your clothes yet, lets plan it out. Suddenly I glanced sideways,
and said, Do look. And there was Bob be-calmly just taking his
clothes off, leaning against the set. Oh, just exquisite! I think he was very
excited.
AND
THOUGH YOU DECLINED TO JOIN IN THE ECDYSIASTICAL FUN, YOU ARE THE RARE DAME
WHO CAN CALL HERSELF A BOND GIRL.
Isnt
it thrilling?! I love being M and having very nice clothes and
sitting in an office with a lot of gadgets that it looks as if I can work.
Though Im never on exotic locations with the filmsno, they
keep me in a shed.
AT
LEAST YOURE IN THERE WITH MS TRADEMARK GLASS OF BOURBON.
Pretend
bourbon. Pretend.
FOR
THE UPCOMING CAMINO ROYALE DEMAND THE REAL THING.
I
definitely think thats what I should do.
YOU
KNOW, YOUR PRESS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WERE EQUAL PARTS DEVOTED QUAKER
GIRL AND PASSIONATE WILD WOMAN, BUT NOW IM THINKING
Probably
not so much on the Quaker, more on the wild girl? (laughs) Well, Im
quite a wild girl.
WHICH
IS A KICK SEEING AS HOW YOUR FILM PERSONA IS THAT OF STUFFIER-THAN-THOU ROYALTY
LIKE QUEEN VICTORIA IN 1996S MRS. BROWN AND YOUR OSCAR-WINNING
ELIZABETH I IN 1997S SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.
The
funny thing is people think Ive played a huge amount of queens, but
I havent: Ive only played Elizabeth and Victoria and Cleopatra
[which she played onstage during her almost 50-year, primary career as a West
End superstar].
NEVERTHELESS,
JOHN MADDEN, BOTH OF THOSE FILMS DIRECTOR, HAS DECLARED OF YOU, I
THINK IN A LOT OF PEOPLES EYES SHES THE EQUIVALENT OF THE QUEEN.
(hoots)
You can be beheaded for that.
BUT
YOU REALLY ARE REVERED AS THIS TOWERING ACTING ICON. SO HOW DO YOU CALM AWESTRUCK
CO-STARS LIKE, SAY, KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, IN THE JUST-OUT PRIDE AND PREJUDICE?
Its
just to do with being part of the company and all having the same work to
do and nobodys grander than anybody else. You see, acting is what I
doits what brings me into contact with people which is
the thing I like best. Because Im not good at my own company. In fact,
my husband used to say that I only liked being in a theatre company cause
Im so nosy. And I amI like to know what goes on. (laughs)
SO
DO YOU TURN FILM COMPANIES INTO FAUX THEATRE COMPANIES?
Thats
hard, because youre not all together much. But, for instance, on Mrs.
Brown we were like a company, because we only had 30 days to do itit
started life as television and it was only thanks to Harvey Weinstein that
it landed-up as a film.
YES,
WITH MR. WEINSTEIN HAVING RELEASED MRS. BROWN, ALONG WITH CHOCOLAT,
IRIS, THE SHIPPING NEWS, AND NOW MRS. HENDERSON, IM
THINKING YOURE NEITHER MRS. HENDERSON, NOR, MRS. BROWN, YOURE
REALLY
..MRS. WEINSTEIN.
Oh,
yes. Dont tell his new wife, will you?
WHATS
STORMY HARVEY DONE THATS MADE YOU LAUGH?
It
made me laugh when I told him that I had his name tattooed on my bumand
then showed him at lunch at Four Seasons (giggles)
HUH?!
It
was painted on by my makeup lady.
LAST
QUESTION, YOU HUSSY. YOURE 71 AND NEVER STOP WORKING. GONNA ACT FOREVER?
Til
I fall off the bow.
©
2015 Brantley Bardin. All Rights Reserved.
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