Entrevistas y reportajes
+10
leonora
Janis
pke
masay
Heya
gabyco
lurdes beals
kamakaII
miss L
julia
14 participantes
PlanetaL :: Archivoteca The L word. Un lugar para el recuerdo :: Elenco The L word :: Jennifer Beals - Bette Porter
Página 16 de 26.
Página 16 de 26. • 1 ... 9 ... 15, 16, 17 ... 21 ... 26
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
Muchísimas gracias leonora, me encanta que haya por aquí otra fan de Jennifer que sube información, así no me siento tan sola
He encontrado en TWoP el reportaje escaneado. Pulsando sobre la imagen lo veréis más grande y lo podréis leer mejor. En cuanto pase el finde me pongo a traducirlo, aunque si hay un alma bondadosa que quiera hacerlo antes, mejor
He encontrado en TWoP el reportaje escaneado. Pulsando sobre la imagen lo veréis más grande y lo podréis leer mejor. En cuanto pase el finde me pongo a traducirlo, aunque si hay un alma bondadosa que quiera hacerlo antes, mejor
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
http://www.moviefone.co.uk/2010/09/08/jennifer-beals-a-night-for-dying-tigers-interview/
Jennifer Beals Talks 'A Night for Dying Tigers,' Family Love and Why She Has a Dagger in Her Skirt
Jennifer Beals was a college student when she landed the landmark role of steelworker Alex Owens in 'Flashdance.' That steamy water chair dance became an iconic '80s image that launched her career, and Beals has worked steadily since then (despite turning down the role of Apollonia in 'Purple Rain' and another in 'Pretty in Pink' to continue her studies). The 46-year-old recently starred in the critically-acclaimed 'The L-Word' for five seasons, and worked with Tim Roth on 'Lie To Me.'
She's currently on the set of the new Fox series 'Ride Along' as a no-nonsense Chicago police officer. But her latest film, Terry Miles' 'A Night for Dying Tigers,' will premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Beals plays a woman who gathers family and friends together for a farewell dinner for her husband, who is heading off to prison for five years. Moviefone spoke with Beals about familial love and why her character has a metaphorical dagger up her skirt.
It's interesting that the premise is so relatable, that it's about the loaded interactions of a family in crisis. Things get ugly and you can't look away.
This family takes things to new heights; the germ is in all us. What's also true is how we bear things, certain dysfunctions because we love people. With family, we also love our biology. You bear certain things because of biology and that is certainly true of Melanie.
That forbearance sometimes holds families and people and society together.
I found that to be exciting but I didn't feel it when I read the script. I saw the love between the brother and sister. This could be incredibly unsavory but when I watched the film, believing they should be together, it was a cultural boundary they cross. It was a very weird thing, and I'm unfamiliar with the phenomenon, but to see it play out in the film successfully to me was radical. How does society continue? Why doesn't it fall apart? Family takes all forms.
Your character is conflicted. She's so positive when she's not really feeling it. She plays the warm host even though she's ready to kill.
Definitely... Because you're in denial and that can only hold up so long. Things have to break apart and have new meaning. The character was in denial about her relationship with her husband and in denial and how it sustained itself. She had to come to a new meaning and understanding and know her place in the world. I think sometimes you can see something in a different experience and you learn something else, and it may resonate with you in different ways. Hopefully as her husband is going off to jail, another farewell may be happening. Their relationship is transforming and what they think they had at one time is now destroying them. That needs to change. There is no external force; you have to change it yourself.
And the last scene where Melanie is in the hospital sitting next to Jules [played by Kathleen Robertson]... There were takes where I couldn't put the wedding ring on. I couldn't do it. Forbearance for the whole family is okay for a little while, but if other people are not stepping up and trying to transform things for the betterment of the family or themselves, then it's no longer tenable. You see things coming -- you don't want to because they're so painful. It's not always enlightenment; it's often pain.
The film is going to frighten some people. Melanie is really falling apart.
Yes, but she is hiding a dagger in the folds of her skirt. Nobody knows the strength of will beneath her; she will eviscerate the enemy.
How does it affect you to work in an intense closed environment on such a tough project?
Well, first, the cast was amazing. They blow my mind. My goodness! They were so courageous as they went higher and higher. No, I felt great, we laughed a lot. But I would literally feel sick to my stomach and almost physically turn my car around in the mornings on the way to the set. If it were not for the other vibrating excitement that I had in the center of this dysfunction which was very exciting, I wouldn't have gone. It was like being on a boat in the middle of the ocean in a huge storm and being asked to dive down. You're told everything is going to be fine. It's exciting, the way a storm is exciting. And I felt very safe with this supportive group. We laughed while we went deep sea diving.
You go in a different direction in the new Fox police procedural this fall called 'Ride Along.' What is your character Theresa like?
For me, it's really an exploration of being female within a male context, and where you find a female strength within that police world. 'The L-Word' prepared me to do it in a world with my own sex. Without 'The L-Word' I doubt I would have felt as comfortable as I do. Theresa is much tougher, incredibly focused, driven and singular. I met policewomen and went on ride-alongs and that was eye-opening. I wouldn't last 30 seconds; I wouldn't be able to stand it, the stress, day in and day out. My nervous system wouldn't take it. My last ride-along was to a shooting. I was with the detective when he found the shell. It was interesting. But to think that Theresa was a police officer, a woman who made her way up through the ranks quickly and was driven enough at such a young age was just extraordinary. And she's in a discipline where others would love to see her fail. There are endless storylines about that and about cleaning up the corruption in Chicago.
You played Tim Roth's estranged wife on 'Lie to Me'; that must have been entertaining!
We've known each other for a long time and that makes it much easier. He's very dedicated to the show and very smart and he's a fine director. They're lucky to have him. He's really smart.
You published the Eastman Kodak and Color Centric photographic journal of 'The L Word' with 250 photographs, call sheets, production notes, and cast interviews. Wow.
The idea was for charity. It seems incredibly glamorous but it was really made for the cast and crew, and it became something more. So much of our experience of 'The L-Word' was as a catalyst for fundraisers for various organizations, and this was a way to continue that with proceeds going to charitiy.
You have always worked, which is amazing for an actor – what's the key?
I don't know. I have no idea! But I am incredibly grateful.
'A Night for Dying Tigers' opens on September 10, and is screening at the Toronto Film Festival.
Jennifer Beals Talks 'A Night for Dying Tigers,' Family Love and Why She Has a Dagger in Her Skirt
Jennifer Beals was a college student when she landed the landmark role of steelworker Alex Owens in 'Flashdance.' That steamy water chair dance became an iconic '80s image that launched her career, and Beals has worked steadily since then (despite turning down the role of Apollonia in 'Purple Rain' and another in 'Pretty in Pink' to continue her studies). The 46-year-old recently starred in the critically-acclaimed 'The L-Word' for five seasons, and worked with Tim Roth on 'Lie To Me.'
She's currently on the set of the new Fox series 'Ride Along' as a no-nonsense Chicago police officer. But her latest film, Terry Miles' 'A Night for Dying Tigers,' will premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Beals plays a woman who gathers family and friends together for a farewell dinner for her husband, who is heading off to prison for five years. Moviefone spoke with Beals about familial love and why her character has a metaphorical dagger up her skirt.
It's interesting that the premise is so relatable, that it's about the loaded interactions of a family in crisis. Things get ugly and you can't look away.
This family takes things to new heights; the germ is in all us. What's also true is how we bear things, certain dysfunctions because we love people. With family, we also love our biology. You bear certain things because of biology and that is certainly true of Melanie.
That forbearance sometimes holds families and people and society together.
I found that to be exciting but I didn't feel it when I read the script. I saw the love between the brother and sister. This could be incredibly unsavory but when I watched the film, believing they should be together, it was a cultural boundary they cross. It was a very weird thing, and I'm unfamiliar with the phenomenon, but to see it play out in the film successfully to me was radical. How does society continue? Why doesn't it fall apart? Family takes all forms.
Your character is conflicted. She's so positive when she's not really feeling it. She plays the warm host even though she's ready to kill.
Definitely... Because you're in denial and that can only hold up so long. Things have to break apart and have new meaning. The character was in denial about her relationship with her husband and in denial and how it sustained itself. She had to come to a new meaning and understanding and know her place in the world. I think sometimes you can see something in a different experience and you learn something else, and it may resonate with you in different ways. Hopefully as her husband is going off to jail, another farewell may be happening. Their relationship is transforming and what they think they had at one time is now destroying them. That needs to change. There is no external force; you have to change it yourself.
And the last scene where Melanie is in the hospital sitting next to Jules [played by Kathleen Robertson]... There were takes where I couldn't put the wedding ring on. I couldn't do it. Forbearance for the whole family is okay for a little while, but if other people are not stepping up and trying to transform things for the betterment of the family or themselves, then it's no longer tenable. You see things coming -- you don't want to because they're so painful. It's not always enlightenment; it's often pain.
The film is going to frighten some people. Melanie is really falling apart.
Yes, but she is hiding a dagger in the folds of her skirt. Nobody knows the strength of will beneath her; she will eviscerate the enemy.
How does it affect you to work in an intense closed environment on such a tough project?
Well, first, the cast was amazing. They blow my mind. My goodness! They were so courageous as they went higher and higher. No, I felt great, we laughed a lot. But I would literally feel sick to my stomach and almost physically turn my car around in the mornings on the way to the set. If it were not for the other vibrating excitement that I had in the center of this dysfunction which was very exciting, I wouldn't have gone. It was like being on a boat in the middle of the ocean in a huge storm and being asked to dive down. You're told everything is going to be fine. It's exciting, the way a storm is exciting. And I felt very safe with this supportive group. We laughed while we went deep sea diving.
You go in a different direction in the new Fox police procedural this fall called 'Ride Along.' What is your character Theresa like?
For me, it's really an exploration of being female within a male context, and where you find a female strength within that police world. 'The L-Word' prepared me to do it in a world with my own sex. Without 'The L-Word' I doubt I would have felt as comfortable as I do. Theresa is much tougher, incredibly focused, driven and singular. I met policewomen and went on ride-alongs and that was eye-opening. I wouldn't last 30 seconds; I wouldn't be able to stand it, the stress, day in and day out. My nervous system wouldn't take it. My last ride-along was to a shooting. I was with the detective when he found the shell. It was interesting. But to think that Theresa was a police officer, a woman who made her way up through the ranks quickly and was driven enough at such a young age was just extraordinary. And she's in a discipline where others would love to see her fail. There are endless storylines about that and about cleaning up the corruption in Chicago.
You played Tim Roth's estranged wife on 'Lie to Me'; that must have been entertaining!
We've known each other for a long time and that makes it much easier. He's very dedicated to the show and very smart and he's a fine director. They're lucky to have him. He's really smart.
You published the Eastman Kodak and Color Centric photographic journal of 'The L Word' with 250 photographs, call sheets, production notes, and cast interviews. Wow.
The idea was for charity. It seems incredibly glamorous but it was really made for the cast and crew, and it became something more. So much of our experience of 'The L-Word' was as a catalyst for fundraisers for various organizations, and this was a way to continue that with proceeds going to charitiy.
You have always worked, which is amazing for an actor – what's the key?
I don't know. I have no idea! But I am incredibly grateful.
'A Night for Dying Tigers' opens on September 10, and is screening at the Toronto Film Festival.
leonora- Trátame bien, soy una forera muy activa
- Cantidad de envíos : 608
Personajes favoritos : Bette
Fecha de inscripción : 24/02/2010
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
Un artículo dedicado a JB en París-match
http://www.parismatch.com/Conso-Match/Mode/Actu/Jennifer-Beals-s-est-mouillee-pour-nos-jeans-223606/
(A ver si miss nos hace un pequeño resumen )
http://www.parismatch.com/Conso-Match/Mode/Actu/Jennifer-Beals-s-est-mouillee-pour-nos-jeans-223606/
(A ver si miss nos hace un pequeño resumen )
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
uuui, mi francés actualmente da pena verlo! pero como no me véis...
Pues el artículo trata sobre Marithé y François Girbaud, que fundaron en los 60 una empresa de ropa informal (con los jeans de bandera), y cuando decidieron expandirse por eeuu, lo hicieron de la mano de Carl Rosen, que se ve es el inventor de asociar una marca con una celebrity. Por esos tiempos lo acababa de hacer con brooke shields, y les presentó a Jennifer, que por entonces aún era desconocida. La sesión de fotos fue después del éxito de Flashdance.
Nota de la traductora: supongo que la estaría rodando o acabando y ya se sabría que tendría éxito.
En la sesión estuvieron 16 horas y no consiguieron una buena imagen. Jennifer había ido con un montón de asesores y éstos no permitían muchas poses que el fotógrafo proponía. Más tarde, estando en la cocina con François, empiezan a hablar distendidamente y en broma él le tiró un vaso de agua a la cara, y nada, que se remojaron todos. Y ahí ya jennifer se relajó y el fotógrafo pudo hacer su trabajo. François dice que al enterarse que las escenas de baile de la peli no era jen sino una doble, ya entendió a que venía tanto secretismo, ya que durante esa época muy pocas personas sabían de la trampa. Y la troupe de gente era para evitar eso precisamente.
Luego estuvieron de promoción por eeuu y aparecieron en revistas. La gente iba a verla a ella, pero de rebote los Cargo Baggy que llevaba se hicieron famosos, y explotó la moda del breakdance y cultura callejera.
Otra nota de la traductora: He buscado alguna imagen pero no he encontrado nada. tampoco tengo mucha idea de como son unos cargo baggy, para que os voy a engañar...
Pues el artículo trata sobre Marithé y François Girbaud, que fundaron en los 60 una empresa de ropa informal (con los jeans de bandera), y cuando decidieron expandirse por eeuu, lo hicieron de la mano de Carl Rosen, que se ve es el inventor de asociar una marca con una celebrity. Por esos tiempos lo acababa de hacer con brooke shields, y les presentó a Jennifer, que por entonces aún era desconocida. La sesión de fotos fue después del éxito de Flashdance.
Nota de la traductora: supongo que la estaría rodando o acabando y ya se sabría que tendría éxito.
En la sesión estuvieron 16 horas y no consiguieron una buena imagen. Jennifer había ido con un montón de asesores y éstos no permitían muchas poses que el fotógrafo proponía. Más tarde, estando en la cocina con François, empiezan a hablar distendidamente y en broma él le tiró un vaso de agua a la cara, y nada, que se remojaron todos. Y ahí ya jennifer se relajó y el fotógrafo pudo hacer su trabajo. François dice que al enterarse que las escenas de baile de la peli no era jen sino una doble, ya entendió a que venía tanto secretismo, ya que durante esa época muy pocas personas sabían de la trampa. Y la troupe de gente era para evitar eso precisamente.
Luego estuvieron de promoción por eeuu y aparecieron en revistas. La gente iba a verla a ella, pero de rebote los Cargo Baggy que llevaba se hicieron famosos, y explotó la moda del breakdance y cultura callejera.
Otra nota de la traductora: He buscado alguna imagen pero no he encontrado nada. tampoco tengo mucha idea de como son unos cargo baggy, para que os voy a engañar...
miss L- Entérate, ya soy una usuaria conocida
- Cantidad de envíos : 358
Edad : 41
Fecha de inscripción : 05/03/2008
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
Gracias miss, eres un cielo y la mejor traductora de francés de los Pirineos para acá
miss L- Entérate, ya soy una usuaria conocida
- Cantidad de envíos : 358
Edad : 41
Fecha de inscripción : 05/03/2008
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
miss L escribió:
no es eso miss, es que te queremos de verdad, unas mas que otras, pero te queremos
maryjoe- Forera galáctica
- Cantidad de envíos : 3160
Localización : Barcelona
Fecha de inscripción : 04/08/2009
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
No sé si esto estará por algún sitio pero lo acabo de ver en Facebook y por aquí no lo encontré
http://www.jennifer-beals.com/media/press/more2010.html?ref=nf
http://www.jennifer-beals.com/media/press/more2010.html?ref=nf
Invitado- Invitado
LLuna- Yujuu! me empieza a gustar el foreo
- Cantidad de envíos : 125
Personajes favoritos : TINA
Fecha de inscripción : 07/06/2010
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
ENTREVISTA:
Jennifer Beals Captures 'The L Word' Cast In Photos: Exclusive, Part 1
http://shewired.com/Article.cfm?ArticlePage=1&ID=24240
Jennifer Beals Captures 'The L Word' Cast In Photos: Exclusive, Part 2
http://shewired.com/Article.cfm?ID=24243
Jennifer Beals Captures 'The L Word' Cast In Photos: Exclusive, Part 1
http://shewired.com/Article.cfm?ArticlePage=1&ID=24240
Jennifer Beals Captures 'The L Word' Cast In Photos: Exclusive, Part 2
http://shewired.com/Article.cfm?ID=24243
leonora- Trátame bien, soy una forera muy activa
- Cantidad de envíos : 608
Personajes favoritos : Bette
Fecha de inscripción : 24/02/2010
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
http://www.divamag.co.uk/diva/features.asp?PID=47722
Rachel Shelley interviews The L Word's Jennifer Beals
The actress behind Bette Porter, The L Word’s alpha female, talks to her friend Rachel Shelley about her new book, L Word nostalgia and her need for privacy.
It was on the red carpet for the second season L Word premiere that I first realised how exceptional Jennifer Beals is. She was midinterview with E! Channel or some such, and had just expressed her very real grief at the death of actor Ozzie Davis who played her father in the series. Barely acknowledging her words or giving her space to draw breath, the interviewer was straight in with his next question – what was she wearing tonight? Jennifer paused. Amidst the madness of flashbulbs and cacophonic name-calling that is a crazed red carpet experience, she had the wherewithal to fix the guy with a hard stare. Struggling to be heard over the hubbub, she chided him concisely: did he not hear what she had just said? How could he plunge into inanities when she had been marking the life of a great and esteemed man?
I was blown away. Those red carpet interviews represent life at its most vapid, yet it didn’t deter Jennifer from her true nature. The easier response may have been just to name the designer.To give good interview and pass it off as a Hollywood moment. But Jennifer’s not prepared to reduce her life or emotions to a series of easy sound-bites for media satisfaction. Everything she is or does is without compromise, and with total commitment to the truth.
So I have to admit, I was a little trepidatious about interviewing Ms Beals. As much as I’ve come to love you, dear DIVA reader, I’m not about to ruin a valued relationship by (asking the wrong question and) blurring the lines between journalist and personal friend. There have been, of course, many conversations and experiences she and I have shared over the years that would be unsuitable for a magazine article, whether she was famous or not. Most are obvious, others are wonderfully weird, like the names of her pets. She is, by her own admission, a very private person.But more of that later.
Of course, there’s no hiding one thing about Beals, and that’s her abundance of creativity and talent. Her latest and highly anticipated project, The L Word Book, has been so popular, the printers are struggling to keep up with demand. Jennifer describes it as an attempt to archive her experience in the form of a photographic journal, going behind the scenes of the show. It includes cast commentary and assorted ephemera – bits of scripts, call-sheets,
production memos. Only available to order online, the book reflects the intimate nature of the L Word fan-base in that it can be personalised with a dedication page or by adding private photos. This is exceptional in the world of publishing. So I was curious – what had inspired her?
‘It first started as an impulse to create a family album for the cast
and crew. I’m very particular about memory, and very aware that
mine’s quickly eroding. Then at the convention we did together [L5
in Blackpool, November 2008] I saw how interested people were in
the minutiae of the show, and how generous they were. So I thought,
here’s an opportunity to provide the fans with a different experience
of the show and to continue our tradition of fundraising.’
With all proceeds going to charity, the book was a total labour of
love for Beals. I know from phone calls over the past 18 months that
it’s gobbled up her spare time, as well as some of her patience. She
compares getting the L Word cast together to wrangling cats: ‘My
fantasy was to have everyone at a round table and show the photos,
to have this dialogue with one another. But that’s just not possible –
everyone is at every corner of the earth and doing a whole manner
of things. I managed to get Rose, Mia, Kate and Leisha together. Pam
was the most difficult, I was begging her – Pam, give me something,
anything!’
Her perseverance paid off, ultimately securing revealing interviews,
particularly when it comes to the controversial show finale.
‘[The cast] are very forthright in the interviews, specially about the
sixth season. I think for some people it gives them a sense of closure
that they didn’t have when watching the show, to experience how
we, the cast, were processing it. Everyone came back to the fact that
it was a fantastic experience, that it was a Utopic project.’
Flicking through the book, the photographs transport me back to
those Vancouver summers so vividly I can almost hear Leisha’s gurgling
laugh or Floyd barking. Moments of candour return alongside
the height of posturing, images that only a confidante could witness
or an artist capture.
Amidst all this nostalgia, who could blame Jennifer for missing
The L Word? ‘I miss Bette sometimes. Especially when I’m in
the middle of an argument with someone and I think – I know she
would know what to do.’ In fact, we both get a little wistful about
that aspect of our characters. She continues: ‘I miss my clothes, let’s
face facts. I miss hanging out on set with the other women, doing
the Planet scenes. Leisha could make me laugh so easily it was just
fun. [I’m] just really, deeply appreciative of the experience and so
profoundly grateful to Ilene for letting us share to the degree she
did with her process.’
So does that make Bette Porter the defining role of her career to
date? ‘It’s very fluid. I don’t think that anything that has to do with
identity is that solid. Also, it’s not for me to decide, it’s for other
people. It’s not as if I go around thinking – hmm, what’s my defining
role?’ When I mention to Jennifer that some people actually do
spend time debating that very question, contrasting the merits of
Bette Porter versus Alex Owen (her break-through role in the movie
Flashdance), she’s genuinely surprised. I think we can safely say she
doesn’t read any of the myriad websites that analyse every breath
she takes. ‘No, I don’t. It’s just too self-reflective and bizarre. I can
barely figure out how to use my iPod, much less someone’s blog.’
And here we are at the delicious dichotomy at Jennifer’s core:
a self-confessed hermit who’s happy to share her personal photographic
journal with the world. When she filmed last year in New
Mexico for The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic film starring Denzel
Washington, she rented an adobe cabin in the middle of nowhere,
in the quiet and amongst trees. Why the solitude and privacy? Is it
from her childhood, because of her fame maybe? ‘Well, doctor…’ she
laughs. ‘I have no idea! This morning I went for a run in the forest
and apart from having my dogs with me, I was alone. It was wonderful.
I like the quiet. You can hear who you are, you can hear who
the trees are. It’s a different perspective that’s not dictated by the
media.’
But it would be wrong to think of Jennifer as a solitary, unsocial
person who never shares her feelings. If you’ve seen her at a convention
or heard her deliver a speech, you’ll know she’s not afraid to
show her vulnerability or happiness, that she’s ebullient in nature.
In fact, this is part of what makes her such a compelling actor: her
face is constantly awash with fleeting emotions. She has a family –
her nearly-five-year-old daughter and her husband – and an array of
intimate friends with whom she’s loquacious, funny, entertaining.
And always truthful. ‘I’m the small dinner person rather than a club
person.’ Quality over quantity, I offer? ‘Yes, exactly, exactly!’ she
laughs. ‘I have been more sociable of late, you’d be surprised. We’re
letting loose! [As a kid] I spent a lot of time by myself in the garden
getting dirty.’ That may sound like an only-child talking, but she has
two brothers, one older and one younger.
Beals was, famously, still a freshman at Yale when she was cast in
the 1983 movie Flashdance. Catapulted overnight into being an icon
for the decade (there’s a club night in Hoxton named after the film),
she even kept this life-changing news secret for as long as possible. ‘I
got the call and got the movie and the first night in my hotel I called
my mom and said, “Guess where I am...?” They didn’t know half the
time what I was doing… I didn’t tell everyone right away. Like three
people, then I just held on to it.’
Yes, having gone to Yale does mean she’s exceptionally intelligent.
She speaks four languages, and I remember her taking Sanskrit
classes at some point. She’s intellectually curious, which makes
her stimulating company, and capable of great dedication (she’s
an accomplished tri-athlete, who learnt open-water swimming just
months before completing her first race). Taking this into account,
she could have turned her hand to almost anything. So is acting
enough for her? ‘Yes, I love it, it’s really fantastic. When you get a
great role and a great scene and a great scene partner and you’re
just in that little pocket and everything just floats away and you’re
in that kind of dream…’ She breaks off, with a small sigh. And if she
hadn’t become an actress? ‘A photo journalist. It’s about encountering
people and being open to their story and how they articulate
their story. I think the most attractive thing is being involved in some
sort of story-telling. Whether it’s through film or television… Acting
makes me feel more alive.’
Which is lucky because I don’t need to tell you how in demand
she is. Since The L Word, she’s appeared in TV’s Lie To Me with Tim
Roth (she compares her four episodes on this to TLW as ‘like writing
a haiku instead of a novel’). She played Gary Oldman’s blind wife in
the The Book of Eli. She starred in the indie movie A Night For Dying
Tigers, capturing one evening in the life of a highly dysfunctional
family. It also stars Lauren Lee Smith (TLW’s Lara Perkins), of whom
Beals says, ‘She’s a frigging genius. Watching her blew my mind,
it was so subtle. She brought so much more to the part, she was
tremendous and gorgeous, to top it off.’ And next up for Beals is the
female lead in a new TV show for FOX called Ride-Along.
‘Shawn Ryan is the show runner; he did Lie To Me, that’s where
we met. He’s very good and very smart and I feel very lucky. I
play Chicago’s first female Chief of Police, Superintendent Teresa
Colvin, much too young and not of the chosen gender for the job,
helping clean up the corruption in the city of Chicago. I feel incredibly
grateful and honoured as Shawn is such a great writer. He also
did The Shield.’
The Shield, if you don’t know it, is an amazing cop show, and it’ll
be exciting to see Jennifer in a similar role to the one Glenn Close
played – tough, competing in a man’s world, with glimpses of vulnerability.
Maybe she’ll even be wielding a gun! Ride-Along, which
co-stars Jason Clarke of Brotherhood, means relocating to her old
hometown of Chicago and might seem to be a big change of direction
for Jennifer. As a huge Shawn Ryan junkie, I’m thrilled for her,
but when I ask if she’s played a cop before she says, ‘Oh yeah, but
don’t even take me there, Rachel!’
So I don’t. I know better than to push it. This is an interview
and some subjects are off-limits, and this is one of them. As are pet
details. ‘My dogs take their job [of security] very seriously. They’re
our pets and our friends but there’s no calming them down if there’s
someone in the yard.’ Can I include their names in the interview I
wonder? ‘No. What a surprise, right?!’ She laughs wholeheartedly.
Then offers up a tale so intimate, it paints a dreamy portrait of a
young Jennifer Beals who’s already self-sufficient, already brimming
with confidence. She’s protecting her cherished emotions and experiences
from prying eyes, keeping them private even at this tender
age.
‘Can I tell you, when I went to camp as a kid I would get letters
from friends or family and while all the other kids were tearing open
the letters and devouring the words from their families, I would not
open my letters for like two days. I would just savour the fact that I
had them. It was insane. It was this delicious prolonging of the joy,
in a way. By telling everyone about it, sometimes for me it dissipates
the joy.’ So you’ve always been secretive? ‘It doesn’t feel like
secretive, it just feels like holding onto something that’s mine, that I
savour. Not very conducive to interviews!’
At this admission, she laughs shamelessly and I laugh along with
her. You’ve got to love her. I suggest it makes her more mysterious,
more enigmatic. ‘I don’t mean to be secretive,’ she states, very
matter-of-factly. ‘I just… enjoy what I enjoy.’
Rachel Shelley interviews The L Word's Jennifer Beals
The actress behind Bette Porter, The L Word’s alpha female, talks to her friend Rachel Shelley about her new book, L Word nostalgia and her need for privacy.
It was on the red carpet for the second season L Word premiere that I first realised how exceptional Jennifer Beals is. She was midinterview with E! Channel or some such, and had just expressed her very real grief at the death of actor Ozzie Davis who played her father in the series. Barely acknowledging her words or giving her space to draw breath, the interviewer was straight in with his next question – what was she wearing tonight? Jennifer paused. Amidst the madness of flashbulbs and cacophonic name-calling that is a crazed red carpet experience, she had the wherewithal to fix the guy with a hard stare. Struggling to be heard over the hubbub, she chided him concisely: did he not hear what she had just said? How could he plunge into inanities when she had been marking the life of a great and esteemed man?
I was blown away. Those red carpet interviews represent life at its most vapid, yet it didn’t deter Jennifer from her true nature. The easier response may have been just to name the designer.To give good interview and pass it off as a Hollywood moment. But Jennifer’s not prepared to reduce her life or emotions to a series of easy sound-bites for media satisfaction. Everything she is or does is without compromise, and with total commitment to the truth.
So I have to admit, I was a little trepidatious about interviewing Ms Beals. As much as I’ve come to love you, dear DIVA reader, I’m not about to ruin a valued relationship by (asking the wrong question and) blurring the lines between journalist and personal friend. There have been, of course, many conversations and experiences she and I have shared over the years that would be unsuitable for a magazine article, whether she was famous or not. Most are obvious, others are wonderfully weird, like the names of her pets. She is, by her own admission, a very private person.But more of that later.
Of course, there’s no hiding one thing about Beals, and that’s her abundance of creativity and talent. Her latest and highly anticipated project, The L Word Book, has been so popular, the printers are struggling to keep up with demand. Jennifer describes it as an attempt to archive her experience in the form of a photographic journal, going behind the scenes of the show. It includes cast commentary and assorted ephemera – bits of scripts, call-sheets,
production memos. Only available to order online, the book reflects the intimate nature of the L Word fan-base in that it can be personalised with a dedication page or by adding private photos. This is exceptional in the world of publishing. So I was curious – what had inspired her?
‘It first started as an impulse to create a family album for the cast
and crew. I’m very particular about memory, and very aware that
mine’s quickly eroding. Then at the convention we did together [L5
in Blackpool, November 2008] I saw how interested people were in
the minutiae of the show, and how generous they were. So I thought,
here’s an opportunity to provide the fans with a different experience
of the show and to continue our tradition of fundraising.’
With all proceeds going to charity, the book was a total labour of
love for Beals. I know from phone calls over the past 18 months that
it’s gobbled up her spare time, as well as some of her patience. She
compares getting the L Word cast together to wrangling cats: ‘My
fantasy was to have everyone at a round table and show the photos,
to have this dialogue with one another. But that’s just not possible –
everyone is at every corner of the earth and doing a whole manner
of things. I managed to get Rose, Mia, Kate and Leisha together. Pam
was the most difficult, I was begging her – Pam, give me something,
anything!’
Her perseverance paid off, ultimately securing revealing interviews,
particularly when it comes to the controversial show finale.
‘[The cast] are very forthright in the interviews, specially about the
sixth season. I think for some people it gives them a sense of closure
that they didn’t have when watching the show, to experience how
we, the cast, were processing it. Everyone came back to the fact that
it was a fantastic experience, that it was a Utopic project.’
Flicking through the book, the photographs transport me back to
those Vancouver summers so vividly I can almost hear Leisha’s gurgling
laugh or Floyd barking. Moments of candour return alongside
the height of posturing, images that only a confidante could witness
or an artist capture.
Amidst all this nostalgia, who could blame Jennifer for missing
The L Word? ‘I miss Bette sometimes. Especially when I’m in
the middle of an argument with someone and I think – I know she
would know what to do.’ In fact, we both get a little wistful about
that aspect of our characters. She continues: ‘I miss my clothes, let’s
face facts. I miss hanging out on set with the other women, doing
the Planet scenes. Leisha could make me laugh so easily it was just
fun. [I’m] just really, deeply appreciative of the experience and so
profoundly grateful to Ilene for letting us share to the degree she
did with her process.’
So does that make Bette Porter the defining role of her career to
date? ‘It’s very fluid. I don’t think that anything that has to do with
identity is that solid. Also, it’s not for me to decide, it’s for other
people. It’s not as if I go around thinking – hmm, what’s my defining
role?’ When I mention to Jennifer that some people actually do
spend time debating that very question, contrasting the merits of
Bette Porter versus Alex Owen (her break-through role in the movie
Flashdance), she’s genuinely surprised. I think we can safely say she
doesn’t read any of the myriad websites that analyse every breath
she takes. ‘No, I don’t. It’s just too self-reflective and bizarre. I can
barely figure out how to use my iPod, much less someone’s blog.’
And here we are at the delicious dichotomy at Jennifer’s core:
a self-confessed hermit who’s happy to share her personal photographic
journal with the world. When she filmed last year in New
Mexico for The Book of Eli, a post-apocalyptic film starring Denzel
Washington, she rented an adobe cabin in the middle of nowhere,
in the quiet and amongst trees. Why the solitude and privacy? Is it
from her childhood, because of her fame maybe? ‘Well, doctor…’ she
laughs. ‘I have no idea! This morning I went for a run in the forest
and apart from having my dogs with me, I was alone. It was wonderful.
I like the quiet. You can hear who you are, you can hear who
the trees are. It’s a different perspective that’s not dictated by the
media.’
But it would be wrong to think of Jennifer as a solitary, unsocial
person who never shares her feelings. If you’ve seen her at a convention
or heard her deliver a speech, you’ll know she’s not afraid to
show her vulnerability or happiness, that she’s ebullient in nature.
In fact, this is part of what makes her such a compelling actor: her
face is constantly awash with fleeting emotions. She has a family –
her nearly-five-year-old daughter and her husband – and an array of
intimate friends with whom she’s loquacious, funny, entertaining.
And always truthful. ‘I’m the small dinner person rather than a club
person.’ Quality over quantity, I offer? ‘Yes, exactly, exactly!’ she
laughs. ‘I have been more sociable of late, you’d be surprised. We’re
letting loose! [As a kid] I spent a lot of time by myself in the garden
getting dirty.’ That may sound like an only-child talking, but she has
two brothers, one older and one younger.
Beals was, famously, still a freshman at Yale when she was cast in
the 1983 movie Flashdance. Catapulted overnight into being an icon
for the decade (there’s a club night in Hoxton named after the film),
she even kept this life-changing news secret for as long as possible. ‘I
got the call and got the movie and the first night in my hotel I called
my mom and said, “Guess where I am...?” They didn’t know half the
time what I was doing… I didn’t tell everyone right away. Like three
people, then I just held on to it.’
Yes, having gone to Yale does mean she’s exceptionally intelligent.
She speaks four languages, and I remember her taking Sanskrit
classes at some point. She’s intellectually curious, which makes
her stimulating company, and capable of great dedication (she’s
an accomplished tri-athlete, who learnt open-water swimming just
months before completing her first race). Taking this into account,
she could have turned her hand to almost anything. So is acting
enough for her? ‘Yes, I love it, it’s really fantastic. When you get a
great role and a great scene and a great scene partner and you’re
just in that little pocket and everything just floats away and you’re
in that kind of dream…’ She breaks off, with a small sigh. And if she
hadn’t become an actress? ‘A photo journalist. It’s about encountering
people and being open to their story and how they articulate
their story. I think the most attractive thing is being involved in some
sort of story-telling. Whether it’s through film or television… Acting
makes me feel more alive.’
Which is lucky because I don’t need to tell you how in demand
she is. Since The L Word, she’s appeared in TV’s Lie To Me with Tim
Roth (she compares her four episodes on this to TLW as ‘like writing
a haiku instead of a novel’). She played Gary Oldman’s blind wife in
the The Book of Eli. She starred in the indie movie A Night For Dying
Tigers, capturing one evening in the life of a highly dysfunctional
family. It also stars Lauren Lee Smith (TLW’s Lara Perkins), of whom
Beals says, ‘She’s a frigging genius. Watching her blew my mind,
it was so subtle. She brought so much more to the part, she was
tremendous and gorgeous, to top it off.’ And next up for Beals is the
female lead in a new TV show for FOX called Ride-Along.
‘Shawn Ryan is the show runner; he did Lie To Me, that’s where
we met. He’s very good and very smart and I feel very lucky. I
play Chicago’s first female Chief of Police, Superintendent Teresa
Colvin, much too young and not of the chosen gender for the job,
helping clean up the corruption in the city of Chicago. I feel incredibly
grateful and honoured as Shawn is such a great writer. He also
did The Shield.’
The Shield, if you don’t know it, is an amazing cop show, and it’ll
be exciting to see Jennifer in a similar role to the one Glenn Close
played – tough, competing in a man’s world, with glimpses of vulnerability.
Maybe she’ll even be wielding a gun! Ride-Along, which
co-stars Jason Clarke of Brotherhood, means relocating to her old
hometown of Chicago and might seem to be a big change of direction
for Jennifer. As a huge Shawn Ryan junkie, I’m thrilled for her,
but when I ask if she’s played a cop before she says, ‘Oh yeah, but
don’t even take me there, Rachel!’
So I don’t. I know better than to push it. This is an interview
and some subjects are off-limits, and this is one of them. As are pet
details. ‘My dogs take their job [of security] very seriously. They’re
our pets and our friends but there’s no calming them down if there’s
someone in the yard.’ Can I include their names in the interview I
wonder? ‘No. What a surprise, right?!’ She laughs wholeheartedly.
Then offers up a tale so intimate, it paints a dreamy portrait of a
young Jennifer Beals who’s already self-sufficient, already brimming
with confidence. She’s protecting her cherished emotions and experiences
from prying eyes, keeping them private even at this tender
age.
‘Can I tell you, when I went to camp as a kid I would get letters
from friends or family and while all the other kids were tearing open
the letters and devouring the words from their families, I would not
open my letters for like two days. I would just savour the fact that I
had them. It was insane. It was this delicious prolonging of the joy,
in a way. By telling everyone about it, sometimes for me it dissipates
the joy.’ So you’ve always been secretive? ‘It doesn’t feel like
secretive, it just feels like holding onto something that’s mine, that I
savour. Not very conducive to interviews!’
At this admission, she laughs shamelessly and I laugh along with
her. You’ve got to love her. I suggest it makes her more mysterious,
more enigmatic. ‘I don’t mean to be secretive,’ she states, very
matter-of-factly. ‘I just… enjoy what I enjoy.’
leonora- Trátame bien, soy una forera muy activa
- Cantidad de envíos : 608
Personajes favoritos : Bette
Fecha de inscripción : 24/02/2010
Re: Entrevistas y reportajes
Ooohhhhh cuantas noticias de Jennifer!!! Muchísimas gracias Leonora por ponernos al día. Se te echaba de menos
Página 16 de 26. • 1 ... 9 ... 15, 16, 17 ... 21 ... 26
Temas similares
» Erin Daniels - Dana Fairbanks
» Entrevistas y reportajes de leisha
» Entrevistas a Lu.
» Rose Rollins - Tasha Williams
» Artículos y reportajes traducidos de Mia
» Entrevistas y reportajes de leisha
» Entrevistas a Lu.
» Rose Rollins - Tasha Williams
» Artículos y reportajes traducidos de Mia
PlanetaL :: Archivoteca The L word. Un lugar para el recuerdo :: Elenco The L word :: Jennifer Beals - Bette Porter
Página 16 de 26.
Permisos de este foro:
No puedes responder a temas en este foro.