Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Portrait of the artist / Jane Birkin / 'I was at the wrong audition, but Graham Greene still gave me my big break'



Portrait of the artist

Jane Birkin

Singer and actor



'I was at the wrong audition, but Graham Greene still gave me my big break'


Interview by Laura Barnett
Tuesday 22 January 2008 01.16 GMT





What got you started?
Wanting to be Anna, the governess in The King and I. I loved the fact she had a mission; she was sent off to the other side of the world and stood up for herself as a woman.
What was your big breakthrough?
Going to London for an audition when I was 17. I thought it was for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, but I went to the wrong theatre, and found myself auditioning for a part as a deaf-mute girl in Graham Greene's play Carving a Statue. I forgot the words, but a man with extraordinary blue eyes said: "It doesn't matter - she's perfect." It was Graham Greene.
Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?
Not much. Until I was about 30, I wasn't required to do much more than turn up. After that, my career got more interesting.
What song would feature on the soundtrack to your life?
Je t'Aime ... Moi Non Plus. That's the song I'll always be remembered for. I'm sure they'll play it at my funeral.
Who have you most enjoyed working with?
The French director Patrice Chéreau. He persuaded me to do my first stage play in France; I thought my voice wasn't loud enough. It was a wise move: suddenly I was taken seriously.
How does the arts scene in France compare with Britain's?
British actors are much less snobbish - they work for the fun of it. And Britain is 15 years ahead of France in terms of the representation of ethnic minorities.


What did you do last night?
I saw Ken Loach's It's a Free World.
Do you suffer for your art?
I get terrible stage fright. I cope with my nerves better when I'm abroad; that's partly why I live in France.
What's your favourite art gallery?
Tate Britain. When I'm in London, I like to go back and check that the Turner paintings are still there.
What's the greatest threat to the arts?
I can't see one - art is so important, people will always do it. If you shut down all the theatres, people would act in the street.
Complete this sentence: At heart I'm just a frustrated ...
Nurse. It's the profession I most admire.
What advice would you give a singer just starting out?
If you want it enough, go for it. But I have no knowledge of struggling - I was given songs to sing even though I didn't have a great voice. It was just good fortune.
Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
I once had an algae wrap at a spa that had to be left on for 24 hours. When I went on stage, the smell was so bad, my co-star, Pierre Arditi, and I collapsed into giggles, while the poor audience was left wondering what was so funny.
What's the worst thing anyone's ever said about you?

Just about everything horrible that could have been said about me has been said. I never read my reviews; I'm not brave enough to cope with the bad ones.
In short
Born: London, 1946
Career: Has starred in more than 70 films and plays, including Blow Up (1966). Moved to France in the 1960s after marrying Serge Gainsbourg, with whom she released Je t'Aime ... Moi Non Plus in 1969, the first of 15 albums. Performs at the Roundhouse, London (0870 389 1846), on March 1.
High point: "Taking my first feature-length film, Boxes, to the Cannes film festival last year."
Low point: "Taxi drivers saying they haven't seen me in anything for a while. I say, 'Yes, you're the first person to notice.'"




Portrait of the artist / Jane Birkin / 'I was at the wrong audition, but Graham Greene still gave me my big break'

 Portrait of the artist / Vanessa Paradis/ 'I was only a teenager when I started out in the music industry. I didn't look my best'

 Portrait of the artist / Siri Hustvedt / 'I don't read reviews'
 Portrait of the artist / Michael Rosen / 'Kids don't get the chance to enjoy poetry'


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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Life and style / Pamela Anderson / Sex, as often as possible

Pamela Anderson

LIFE AND STYLE

Q&A: Pamela Anderson



Rosanna Greenstreet
Saturday 19 January 2008 12.06 GMT

P
amela Anderson, 40, was born and raised in Ladysmith, Canada. Her father was a furnace repair man, her mother a waitress. Her modelling career began after she was filmed at a football game wearing a Labatt T-shirt. In 1992, she was cast as CJ Parker in the hit television series Baywatch, a role that made her a sex symbol worldwide. Her films include Barb Wire, Scooby-Doo, Scary Movie 3, Borat and Blonde And Blonder, which was written by her brother, Gerry. She is also the author of two novels, Star and Starstruck. She has two sons, and was recently married for the third time. She lives in Malibu.

When were you happiest?
When Peta picked me to be on their first Times Square anti-fur billboard.
What is your earliest memory?
Trying to use a red jelly bean as lipstick.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Brigitte Bardot for defending animals and not caring what people say.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Greed.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Not realising Ugg boots were made from sheepskin.
Aside from a property, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
Every non-leather shoe Stella McCartney can cobble.
What is your most treasured possession?
My Linda McCartney Memorial Award for promoting vegetarianism.
Where would you like to live?
My family roots are in Finland and I've considered moving there and opening a strip club called Lapland.
What would your super power be?
Having people's mink coats come back to life to attack them.
What makes you depressed?
That people who call themselves environmentalists still eat meat.
What is your fancy dress costume of choice?
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
Being bald - I wish I didn't have to wear these big, blond wigs every day.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Any drag queen will do.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Wearing high heels to bed - some people don't like getting poked.
What is your favourite word?
'Yes.'
What is your favourite book?
Committed: A Rabble-Rouser's Memoir, by Dan Mathews of Peta.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My dog, Star.
Is it better to give or receive?
Give, give, give.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Receiving.
What does love feel like?
Natural ecstasy.
What was the best kiss of your life?
When I first took Star to the beach.
Which living person do you most despise and why?
Anna Wintour, because she bullies young designers and models to use and wear fur.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Jack the Ripper and Anna Wintour.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
'Yes.'
What has been your biggest disappointment?
That after I collected countless signatures on a petition, the Queen's Guard still wear bearskin hats.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I don't have any regrets.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?

1920s Hollywood. No paparazzi yet - you could get away with anything!
How do you relax?
Sex.
How often do you have sex?
As often as possible.
What is the closest you've come to death?
I die laughing almost every day.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Diverting the ridiculous amount of attention heaped upon me to my activism with Peta.
What songs would you like to have played at your funeral?
Fools Must Die and Stop Your Sobbing, both by The Pretenders.
How would you like to be remembered?
By two simple words... any two words, as long as they're simple.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Opportunity only gives you knockers once.

THE GUARDIAN







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