Entrevistas y reportajes

http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/newspaper/entertainment/sc-mov-0809-eisenberg-30-minutes-bar-20110812,0,4314448.story

Eisenberg to Beals: 'Offer stands'
By Mark Caro, Tribune reporter
August 12, 2011

In Jesse Eisenberg's big-screen debut, "Roger Dodger" (2002), he played a college-bound teen out for a skirt-chasing night in Manhattan with a cynical ad writer (Campbell Scott). They pick up a pair of attractive women played by Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkley.

"I remember Jennifer and I were like, 'He's going to be a big star,'" Berkley recalled earlier this year.

Eisenberg said he sees Berkley occasionally in New York — his girlfriend and she have worked together on programs for schoolgirls — but not Beals, with whom he shared a tender moment on screen.


Never heard from her again," the 27-year-old actor said. "I don't have to see her again to tell her: Offer stands." He laughed. "The 10-year-old offer."

She was his first kiss, right?

"Yeah, yeah," he said.

In real life or just in movies?

"Real life," he said softly. "Yeah."

Reached at her Chicago home and told of Eisenberg's offer reminder, Beals laughed. "He's so funny," she said.

So what was his offer?

"I'm not going to tell you what his offer was. He's very cute. He's very, very cute. And he's so smart. And he's such a terrific actor. It was really fun to work with him. Everything is so easy for him. He makes it look like he's not doing anything. It's just effortless, like he's not working. You never see him working. I mean ever. And he was very young then too. That was a long time ago. And he and Campbell were very, very good together."

He said that was his first kiss ever, not just on screen but in real life.

"Oh, he didn't tell me that," she said. "That's interesting. Well, he — he did a good job."

Hence the offer.

"I'm not going there," Beals said. "I'm not going there with you."

Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune

CRAIG FERGUSON INTERVIEW 2006


C - My first guest tonight is a very charming and talented actress she is know for the Lword on Showtime, and she is in the new film The Grunch 2 which is in theaters now take a look at this
C - Please welcome Jennifer Beals everybody!

C- Hello there, Are you alright? I know you are very nervous about talk shows, Are you alright though?
J – I’M OK
C- You look kind of sensational, I love your purple xxxx, And the movie looks very, very frightening
J- It’s very creepy
C- Do you like horror movies? Is that why you did it?
J- I love horror movies, but I recently had a baby, so my sleep is at a premium, so I really don’t watch them very much anymore, but I thought the best way to be a part of a horror movie and take part on all the great things of a horror movie has to offer is to be in it, so I can perpetrate the horror

C- So you can get over the fear, that’s why I want to make a zombie film, because I’m very frighten of zombies , it’s why they build the studio so high up, so zombies can’t come and climb up the window. I know it’s kind of late.
Did you have a nice time making this film? I think it will make a great fun making a horror picture
J – I had a great time!
C- You know those scary looks
J- the big eyes is part of Japanese tradition, have the big like “kabuki eyes”
C – like kabuki eyes, yeah
J- Yeah, yeah
C- They don’t know what kabuki is… and neither do I.
C- You are still in the L Word were you up in Vancover?

J – Yes
C- I like Vancouver
J- I love Vancouver
C- I was in Vancouver when I got this job, I was there
J- I heard, I heard you have made that little road trip
C- Have you ever driven that road trip Vancover to LA?
J- Oh yes, I did, Well I have driven from Vancouver to LA but I had a very memorable trip from LA to Vancouver.. when my daughter was 5 weeks old, We took a road trip from LA to Vancover, So I could get to work, We have to big dog, that were at the back,
C- you took a five week old baby and 2 dogs on a road trip?
J- Ok … I…I… Why none of my friends perform an intervention I have no idea, I hold that against them

C- How long did that take? Like 4 weeks?
J- An Eternity, an eternity
C- Yeah You had to stop all the time!
J- Yeah you stop all the time and then you feed for like an hour …. and then the dogs had to go out, and you are wrangling the dogs
C. Oh yeah the feed, Can you drive and feed at the same time?
J. provably
C. Its called the Britney Spears, you just….
J. Oh
C. What? Is all right
C It’s all right, you can get special attachments
J. That’s not nice
C. No that’s not nice
C. But couldn’t your husband drive up then?
J. Yeah but I’m in the back with the baby
C. You can feed on the move
J. Well but see I wasn’t that experienced yet , Now I could feed her, but at that time I had no idea
C. Oh Yeah, Cause that’s difficult no one , I remember when my son was born his mother was kind of like …. Where (Mumble) with this one
C. What age is… is it a son or a daughter
J. A daughter , she just turned a year
C. Congratulations, yeah, that’s nice, and so are you staying up in Vancouver all the time? I like Vancouver, you see, that’s why …. Xxx I Think is a lovely town
J. It’s so beautiful, we are up there for about …
C. It’s canadian, you know, it’s Canada
J. I heard, xxxx
J. They speak english
C. I know
J. That’s great
C. they walk with their beacon and their maple syrup, they are delightful
J. Endless hockey games
C. Do you like hockey?
J. Yeah I love hockey,
C. Really?
J. Yeah it’s fun I like the sound of it, I Like the excitement, I like playoff hockey, it’s the best
C. Why? Because it’s faster and there’s more violence?
J. I just like the cold of the ice, and the sound of the pock
C. You actually go to the game or you watch it while you are feeding?
J. Sometimes, actually you know You are joking but my daughter loves to watch hockey
C. your daughter watchesShe hockey at one year old?
J. yeas, earlier like when she was two months, she loved hockey, maybe it’s the black and white field
c. maybe it’s the noise as well
J. I don’t know, we didn’t always have the noise up that high
CWhat about teletubies, so you can break the interlobe, start with the teletubies, maybe sponge bob square pants then you cango on brutal violence of men with sticks…. It’s just a suggestion
J. Ok
C. Just saying
J. Maybe after the baby Einstein
C. After the baby Einstein, I like the baby Einstein
J. Yeah it’s fun
C, Yeah they are good, I still watch them
J. I like the signing
C. What’s that?
J. I like the ones where they signed
C. They signed
J. Yeah
C. Can you sign? Are you a good signer?
J. A little bit
C. I can do a little bit, I think I’ve forgotten most of it

They both do some sign language
C, We have to take a break we’ll be right back, Jennifer Beals everybody
__________________________________________________________
C. Welcome back everybody, welcome back, I’m here with Jennifer Beals, that was a clip from the L word, which is the big field good lesbian comedy, isn’t it?
J. Augh
C. but it is just about human relations, isn’t it? It just it happens to be girls making out as well
C. Yeah great show
J. yeah that’s right, it’s kind of .. It’s like on Sex and the City women slept with each other
C. Right
J. Which I think would be really entertaining
C. Yeah, more entertaining than all that talk about shoes anyway I tell you that. That’s how you get men to watch Sex in the city.., And the girls make out with each other…I’m there!! It’s Fantastic….Have you been making another movie as well? Or was it the Grunch.. the horror movie? You made that in Japan?
J. Yeah we went to Tokyo, the baby came with us.
C. You take the whole family there?
J. Yes, my mother came with me
C. Did you drive?
J. No, We didn’t drive
C. Maybe you row over, why don’t we just row, the baby is almost six months old, it will be fine, what could go wrong
J. just get her a life best
C. Yeah It will be fine … So you took the baby? What age was the baby when you went over to japan
J. Let’s see, she was five months

C. That’s nice… I don’t know anything about japan. Had you been there before?
J. I had been there before, and my mother came with us, and my mother speaks Japanese so
C. Is your mother Japanese?
J. No, my mother is not Japanese, but she went to take a Spanish class, the Spanish class was full, the only room was in the Japanese class, so started taking Japanese.
C. Do you speak any Japanese?
J. I …I … did learn to sing twinkle, twinkle little star in Japanese
C. Oh wow, …. And how does it go, cause I forget
She sings……
J. Oh stop it…
C. Oh no!! is a lullaby, it’s a lullaby… I’m sorry
J. I was getting nervous
C. It’s fantastic, It’s fantastic . You know it sounds a bit like gaelic
J. Oh well, maybe it’s just my accent
C. No, no, no. I think what it is, is that the Japanese and the Gaels were separated by and then zombies were involved. I don’t know
J. Maybe
C. Maybe that can be the Grunch 3
C. It was lovely to see you again!! Jennifer Beals everybody

cita de Pam Grier en la que menciona a JB , sacado de la entrevista: http://www.movieweb.com/news/exclusive-pam-grier-talks-the-man-with-the-iron-fist


"It's not who I choose, it's what the role demands, and who is the actress can be comfortable with telling the story. Things are very, very traumatic, and not all the actresses have the depth or the confidence to play in certain scenes that demand craft. For example, when I did The L Word, and some actresses came aboard to play Jennifer Beals' love interest, on paper they said they could make love and kiss another woman, but when they got there, they couldn't. You have to really take into account the actor's ability, and often their personal life and religion and whatever they're about. It's not me choosing, it's the actress saying they can do it. That's how real casting is complete."

I'M A RUNNER: JENNIFER BEALS
entrevista a la beals
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-410--13135-0,00.html


Stories From Real Runners
I'm a Runner: Jennifer Beals
The actress talks about running a half-marathon and her addition to triathlons. By Noah Rothbaum Image by Embry Rucker From the June 2009 issue of Runner's World
Occupation: Actress
Age: 45
Residence: Los Angeles



By Noah Rothbaum I
mage by Embry Rucker
From the June 2009 issue of Runner's World

Are you still in Vancouver?
I'm in New Mexico now, working on a movie [The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington]. Did I mention there's a higher altitude here. I don't feel tired. I just feel like I'm a fish you've taken out of water. Gulping for air. Trying to get oxygen. I'm not accustomed to running in the open without trees. And the oxygen deprivation kicks my butt.

Have you found that running helps with your acting?
It helps you certainly to be fit because it gives you energy. Yesterday, I had this grueling fight scene with Gary Oldman. I know that it would have been much more difficult to do if I wasn't in shape. And the exercise helps you become more acquainted with yourself. I realized that I could perhaps enter into the world of endurance sports after I gave birth to my daughter without drugs. I thought, "Well if I could do that then maybe I could do a triathlon." There's nothing that's going to be more intense than that.

I hope the races you've done have been less painful than giving birth
By far but, of course, you don't get a baby at the end. What I do appreciate about racing is this collective experience. It's really amazing. We've all chosen to go through this very intense experience. And you're doing it all together. It's fascinating to me. Especially with a half-marathon and I would imagine a marathon too. You're deciding to do this incredibly grueling thing. It's a really lovely experience and you do it together. You're kind of supporting one another and the way that people will support you throughout the run. You support one another. The milk of human kindness.

Have you been doing a lot of running while filming The Book of Eli?
I wouldn't say a lot. Not as if I'm training for an event. Because I'm working on the movie. If I run or workout too much here I do feel worn down. So, I'll run a few times a week.

Have you gone running with your co-star Denzel Washington?
Gosh no. But one of our producers is a hardcore triathlete. I feel like a lot of my running is about incorporating it into a triathlon. I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm running for running and other times it's running after I get off the bike.

Have you always been a runner?
That depends. Not long if you're talking about long races, since I just did a half marathon last summer. So that was just about getting the mileage in to do that without suffering through the race. And then when I started doing triathlons it was to balance out the rest. So I'm not running quite as often but it feels like a different animal than getting on the bike.

In a typical week how much do you run?
The thing is with my life, since I travel so much, there is no such thing as a typical week. When I was working on The L Word in Vancouver, I ran three or four times a week, between five and 10 kilometers. Sometime I would run with one of my dogs for fun. I really love to run with the dogs because there's a joy of running that they have, which I want to keep for myself. I have two dogs. They're older but they would go 15-K with me.

Do you run on a treadmill?
The treadmill is the only time where I'm clocking how fast I'm going. The treadmill is a necessary tool. I'm a big believer in supplements too. Rhodiola has been really helpful in terms of healing. Rhodiola is used for a lot of different things. I originally discovered it because it was prescribed for my dogs. I have since discovered a lot of runners and a lot of athletes use it because it's an anti-inflammatory the same was that codfish oil is an anti-inflammatory.

Are there running routes you do in LA?
When I'm in Los Angeles, I usually run in Griffith Park. You just have to keep an eye out for snakes. I've seen gigantic rattlesnakes cross the trail that I had to negotiate my way around. In LA you get used to it. You pay attention when you're hiking or running or whenever you're out.

Do people ever recognize you when you're running?
Yeah. You know when you're dying like from heat. When I was training for a 15- or 16-K and I was ready to die and somebody recognized me and wanted to talk. I'm like I can't. I'm sorry. I just can't right now. I am a completely recreational, middle of the pack runner.

I read that you want to do a marathon?
Yes, I would. I've been in New York during the New York Marathon a couple of times and I would like to do the New York Marathon. But I'm from Chicago, so I would really love to do the Chicago Marathon. The problem is the weather. Chicago can turn hot, and I hate the heat.

Do you listen to music?
I don't use an iPod. I can't. I don't feel as free. I use it when I bike. I'm not a big biker. I'm really a terrible biker. I'm trying to make the bike my friend. But so far it's not my friend. The iPod alleviates the pain when I'm biking.

Do you have a favorite leg of the triathlon?
I've really have come to love the swim. But there's something very joyful about the run. You're coming home. You're kind of slogging through the first 5-K.

Does your family understand your running?
My husband has come to understand it. And my daughter, when I do any kind of road race—5-, 10-, or 15-Ks—to get used to running with people again. I'm so unaccustomed to running with other people that it's an oddly emotional experience. I was terrified of it initially. The first time I had ever done a race and I swear I almost started crying on the way to the start because I was so nervous about being around other people. Before they started the race standing in line in my group I almost like crying because it's so intense being around all these people. But it turned into such a lovely collective experience. And now I really enjoy it. That race was in Vancouver.

That was your first race?
Yeah. And I really focused on reminding myself I was running my race and not trying to keep pace with somebody. It's about your journey it's not about everybody else's journey.

Where was the half marathon that you competed in?
I did my first half-marathon in Vancouver. I just wanted to get in by 2:15, and I finished under two hours (1:57:53). Afterward I started thinking, "Maybe if I had hydrated more, I could have gone faster. And maybe that section of the race where I was holding back maybe if I had let go a bit." I had done the course a week before and there's a hill and during the race in my mind I made the hill bigger than it was. It didn't feel that big. But you're also running off the adrenaline of everybody around you.

When was that?
Last June. And during the race, my daughter yelled out, "Pick up your knees, Mama!" So funny. She's three and she was two at the time. We would run across a field together and you know the real secret to going faster is to pick up your knees. We would goof around on the field, so she would remember it. So, she's coaching me on the sidelines. And of course, she was saying this at a moment when picking up my knees felt like the most impossible thing to do. It makes me laugh.

Were you shooting for a specific time?
No, I wasn't shooting for time. For me running is about freedom. I find that the freer I feel, the faster I am. I don't wear a watch when I run. I run almost exclusively on trails for a couple of reasons, one is to save my joints and two it ignites my imagination in a way that running on a road doesn't.

Do any of your L-Word cast mates come out?
Well yeah. I did an Olympic triathlon for the first time in September and Mia Kirshner was there and Elizabeth Berkley was there at the finish line. And Alexandra Hedison, who had been so great. She went swimming with me at seven one morning to try to help me get over any kind of fear of open-water swimming. Mia actually got me into triathlons. She did a sprint triathlon, and she was like, "You have to try it." So I did my first Olympic-distance triathlon last September. Then I got addicted.

Is there a running culture on the L-Word?
Laurel Holloman is a runner. She's fast I think. She runs a lot. And Mia. Although she didn't get addicted like I have. There's no way to perfect the whole thing. At least not in my realm of experience.

Do you ever talk running with your cast mates?
No. I think they're still tired of hearing me talk about triathlon. Most of the cast are like why? Go have a latte and call it a day.

Do you use Gu?
I only just discovered Gu and I love Gu. I just discovered it the last race. I just love it.

Is there a flavor you like?
The lemon one.

How many races have you run?
I don't know I stopped counting. I'm sure I could count them on both hands. I used to put the bib numbers on my wall in my office to remind me that I did it. Then at a certain point, the whole wall was decorated with bib numbers it's crazy. And the little half marathon medal that they give you because you're still alive, I asked my daughter if she would like to play with it, and she said, "No, I'll get one of my own." I said, "No doubt."

How long ago was that first race?
The first race I did was on Mother's Day three years ago.

How did you celebrate after the half-marathon?
I jumped around I was so excited. I felt like I could run more. I was just so high all I wanted to do was run more. I did a 10-K turkey trot in Vancouver with Mia Kirshner and I just wanted to keep running so I ran back through the crowd to go find Mia so we could run the last bit together. It's that feeling you just want to keep running. I'm sure I won't feel that way when I do a marathon.

Do you find it hard to get in the running?
Yes. Absolutely. It's ridiculous. And I never have time.

How do you motivate yourself?
I try not to be very rigid about it. I really want it to be about joy. And if I am resisting it then I'll just say we'll go walk in the woods now and enjoy being in the trees on the trail. I'll just set out for a walk. Invariably, I get on a trail and it's so beautiful, I just want to run. It's not to beat myself up. I don't want to be that runner. I don't want to be that person. I want it to be about freedom and joy.

Do you carry anything with you when you run?
I don't like to carry anything. I really like to hydrate like crazy before I go. And unless I'm going for longer than an hour then I don't have anything. I just want to feel like I have nothing.

Are you a gadget runner?
No. What I like about running is that you don't need a lot of gadgets. Just the right shoe.

What kind of shoe do you wear?
New Balance has a shoe and I don't remember the number and I went to look at the number on my shoe today and had I just wore the number out of it. It's a light trail shoe. Ages ago, over ten years ago adidas made a great trail shoe and they discontinued it. You kind of just go why? It's horrible because you have to start all over again.

How do you reward yourself after a run?
The run is the reward. I reward myself in other ways with the run. The run is like my pizza or beer.

Can I just say how thrilled I am to be able to talk about running and not feel guilty about it. I feel like such a nerd. There are very few people that I can talk to about running or the triathlons.


Since her Flashdance debut in 1983, Beals has appeared in 32 movies. Recently she starred in the Showtime series The L Word.

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/01/qa-the-book-of-elis-jennifer-beals

Q&A: The Book of Eli's Jennifer Beals
By Mike Ryan
7:24 PM, January 19 2010



Film audiences caught their first real glimpse of Jennifer Beals 27 years ago in Flashdance, where she played a Pittsburgh steel-mill worker with a serious case of the jimmy legs. After a successful run on Showtime’s Sapphic TV drama The L Word, Beals returns in the Hughes Brothers’ grim futuristic parable, The Book Eli.

Though it didn’t quite knock Avatar off the pedestal as the Hughes brothers had hoped, the film clearly resonated with audiences during its opening weekend, notching an impressive $38 million at the box office, a record January take for Warner Bros. This story—a post-apocalyptic western about a lonely warrior (Denzel Washington) carrying the last extant copy of the Bible westward—doesn't shy away from its religious undertones. Beals plays Claudia, the blind companion to Gary Oldman’s villainous Carnegie, an Al Swearengen-esque gangleader who seeks the Bible for its power to control the fearful masses. The noble Claudia suffers his abuses in silence in order to protect her daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis).

In our interview, Beals justifies the film's Christian themes, discusses the scrap-books she makes for charity, and talks about the current state of the film industry, an environment in which Flashdance might not have come to fruition.

Mike Ryan: The Book of Eli is quite a different film from your last collaboration with Denzel Washington, Devil in a Blue Dress.

Jennifer Beals: Yes, I'd say so. A lot less hair and make-up, that's for sure.

Your character, Claudia, is blind. As an actor, is there a tendency to want to overplay that specific trait?

[Shouting] "I'm blind!" [Laughs] Well, first of all, let me say that when I lived in New York I used to volunteer for the Association of the Blind on 14th Street. So I'm very aware there are many variations of what blindness looks like to someone with sight. I was aware this needed to be a reveal that she was blind, so you couldn't play it too obvious, or else, there's no reveal. Later, when I talked to Allen [Hughes], that's exactly what he wanted.

There's an early scene when Carnegie (Gary Oldman) had just finished receiving a straight-razor shave. Why does it seem that, in films, powerful characters are always getting shaved this way? Doesn't it seem like an unnecessary risk?

[Laughs] I know, but it's very bold. You also have to think about what razors they were able to find [in the bleak post-apocalyptic future]. But it does show how confident he is, as well. It shows how subjugated the people are beneath him and how fearful they are.

I believe his barber was blind, too.

Yeah, he had a blind barber. I believe Gary added that to the scene; that was his request, as I recall. That sounds like a very Gary thing to come up with, but I maybe wrong about that.

You have a lot of scenes opposite Gary Oldman. He seems like an intimidating guy that always has a huge presence in a film. Is there anything you do as an actor to prepare for a scene with someone with that much gravitas?

Oh my gosh, he's so not intimidating. I didn't feel intimidated because he's such a lovely person and he's so dedicated to acting—not dedicated to Gary Oldman and what Gary Oldman is supposed to represent. The art of acting includes other people, so it's not just about him. I have never worked with an actor who is more in love with acting and in love with the process. What people don't know about Gary is that he is so funny. He's really, really funny. We would sing songs from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in between takes of him beating me up, just for some amount of levity. I told him that he really needs to have a variety show. Mila and I made up a theme song for him for his variety show [Laughs], I wish I could remember what it was.

You don't always think of actors having a good time on the set of a film this intense.

It's funny. It's the masochistic thing about being an actor. You enjoy the pain of it, if the circumstances are right. And everybody was really lovely to be around. As testosterone-driven as the film is, both directors were incredibly nurturing and... I don't want to say feminine because then they'll be so upset...

I think you just did...

[Laughs] I think I just did. [They’re nurturing] in their way of dealing with people and valuing everybody on the set regardless of where they were on the call sheet.

The tag line for this film is "Religion is Power." Even in pre-apocalyptic Earth, there are many that already feel this way.

Yes, definitely. A lot of people think that. Religion organizes great, great swaths of people and guides great, great numbers of people. It's incredibly powerful. But I didn't necessarily think about the film in terms of religion. I thought about it more in the construct of hope, or a belief, or a faith; because it would be so easy to lose faith even in the future, or in love, or in anything, given that situation. So, for me, I didn't think about it necessarily just within the confines of Christianity.

Why, though, do you think the film does focus so much on Christianity, specifically, instead of being vague or using an analogy?

Well, I think it's the thought that that's potentially where a war with that catastrophic of an ending could come from. It could be a religious war, considering the things we see going on right now. And, frankly, we come from a Judeo-Christian tradition in this country, and I think the writers are writing to that audience. The basic belief in kindness, love, hope, and generosity is true in all religions; it just gets completely mangled when it comes up against power.

The aspect of Christianity that appears specifically to Eli (Denzel Washington) is the belief in love and faith and hope in some organizing concept. I think for Carnegie, Christianity represents power and he wants to use it as a tool to control people. Obviously, whoever was doing the editing of the Bible was clearly looking at a way to maintain the culture that would best serve them. [Pauses.] Certainly that wouldn't be women or gay people. So, I think for each of them, the Bible has a different meaning. For Claudia, it probably has another meaning.

You mention the love and faith and hope that Eli believes in, but a lot of death and destruction follows him. Can that come off as too self-righteous?

This is what I mean: Eli is almost like the Old Testament. I'm like the New Testament, and Carnegie is—or wants to be—the Pope. It's this belief that the righteousness and the aggression are justified by the cause, which can potentially be a very dangerous thing.

In the past you've created photo books for cast members documenting whatever project you happened to be working on. You recently released one on the The L Word publicly for charity. When did this photo-book tradition start?

It started on Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. And I don't always do them because it's time consuming; it's really got to be something that I really loved. I was talked into going to a The L Word convention—there are such things—it's kind of like a Star Trek convention...

I'm assuming with fewer grown men wearing pointy ears...

[Laughs] Yes, I would imagine so. I brought a couple of prints to auction off for the Matthew Shepard foundation and other charities. I made so much money in such a small amount of time that I thought maybe they would be interested in a book. That was the realization that The L Word could continue to generate income for charity.

Do you think it helps or it hinders one’s career to have a first major role become iconic? Such as Alex Owens in Flashdance.

As soon as you start thinking if it is a help or if it's a hindrance, you're thinking about career planning. I think if you just consider the part and the film as it is—Does it interest you? Does it move you? Does it have something to offer you? Do you have something to offer it?—then that's the question you have to answer. For me, anyway. I've never been much of a careerist.

I knew Flashdance did very well at the box office. But when you look back at the top films of 1983, it is surprising that if it wasn't for Return of the Jedi and Terms of Endearment, that's the biggest movie of the year. Now, the top films are Transformers and Avatar. I don't think there's any way Flashdance could be the third biggest film of 2010. Why is that?

I think part of it is that the whole genre is more corporate. When people go to the theater—with the theater prices, the price of parking, the price of gas; the concession stand, alone, could break the bank—they want an event. It takes a lot to get people to go into the theater. So I think stories like Flashdance are lost—not that it was some small, independent film; there's music and dancing—because, I think, people want to go for an event in terms of the blockbuster type of movies. When you take the whole family, you want to make sure everyone is satisfied. I guess. But I'm not an executive. What do I know?

http://www.elnuevoherald.com/entretenimiento/gente/story/628515.html

Jennifer Beals, sustancia y calidad



Jennifer Beals interpreta a una muchacha ciega en The Book of Eli.

Jason Merritt / Getty Images

By CHARLES COTAYO

ccotayo@elnuevoherald.com

¿Qué logro artístico comparte Jennifer Beals con actrices como Patty Duke, Audrey Hepburn y Uma Thurman? Encarnar a un tipo de personaje considerado entre los más difíciles de realizar convincentemente en la pantalla: ciegas. En The Book of Eli, aventura de acción y suspenso que llega a los cines hoy protagonizada por Denzel Washington y Gary Oldman, Beals interpreta a Claudia, una madre que trata de sobrevivir con su hija en un mundo postapocalíptico --uno de los más populares subgéneros dentro de la ciencia ficción en lo que va del siglo XXI-- y que posee una habilidad clave en la trama: leer braille. ``Hace muchos años fui voluntaria para la Association for the Blind en Nueva York, donde llevaba a personas con ceguera al médico, o les leía'', recuerda Beals en entrevista con El Nuevo Herald. ``Durante ese tiempo descubrí que la ceguera se manifiesta de diferentes formas y en algunos casos se puede detectar inmediatamente, pero en otros no es posible notarlo hasta que comienzas a hablar con ellos. En la película tenía que presentar la ceguera de Claudia desde el principio y tuve que hacerlo de una manera muy sutil''.

Como parte de su preparación para experimentar la ceguera, Beals cuenta haberse vendado sus ojos o mantenerlos cerrados por largo tiempo.``Por supuesto que eso de ninguna manera representa lo que significa estar verdaderamente ciego, pero permite captar la esencia de lo que se siente cuando uno trata de reconocer una habitación, ubicar algún objeto o descubrir dónde están las luces y entender el medio ambiente de un ciego'', añade la actriz.

``Al principio me causó temor, porque no sabes con qué te vas a topar, pero lo más interesante fue descubrir la fortaleza de una persona ciega, como mi personaje, que lo es de nacimiento y ha podido sobrevivir un apocalípsis''. Otro aspecto de Claudia es que es utilizada por el antagonista de la historia como un objeto sexual.

``No se trata de sensualidad. Cuando una persona es sometida de esa manera no tiene que ver necesariamente con la sexualidad: es un abuso de poder'', precisa Beals. ``Claudia está dispuesta a ceder y entregar su sexualidad para proteger a su hija. La sexualidad y su cuerpo no es lo que importa. Está claro que es una situación dolorosa, pero significa un día más de vida para ambas''. La actriz apunta un detalle que forma parte del subtexto de la historia de The Book of Eli: a una situación apocalíptica como la que ocurre en el filme se puede comparar con una ``zona de guerra''.``La ocurrencia de violaciones sexuales es mucho más alta en las zonas bélicas'', recalca, y añade que la trama de la película ocurre después de una suerte de guerra final. ``En un ambiente como ése la batalla por el poder está basada en el control de los recursos naturales y la fuerza física'', asevera, y subraya:

``La violencia engendra más violencia y eso no ayuda a nadie''. Nacida el 19 de diciembre de 1963 en Chicago, Illinois, Beals estudió Literatura en la Universidad de Yale. Su gran entrada en el cine la realizó con el musical Flashdance (1983), un enorme éxito taquillero que marcó todo una época y en el que interpretó a una bailarina pobre luchando para ser aceptada por una prestigiosa escuela de danza. Entre el 2004 y el 2009 Beals fue una de las protagonistas de otra producción histórica: la serie televisiva The L Word, que explora la temática lésbica y que trascendió los clichés, estereotipos y prejuicios sobre las preferencias sexuales de las mujeres.

Uno de sus proyectos especiales es un libro con las fotografías que ella misma tomó durante los seis años que trabajó en The L Word. Estará disponible el 1ro de febrero y sus ganancias servirán para apoyar a organizaciones de caridad.

`The L Word fue un show tan importante para tantas personas y que galvanizó a tantas comunidades diferentes que pensé que sería importante compartir el libro con los espectadores del programa'', dice Beals, explicando que cuando ella termina una producción significativa acostumbra otorgarles a sus colegas de set una colección de las fotos que tomó durante la filmación. Cuando se le pregunta qué la satisface más, si un personaje que realiza brevemente para un película como The Book of Eli u otro que puede tomar años para de-sempeñar como el que logró con tanto éxito en The L Word, responde que ``la gratificación proviene de la calidad de la historia y no del tiempo que me toma interpretar un papel''. •

http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-q-a-in-national/jennifer-beals-plays-blind-the-book-of-eli-and-looks-back-on-the-l-word

Jennifer Beals plays blind in 'The Book of Eli' and looks back on 'The L Word'
Carla Hay
, Celebrity Q&A Examiner ,January 15, 2010 -



Jennifer Beals has done some of her best work in recent years, and she continues to make interesting choices in the characters that she plays. In the critically acclaimed TV drama series "The L Word," she played art expert Bette Porter, a complicated and intelligent mother in Los Angeles who just happens to be openly gay. Since "The L Word" ended in 2009, Beals has had alternated between roles in television (including a guest stint on "Lie to Me") and movies.

In the post-apocalyptic action thriller "The Book of Eli," Beals is a blind woman named Claudia, who is the girlfriend of the story’s tyrannical lead villain, Carnegie (played by Gary Oldman). After a mysterious stranger named Eli (played by Denzel Washington) enters their world, Carnegie imprisons Eli, who has a valuable book that Carnegie wants. Claudia then is caught between loyalty to Carnegie and to her daughter Solara (played by Mila Kunis), who ends up befriending Eli. I recently chatted with Beals by phone in this exclusive interview, and we talked about what she would really do if she were blind in a post-apocalyptic environment; why the atmosphere of "The Book of Eli" is intense on screen but was light-hearted off screen; and what she really thinks of "The L Word’s" open-ended series finale.

In playing a blind character, what did you learn about yourself, in terms of how you’d be able to cope if you were blind in real life?

I’m not sure how to answer the question, because [Claudia] was blind from birth, so she doesn’t know anything other than that. And for me to go into that situation would be completely different and it would be utterly terrifying, because I realized when I was practicing — blindfolding myself — how much I rely on sight in every way. So I would not fare very well, especially in that apocalyptic environment. If I lasted a day, it would’ve been a miracle.



You worked with Denzel Washington before, in 1995’s "Devil in a Blue Dress." How has he changed, and what was it like working with him on "The Book of Eli?"

We only had one scene together in ["The Book of Eli"], but what’s stayed constant is how relaxed he is and incredibly focused he is.

If you were really living in a post-apocalyptic world where modern, high-tech conveniences were rare, what would be the things you couldn’t live without, besides your family?

Other than my family, I don’t know. I’d learn to adapt. There would be things I would miss, and those are largely things like green of the forest. It wouldn’t be a pleasurable existence, that’s for sure.



"The Book of Eli" is such an intense film. What was the atmosphere like on set when the cameras weren’t rolling?

I think we all had a sense of humor. It was a downright jovial set. Gary [Oldman] and I would sing "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" songs between takes. Solara and Claudia would be sitting at the table, and he’d come over and [make jokes]. There are moments when you have a prolonged break that you take advantage to pace yourself. And I was surrounded by people who were really joyful and kind. I didn’t feel tortured all day long. There were moments that were, quite frankly, really wonderful.

Speaking of Gary Oldman, what else can you say about what it was like to work with him?

He’s so funny! He’s the most dedicated actor I’ve ever met. I’ve never met anybody who’s so determined to get to the marrow of a scene … He’s incredibly dedicated to what he does. He’s a very delightful person. He doesn’t torture other people around him to get to that place. He’s a lovely person. He’d make the actors laugh.



Besides Gary Oldman, you also had the most scenes in "The Book of Eli" with Mila Kunis. What is she like?

Mila is s full of life and energy and sensitive and very dedicated to what she does. She’s so young, but she’s been working for so long, she’s not young in the craft …

The series finale of "The L Word" was so open-ended. What did you think about the series finale? And if "The L Word" could continue, what would you want for your Bette Porter character?

I would want [Bette to] move to New York and see what [reunited couple Bette Porter and Tina Kennard’s] life would be like and see what would happen to them. I so treasure every moment I had on that show. I was so unbelievably blessed with that experience in ways that I can’t begin to count.

The sixth season was very difficult for many reasons, because it was the last season …and for a show that began about friendship to end in [a] murder [storyline] and mistrust [among the friends] was difficult. But the friendships I made on that show, including Ilene [Chaiken, co-creator/executive producer/writer/director of "The L Word"], transcend anything that happened at the end.

One of the things that I do when I finish a project, especially like "The L Word," is to make a photo book. The show belonged to the fans, not just to the cast … so I made ["The L Word"] photo book available, and 100 percent of the profits go to charity. It’s available online at www.lwordbook.com.



Ilene Chaiken has said in interviews that she’d like to see "The L Word" made into a big-screen movie. Are there any updates?

I haven’t talked to her about the movie in a while. We’ve been talking about other projects we have planned.

What are the other projects?

[She laughs.] They’re not available yet for public consumption.

Do you plan to watch the reality show "The Real L World: Los Angeles," which Ilene Chaiken has in the works with Showtime?

As much as I watch anything on TV.



What do you think about reality shows in general?

I don’t usually watch them, because they tend to be quite negative. I don’t believe that they’re really that negative [in real life], but the drama is created by the editors and producers. If I want to watch fiction, I’d rather watch [scripted] things, like "The Young Victoria."

In 2009, you guest-starred on the TV series "Lie to Me" as Cal Lightman’s ex-wife, Zoe Landau. Do you know if Zoe is coming back to the show?

I’m the last person to ask. I’ve done four episodes of "Lie to Me."

Can you talk about your experience working on "Lie to Me"? For example, what was it like to work with Tim Roth?

We had a really interesting relationship. It’ll be interesting to see which direction the show will go.



What’s next for you?

I’m working right now on a film called "A Night for Dying Tigers." It’s about a uniquely dysfunctional family. I play a sister-in-law, with part of the insanity but without the inherited traits. It’s hard to talk about because we just started … Lauren Lee Smith is in it, who was on "The L Word," and she actually did a film called "Lie With Me."

Looking back on when you had your first big breakthrough with "Flashdance" in 1983, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned since then?

I feel like I dealt with life in the spotlight pretty well. I would do the same things, but I know now it [the celebrity hype] is not real and that it’s someone else’s construct.

La entrevista que le hicieron a Jennifer en la entrada que han publicado en about.com

video
http://video.about.com/movies/Gary-Oldman-Book-of-Eli.htm

Jennifer Beals – 'Claudia' in The Book of Eli


Did you do research on playing blind?
Jennifer Beals: "When I was a girl… I say 'girl', I was probably 20 in New York."

Last year.

Jennifer Beals: "Yeah, just last year. I did a lot of volunteer work
for the Association for the Blind, and so that certainly gave me an
exposure to the multiplicity that is the blind community. And I knew
that Allen wanted the blindness to be ambiguous, certainly at first. So
it was a challenge trying to play the blindness without overdoing it."

And you don't play it as a disability either.

Jennifer Beals: "No, because she's born blind so it's much easier. But
when I was practicing though it was terrifying. It was really scary. At
first I couldn't do it for longer than a minute, and then as time went
on I could hold it longer."

What do you think people are going to get out of this movie?

Jennifer Beals: "Hopefully they'll get the notion that there's always hope, that there's always hope."


TRADUCCIÓN

Cómo conseguiste interpretra a una ciega?

Jennifer Beals: "Cuando era una niña, ... he dicho 'niña', tenía 20 años probablemente en New York."

El año pasado.

Jennifer Beals: "Sí, justo el año pasado. Trabajé mucho como voluntaria para la asociación de Ciegos, y eso me dio una muestra de lo que es la comunidad de Ciegos. Y yo sabía que Allen quería que el ser ciega fuera de forma ambigua, al principio. Así que fue un reto intentar interpretar estar ciega sin exagerar."

Y no lo interpretas como una discapacidad.

Jennifer Beals: "No, porque ella es ciega de nacimiento y así es más fácil. Pero sin embargo cuando estaba ensayando era horrible. Fue realmente tremendo. Al principio no podía hacerlo más de un minuto. Y entonces cuando el tiempo pasó pude hacerlo más tiempo seguido."

Que piensas que la gente va a sacar en conclusión de esta película?

Jennifer Beals: "Espero que piensen que siempre hay esperanza, siempre hay esperanza."

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/tiff/tiffnews/article/857703--questions-for-jennifer-beals

Questions for Jennifer Beals




Jennifer Beals: "The acting always came first."
By Richard Ouzounian Theatre Critic

Jennifer Beals is best remembered for her performance as Alex Owens in the 1983 megahit Flashdance, where she played a young woman who’s a welder by day and an exotic dancer by night, but who dreams of being a legitimate dancer. Since then, she’s also made her mark by starring in films such as Devil in a Blue Dress and by a six-season run on The L Word. She’s currently filming a new Fox TV series called Ride-Along, where she plays the first female police chief in Chicago.

She’s at TIFF this year in an emotionally charged dark comedy called A Night for Dying Tigers, written and directed by Terry Miles (When Life Was Good).

Q. You play Melanie, a woman whose husband is about to go into jail for five years. What appealed to you about this project?

A. I just really enjoyed the writing and the razor’s edge that the film walks every moment between comedy and tragedy.

Q. When the director is also the author, does that mean every scripted moment is sacrosanct?

A. There were times when it was very much to the letter of the script, exactly, but then there were times when Terry would give us space. My big moment is this toast I give at the end and I said to Terry, “I’ve got a couple of things I want to try with this. Just give me the room to fail.”

Q. What was unique about this project for you?

A. It was so quiet! Some days there were only eight people on the set, including the crew. I’m usually used to having to work through all the noise and chaos of a typical film set, where you’re secondary and tertiary to the technical stuff. Not with Terry. The acting always came first.

Q. Gil Bellows plays your husband, John, who’s a really unsympathetic, unfaithful man. How could you stand behind him so completely?

A. I thought there had to have been a time when he wasn’t like that. She’s a smart woman and for her to fall in love with him once, he had to have been loving and interesting an inspiring and that’s what I remembered.

Q. They’re making a stage musical of Flashdance in London right now. What do you think it’s going to be like?

A. I bet . . . there’ll be a lot of singing and dancing in it.

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.