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Kelly Preston Interview
Because of a curious release schedule for your films, 2003 could be a year that we see five Kelly Preston movies. How do you feel about that? Do you think maybe it's too much? I don't think so. I think I probably only have three coming out this year: "View From the Top," "What A Girl Wants" and then "Cat In The Hat" at the end of the year. "Eulogy" won't be ready until next year. I took a long time off to have my baby and spend time with my family. It's kind of nice that it's not so scattered because then it's one film and you don't hear from me again for another two years. It might have been nicer if one was at another time, but it's OK. Do you do your own singing in this? Yes. It was really fun. I'm primarily a shower singer, [and I've] done a few karaoke nights with my girlfriends. It was a challenge because I thought I'd have more time. I was cast towards the end of the process and was told that it was going to be a temp track. I laid down two of the songs and then I thought I'd be able to redo it once I went back to L.A., and I never did that. Which did you enjoy more - the wild hippie outfits or the glamorous gowns? I liked them both. The blue gown was so great. I think the hippie outfits were fun, bohemian-type outfits. I tend to have a few of those things in my closet - not, obviously, the shorty short things because I'm too old for that. But the ballgown was a lot of fun because it was so 'fairy princess' in the setting in London, in that beautiful home. Amanda said her dress started to become very uncomfortable. Amanda is such a young girl. She's so adorable and so much like this young, fabulous teenager. She'd have dirt at the bottom of her beautiful white gown and here I was trying to be so careful. They made me this whole coat to go over so that when Ella comes up, I wouldn't have all these fingerprints. I asked them to make me that. I'd be so careful and Amanda's dress on the bottom was just brown. She's adorable. She's got such a good head on her shoulders and [she's] such a great comedienne. I think she has real longevity. It looks like we'll be seeing more films geared toward teen girls. And family movies. This one has such heart. It's got such a great tenderness and such a great message. And it's such a great romantic comedy. It's definitely for the teen girls, but it's also for women and men. I've seen men cry in this movie. I think it's just a lovely, family oriented film. What teen girl movies did you watch growing up? Oh my gosh. "My Fair Lady" - that one comes most to mind. I grew up in Hawaii so I was outside a lot playing in the water. I didn't see a ton of movies growing up. What was it like to work with Colin Firth? Wonderful. He's very English, somewhat formal, but really kind and really warm at the same time. And he's really funny. How are you like your character and how are you different? There's that certain free-spirited aspect that I definitely like in her. I [like] the ideals she instills in her child to really be her own person, think for herself, foster her own identity, and be happy with who she is. [That] is something that I believe in and subscribe to. The way that I differ is that I'm not a single mother, thank goodness. I have a wonderful marriage and two great kids. Any stories you can share about shooting in Morocco? I loved shooting there. We were there for five days. It was so amazing and beautiful - the culture. We got up early at 4am so we could beat the sun and heat. We would shoot till 11 [and then] have off till 4 because it was 115 or 120 degrees. The one day we were working on the camel, I thought he was going to take off. He was a very feisty camel. It was kind of scary. I did convince my driver on the last day to take me to see Marrakesh so he drove me there. I spent the day, shopped, and had lunch with my driver and his wife. I had never been there before. Then I flew back and met my family in Paris. Do you and John have a system worked out for who works when? We try to do that but it's really difficult to really make that work. Because he's a pilot, it makes it a lot easier. Were you along for the world trip he piloted? Oh yes, the whole family was along. It was magnificent. It was so much fun and it was this wonderful friendship tour across the countries with Quantas, and the kids loved it. We had such great family time. I went to Vancouver, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Australia. I had one day in Sydney. I lived for two years in Adelaine so I really wanted to go to Sydney, but then I had to start this movie. So 24 hours later from Sydney, I took a 22-hour flight to London. It was painful. Ella came and was with me there. I worked on it for three weeks and then we rejoined the family. Then I went to Morocco for 5 days. Do your kids want to be actors? Are they interested in following in your footsteps? To be honest, whatever they want to do I'll support and encourage. I think with Ella - she'll be 3 on April 3rd - she's already putting on shows and trying on outfits. She did an English accent the other day - "Dahling, yes." Where is she getting this? But [we're] not pushing them in any direction but just allowing them to do what they want to do. Does John's traveling worry you at all? Yes. Actually that's a good question - but not his travel. He was doing his fireman training for the last two weeks and that was really dangerous. He told me after the fact that he went in there with an expert and I think, Joaquin [Phoenix], but the smoke was so thick that they couldn't find the door. So they really experienced what fireman would feel and that is really scary and spooky. I'm sure it's very safe and very controlled, but it gives you an enormous compassion for people who choose this as a line of work. You lived in Iraq when you were a kid. Do you remember anything? Oh yes, I was five and it was right after the 6-Day war. My father worked for an agricultural firm and [we] went there to teach them to be self-sufficient and to grow sugar cane. We lived in an American compound, and I have very specific memories. I was actually lost in Beirut on the way home. My parents were shopping at the time and you know how a child will spin around a pole on the street? I was standing with them spinning and spinning, and they walked into the store thinking I was walking right with them. After that extra spin, I looked around and they weren't there. I went walking very quickly down the sidewalk and within seconds, I was gone. Thank goodness they had the wherewithal to teach me - in each different place we traveled - what my name was and where we were staying. We would drill that. And I ran straight into a woman from the American Embassy. Here I was, five years old, blond, curly hair, blue eyes, just not good to be lost in Beirut. She took me back to my hotel. So why the change in hair color? What brought this dark color hair on? I'm a brunette now. I'm doing a film now called "Eulogy" where my brothers and sisters are Debra Winger, Ray Romano, Hank Azaria and my mother is Piper Laurie, my father is Rip Torn. We're shooting it here in L.A. and I'm done in a week - it's been so much fun. It's a dark comedy, a little twisted but very funny. It's about a dysfunctional family getting together for the funeral of their father. And I have these horrific fights with my sister Debra where she just pushes my buttons relentlessly. I've brought my lover, Famke Jannsen, home with me. Yes, I'm a lesbian in the film. My brother, Hank, is a failed actor. |
