion, but it's newer - not as pretty.
You go to Europe, and it says something about the type of person
you are. You're in search of something more intimate and more
about yourself.
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Q: And you're pregnant now…
A: I'm 20lbs bigger already, and my feet just swelled up today!
Fortunately for me, I'm loving every second of it. What makes
you feel beautiful is that you're creating something.
Q: Will you raise your child in L.A.?
A: We're always talking about where we want to raise our children.
We know it's not Los Angeles - not that I have anything against
it, but it's too much in the midst of everything, and it would
be nice to be able to have our kids come in for doses of it. Next
time you see me here, there will be children.
I will be like my mother. My mother took us everywhere. They treated
us like people, like human beings. Right now, there's this style
of parenting that I experienced with my generation, which was
not to embarrass your children. They run the house!
I grew up in a house where I got spanked every once in a while.
I was disciplined. At the same time, I was completely free to
be my own person, and to dress in my own clothes, and be naked
if I wanted to. My parents were very open about sex. We didn't
really hide much in our family. I think I will probably be very
similar.
Q: Have the recent world troubles stopped you travelling as
much?
A: I'm not interested in being fearful. I'm not a good flyer,
but that doesn't stop me. As far as politically, and SARS, if
you're gonna go, you're gonna go. I'd like to be able to experience
things.
That's the best thing for my work - to be somebody who does get
to travel and observe people. It would be a shame if things that
made me afraid stopped me from doing those things.
Q: How competitive are you as an actress?
A: The only things I'm competitive in are backgammon and poker.
It would be horrible if there was no competition. It's what people
want to see - they either like you or they don't. Not everybody
likes Van Gogh. Or Bob Dylan! So you have Neil Young…or Ozzy
Osbourne.
Q: What is your relationship to critics and journalists?
A: I'm not going to generalise because I think there are wonderful
journalists and I think I respect what everybody chooses to do.
I don't like mediocrity. As somebody who likes to read, and considers
myself somewhat well read, when I read things from journalists
that I find in bad taste, I just tune out and never read that
person again.
What I don't like is when people put people down, no matter what
they are or what they do. I just think it's uninteresting. I don't
want to hear about someone's bad boob job when they're talking
about a film. The best writers are those who are not judgemental.
Q: Do you believe in using your public image as a soap-box?
A: I believe if you make that choice to use your public image,
because you want to be a political activist, I think absolutely.
That's what makes people interesting. In many years, I think people
will say of Susan [Sarandon] and Tim [Robbins] 'That took a lot
of guts' I appreciate them for that. They're passionate about
our country, and what it's based on. What I don't like is when
you hear that Tim cannot go to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Bull
Durham.
To me, if my child can't grow up in a country where they can express
themselves - which is what our country is based on, the freedom
of speech - if they can't do that without being ostracised, then
we are following a very destructive path. That's what I'm more
concerned with. My politics are like a lot of other people's.
I will vote the way I want to vote, and believe in things I want
to believe in.
What I don't believe in is that - things should never be based
on hatred. Nothing - especially a country. That's my personal
opinion. I do think it's important to use their fame and celebrity
in any way they wish to. If you're passionate about it, I say
'Go f***in' do it!' It's important to you, it's important to people…
there's a lot of people out there who want to have people to look
up to.
Q: Your career took off after Almost
Famous. How did you cope with that?
A: For me, I just love doing it. That's all I ever cared about.
I knew what to expect but then again, I had no idea what I was
getting myself prepared for. I thought I knew and then I didn't.
I just want to work and keep working.
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