1 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to. Here's the thing, 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: My chance to talk with artists, policymakers, and performers, to 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: hear their stories, what inspires their creations, what decisions change 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:21,119 Speaker 1: their careers, what relationships influenced their work. There are many 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: who consider The Breakfast Club the greatest high school movie 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: of all time. John Hughes directed it, as well as 7 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: Sixteen Candles and Pretty and Pink, all of which star 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: my guest today, Molly Ringwald. Molly strikes you as someone 9 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: who had it all figured out early, that she systematically 10 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: set out to be a teen icon, but her idea 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: of success was far less defined than that. I think 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: the only thing that I planned out was when I 13 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: was seven years old, six or seven years old, I 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: think I announced that I was going to be a 15 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: famous movie star. Who to the mirror or two I 16 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: think they full well. I probably announced it to the 17 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: mirror as well, but uh no, there was There was 18 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: a particular time when I announced it out loud to 19 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: I think relatives, cousins or something like that, and my 20 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: grandmother and my mother's mother said, you can't say that, 21 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: you know that that was That was unseemly or immodest 22 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: or something like that. And the reason why I remember 23 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: it was because my mother became so enraged and infuriated 24 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: that she grabbed me and all the kids and we 25 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: left my aunt's house in this she was infuriated by 26 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 1: someone that her mother. Yeah, well, because I think that's 27 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,479 Speaker 1: that's something that was told to her, and she would 28 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,839 Speaker 1: not can't do that. Don't do it to my kids. Discouragement, don't. Yeah, 29 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: you can't do that. So I think that's the reason 30 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: that I had this certainty that I was going to 31 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: be uh an entertainer. I don't even know if I 32 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: said movie star, but I think I definitely said I 33 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: was gonna be a famous entertainer. And you know, and 34 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: I was already sort of like a season pro by then. 35 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: I mean by seven years old, I had already been 36 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: on stage, you know, performed with my dad's jazz and 37 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: it was, you know, it was I had reason to 38 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: believe that this was what I was going to do. Now, 39 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: your dad is he still alive. He's a musician, he is, 40 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: And was that was music and culture and an appreciation 41 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 1: of things cultural president in your household, Arry, Yeah, Yeah, 42 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: but it was not only an appreciation in terms of 43 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: art as something that is fun or interesting. It was 44 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: also a job. He made a living as a pianist. 45 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, I mean he he supported a family, you know, 46 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: until I started working. He supported a family and a 47 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: musician salary, which is no small feat. Now, your father 48 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: is blind. Was he legally blind from birth? He was 49 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: legally blind from birth. Uh, and and then completely entirely 50 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: blind by the time I think he was about ten. 51 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: Between ten and twelve did he grew up. He grew 52 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: up in Northern California, in Sacramento, and then he went 53 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: away to the Berkeley School for the Blind when he 54 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: was I think around twelve, and learned how to write 55 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: brail and he had a guide dog and all of that. Um, 56 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 1: I mean people very often asked me, you know, what 57 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: was it like having a blind father, And it's me, 58 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: It's like I never knew anything else. So and and 59 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: to me, he could do anything. I mean, he he 60 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: was so if anything, I felt like my mother was 61 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: was handicapped because she's painfully shy. Um. So my father 62 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: made all the phone calls, you know. He was the 63 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: you know, the social calendar. He could talk to anyone, 64 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: you know, he's he was an entertainer, and so you know, 65 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: he just has always had that facility, and of course 66 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: it wasn't easy, and which is now that he gets 67 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: older and you know, he's more comfortable having people do 68 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: things for him. And I will say, you know, but Dad, 69 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: you could do anything, and he's like, that's ridiculous. Of 70 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: course I didn't. I couldn't do everything. I just wanted 71 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: you to think that I could. And he did. I mean, 72 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: he he was, he was. I think he was an 73 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: amazing father and is an amazing father. When you know, 74 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: you're at the very least you're rehearsing in the mirror 75 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: before you go up and tell everybody in your family 76 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: what your plans are. Um, when is that change? When 77 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: does that really become real for you? I think, well, 78 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: I think when I was when I was little, I 79 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: really wanted to be Um. I think singing was the 80 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: most important thing. I mean, that was the thing that 81 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,600 Speaker 1: made the most sense, and UM I wanted to be Basically, 82 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to be Bessie Smith because that's kind of 83 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: because that's who I listened to. My dad was a 84 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: traditional is a traditional jazz musician, and so that was 85 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: my early introduction to jazz music was listening to Bessie Smith, 86 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: and there was something about her. I mean I was 87 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: pretty shy. I still am pretty shy. Um, But when 88 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: I was little, I was very very shy. But the 89 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: only time I didn't feel shy was when I was 90 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: on stage in front of an audience. Um, and it 91 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: had to be a big audience, like if if somebody 92 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: wanted me to know, I can't how many. Yeah, but 93 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: I mean if it was like, you know, a couple 94 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: of people in the living room that was too that 95 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: was too close, if if there were if there was 96 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: literally and I'm still a little bit like that, like 97 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: for since I did um a couple of weeks at 98 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: the Carlisle Hotel singing singing, Yeah, because I've I've recently 99 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: taken up singing again. And I mean, of course you 100 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:14,039 Speaker 1: know that that room, Well, it's it's really hard because 101 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: you're really close to the people. I mean there's no 102 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: way to have any kind of distance, So you know that. 103 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: I think it worked really well. I mean I got 104 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,720 Speaker 1: and they put the people right. I mean the people 105 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: were practically looking under my skirt. It was it was 106 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: really kind of I don't doubt that but who produced this? Um, Well, 107 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: I decided, Um, okay, we're gonna we're gonna cut ahead 108 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 1: from you know, from the time that I was little 109 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: because a few things, a few things happened in between 110 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: me announcing that I was going to be a famous 111 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: uh star, and and then you know, so the music 112 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: kind of was the first thing that I wanted to do. 113 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: And then I think by the time I did my 114 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: first movie when I was thirteen years old, I think 115 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: it was with John Cassavetti's and General Rollins and Susan 116 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: Sarandon and Raoul Julie and it was just it was 117 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: called The Tempest, uh, and I think it was that 118 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: how did you get into the movie business? Okay, wait, 119 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 1: um how did I get in the well? Where were you? Then? 120 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: We had moved from Roseville, California to Los Angeles when 121 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: I auditioned for my first professional job when I was ten, um, 122 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: which was Annie, the first West Coast production of Annie, 123 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: and I got a part in that. And at the 124 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: same time, um, my father got some job or something, 125 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: and so we decided as a family to move from 126 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: Sacramento to Los Angeles. And then once I was in 127 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,120 Speaker 1: l A, you know, I did you know that thing 128 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: that happens where you get an agent, and then I 129 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: went from the play and I went into a television 130 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: series and then just started. You were driven, You had 131 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: the very driven Yeah, very driven, But I mean I 132 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: also had to stay at home mom, who would drive 133 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 1: me to stuff? You can't do that without having somebody 134 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: that's going to you know, do you take you when 135 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: you have a debt to your mom in a certain way. 136 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: It was definitely a desire that I had that I 137 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been able to do at that age had 138 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 1: it not been for them being on board for that. 139 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: Of course, if you talk to my mother now, she says, well, 140 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: there's no way I would let you do that if 141 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: I knew everything I know about show business. Now, there's 142 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: no way. There's no way. But you went to school 143 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,400 Speaker 1: while you were doing You went to Lis frances I 144 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: went to when I was in tenth grade, tenth to twelve. 145 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: Did you go to college? I did not go to college. 146 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: So the tempest, how does this estimable group of people, 147 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:41,400 Speaker 1: especially back then, you know Cassavetti's and Jenna and those people. 148 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: You know, they're still famous and making a lot of movies. 149 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: How do they find you. I had auditioned and got 150 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: really close to a job in an Alan Parker movie, 151 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: UM with Albert Finney and died Keaton called shoot the 152 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: movie to play their daughter, and um, they had to 153 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: make up their mind by I think, you know, twelve 154 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: twelve noon on a Wednesday, and they got the call. 155 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: My mom got the call. I was at school, you know, 156 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: at that they had decided to go with another actress. 157 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: And I was so heartbroken. I mean I really really 158 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: really really wanted to do it. And then it was 159 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: pretty much like all the rejects from them from that, 160 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: you know, it was being cast. It was Juliet Taylor 161 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: and April Webster and they they took all the kids 162 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: from that and um, and then I auditioned for The 163 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: Tempest and I just had an immediate connection to California. 164 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: In California, Yeah, and I would like to be on 165 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 1: the set of that movie with all these very highly 166 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: regarded actors. It was incredible. How did they treat you? Amazing? 167 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: I mean they were John was was phenomenal. I mean 168 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: he was he was so generous and so um. I 169 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: mean it was it was a world that I really 170 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: didn't know. I had never even been out of California until, 171 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 1: you know, maybe to Nevada or something like that. But 172 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: you know, I was playing a New York kid. I 173 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 1: went to New York for the first time. I went 174 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: to Greece. We filmed a shinnishitav you know, Fellini was 175 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: on the set. I mean, it was like the entire 176 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: world opened up. Yeah, and I thought, this is this 177 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: is what I want to do, this is this is it. 178 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 1: And I think the singing at that time, like now, 179 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: you're supposed to be able to do everything, you know, 180 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: and in old Hollywood you were supposed to be able 181 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: to do everything. You know, you dance and sing, you know, 182 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: and then and then this little time when I sort 183 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: of came of age, it was very specialized and there 184 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 1: were there were not that many people that were singing 185 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: and acting and dancing. It was like you had to 186 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 1: pick or you weren't a serious actor. And I chose acting, 187 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: and that's really where I put on my focus. And 188 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: I still sang, but I just didn't think about it 189 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: as a as a career. After the Tempest, what happened 190 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: after the Tempest? I did a really fantastic movie UM 191 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: called Space Hunter Adventures in the Forbidden Zone in three 192 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: D movie. That's so good. I remember showing you to 193 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: my daughter, you know, when she was like five years 194 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: old or something. You know, I think it was maybe 195 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: the first thing that I'd ever showed to her. You know, 196 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: this is what mommy does. And she watched about twenty 197 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: minutes and then went the edge. Who's making the decisions 198 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: for you back then? You know, it was a combination. 199 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 1: It was something you know that I read that I liked. 200 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 1: I think I had pretty good taste. I mean, to 201 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: Stay Center was a good script. Um well maybe except 202 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: for spe but you know, at that point, it was 203 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: either be in high school or be At that time 204 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: it was junior high. Get it. You wanted to be 205 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: on a set. I wanted to work. The only thing 206 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: that I said I did not want to do pretty 207 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 1: much was I decided I no longer wanted to go 208 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: out for commercials. I was that was not my thing. 209 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: I didn't like what happens um after Space Center. I 210 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: might be forgetting a couple of things. I did a 211 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,120 Speaker 1: movie with Richard Benjamin, I think a television movie V. 212 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: I did like a couple of other little things. And 213 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: then and then I met John Hughes. Where did you 214 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: meet John? I met John in Universal City. It was 215 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: on the weekend. I remember I did not want to 216 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 1: take this meeting because it was the weekend. And it 217 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: was just like, not really what I wanted to do. 218 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 1: You want to be in on a set until you 219 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,960 Speaker 1: want to go to the beach exactly exactly, or go 220 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 1: to the galleria. That's what That's what we did. And 221 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,959 Speaker 1: uh and so. But he was only there for you know, 222 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: a couple of days, and they said I would just 223 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: go go and meet him, and and and I did. 224 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,199 Speaker 1: I think I had read Um sixteen Candles, which I 225 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: thought was really funny. And then I think the first 226 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: thing I saw were his sneakers. You know, he always 227 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: had those those big wild athletics sneakers, and I think 228 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 1: that's the first thing that I saw. And then I, 229 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: you know, my eyes traveled up and he had that 230 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: like spiky hair and those glasses and the first movie. 231 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: I loved him, loved him that he was writing that 232 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: or had the idea to write it during Breakfast Club. 233 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: He wanted to write a series if she's leaving home, Um, 234 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: she's getting married, she's having a baby. And then I 235 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: think he didn't do the other two but just did 236 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: that one. Um. Yeah, so we we just kind of 237 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: had an immediate connection. I didn't find out until later, 238 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:21,000 Speaker 1: or he might have actually told me in that meeting 239 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: that he wrote sixteen Candles with my picture above his desk. 240 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: He had already written The Breakfast Club, which was going 241 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: to be cast locally in Chicago, and it was over 242 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: July four weekend, and he had just moved from CIA 243 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: to I c M. And they gave him a stack 244 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: of head shots and he sort of flipped through the 245 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: head shots found my picture, you know, one of those 246 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:46,359 Speaker 1: really cheesy kind of head shots where your own Yeah, exactly, 247 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: you're eating pizza playing ukulele that you can't play, uh yeah, 248 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: and so and he put that over his computer and 249 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: he wrote sixteen Candles. You know, like in a day 250 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: and a half or something. Now, this is a guy 251 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: who sees something in you and he changes your life, 252 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: and people to this day just love you in these movies. 253 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: I mean, they just think you represent young femininity. Was 254 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: any of the conversation with John about that. Did you 255 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 1: talk about the character in that way or he didn't 256 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: bother It's hard to really know what we talked about. 257 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: I mean, how did you do what you did? You know, 258 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,959 Speaker 1: I just I just trusted him. I felt like, and 259 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: I've really never felt this since, you know, it was 260 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: it was you know, I felt a little bit with Paumazerski, 261 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: but it was. But it was different because because John 262 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 1: was younger, I mean, John actually had less experience than 263 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: I had at that point. I mean, sixteen Candles was 264 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: his directorial debut. He had written Vacation and he had 265 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: written Mr. Mom, but he had never been in that 266 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,719 Speaker 1: position of actually like being on the set um. So 267 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: it was really like we were kids in that way together, 268 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: and he was really like a like a confidante, which 269 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: I mean, to talk about it in retrospect seems you 270 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: could say it kind of seems weird. You know, well, 271 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm older than than he was when we met. 272 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: But when I was thirty six years old, like I 273 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: didn't want to talk to people who were fifteen. I didn't. 274 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: Why do you think he did? I don't know. I 275 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: I've often asked myself this, and I don't know exactly why, 276 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: except for we had this like sort of mind connection, 277 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,239 Speaker 1: that that whole thing of like finishing each other sentences 278 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: and he was very close to me, and he was 279 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: also very close to Michael Anthony Michael Hall, and we 280 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: were sort of like, I think, two sides of his personality. 281 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: I kind of feel like in a way that John 282 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: experienced some kind of PTSD when it came to his 283 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: teen years and and and how I mean PTSD is, 284 00:14:57,360 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: you know, from what I understand, and you know, the 285 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: definition or one of the definitions, is you experience something 286 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: traumatic in your brain is not exactly able to distinguish 287 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: the fact that it's not happening now in the present. 288 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: And for him, he would talk about things that had 289 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: happened to him years ago, or a slight or something 290 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: that somebody said to him, and it was you would think, 291 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: it's so present for him. He's feeling this pain, in 292 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: this anguish and this anger right now. And and so 293 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: he completely connected with me and with with Michael and 294 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: what we were going through, you know, of course, and 295 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: I think it enabled him to write these characters with 296 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: so much honesty and and and it was so raw. 297 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: He was a very sensitive guy. He was the most 298 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: sensitive person that I've ever met in my life. And 299 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,960 Speaker 1: and I and I include myself in that um and 300 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 1: There's a line in the Breakfast Club that that I 301 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: thought was really sort of interesting when an a. It's 302 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: a line that Alison has where she's as when you 303 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: get old, your heart dies, and um, you know, and 304 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: he he died of a heart attack. Too young, way 305 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 1: too young. But I feel like he carried around so 306 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: much in in him, so much feeling and so like, 307 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: I mean, this man could hold a grudge like like 308 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: no one else you know. Um, so you know, So 309 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: my feelings about him are you know, like anybody I 310 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: think who's really incredibly important to you in your life. 311 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: It's it's complicated and this seems this is going to 312 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: sound kind of glib, but it's like que the theme 313 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: song from To Serve with Love. When you do sixteen Candles, 314 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: refresh my memory? Does everything erupted based on that? Or 315 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: does it erupted somewhat and erupted even more when you 316 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: do Breakfast Club. Well, when sixteen Candles came out, it 317 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 1: really was not considered a hit. I think it was 318 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:56,400 Speaker 1: sort of um in terms of box office it was 319 00:16:56,520 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 1: kind of disappointing. Um, but we were already doing Breakfast 320 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: Club when that happened. And and then Breakfast Club came 321 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: out and that was an instantly a hit. And then 322 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,119 Speaker 1: I did another one which he did not direct, Pretty 323 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,719 Speaker 1: in Pink, but he wrote it for me. Uh, And 324 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: then that that was how he directed Pretty in Pink. 325 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: That's right, that's right. Uh. Would you work with him on? 326 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 1: He did this movie My Best Friend's Girl, with Dane Cook, 327 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 1: and they wanted me to play Dane Cook's father. And 328 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: I was this lascivious pig of a man who was 329 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: divorced from the mother and the son had no hope 330 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,479 Speaker 1: of ever having any success in intimate relationships because I 331 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: was such a horn dog slut pig. But I love Howie. 332 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: He's fun to work. Yeah, yeah, well he he Actually 333 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 1: I have Howie to thank for that movie because John 334 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 1: had written it for me. But by the time it 335 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: was time to make this movie, and you know, he 336 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 1: had moved from Universal to Paramount. John was mad at 337 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 1: me and didn't want me to do the movie. They 338 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: were going cast Jennifer Beals because she had just had 339 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: a success with Flashdance. In Pretty and Pink, the movie 340 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: that was written for me, they were going to cast 341 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,399 Speaker 1: Jennifer Beals, and Howie was actually the one that said, 342 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: but no, Molly has to be in this, this, this is, 343 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: this is because that's what he did. I mean, maybe 344 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: you didn't work with him enough enough to if you 345 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: if you got close to John, then inevitably you were 346 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: not close to John because he got mad at you. 347 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 1: And I think when I wanted to do different stuff, 348 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: and um, it's almost as almost like, don't work for 349 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 1: anyone else. Yeah, you know it's I'm ready. If I 350 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: had to do it over again, I would have worked 351 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 1: with him more. I do know that he was mad. 352 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: When when you're doing these films Breakfast Club, it's this 353 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: ensemble of young talent. Was everybody on like an equal footing? 354 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:57,399 Speaker 1: Did he bring people on who were all kind of 355 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 1: in the same place in their careers or were there 356 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: some of you that were things were a little shinier 357 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: than others. I think we were all sort of I 358 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: mean maybe I think Ali had a lot of uh, 359 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: you know, she had done war games and she did 360 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: a movie with Sean Penn, and you know, written a book, 361 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: and she was she was she was yeah, exactly. Um, 362 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: so I think she had, you know, and then and 363 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: then Emilio was in the Outsiders, and he had that 364 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: and he was of course, the son of Martin Sheen. 365 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: And you know, I think I think we all kind 366 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: of except for Judd. Judd was the only one that 367 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: I think really didn't have any real experience, and in fact, 368 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 1: he he got fired after like I think one week 369 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,360 Speaker 1: of shooting. John was ready to fire him, and then 370 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: we hired him. And then we hired him because I 371 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: was going to say, the person who comes across the 372 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: hungriest on camera is Nelson. Interesting. Nelson almost seems like 373 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 1: he's a guy that they plucked off the street and 374 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: threw in there and said, what would you like to 375 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 1: be in a movie? And he just had this raw 376 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: animal so he was wild eyed. He was wild I mean, 377 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: he was really and he was really doing that whole 378 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: method acting thing where he was I think, you know, 379 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 1: moonlighting in a school, which I mean, I'm sure would 380 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: not go over today if this, you know, basically a 381 00:20:21,240 --> 00:20:23,400 Speaker 1: somebody in their twenties just shows up at school like, hey, 382 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,199 Speaker 1: I'm just going to hang out, you know. He he 383 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 1: would tell the kids that his parents had abandoned him 384 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 1: or whatever, you know, he was. He would like sleep 385 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: in his clothes, you know, I mean, he just was 386 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: completely into this character. And also that character was supposed 387 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 1: to be different than the rest of us. I mean, 388 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: we all bitch about our parents, but he's really the 389 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: one who's actually being abused for real. He has like 390 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: a cigar burnt into his forearm, you know, so there 391 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 1: was something different about him when that when that movie 392 00:20:53,119 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: comes out, because I want to get beyond this period 393 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: when that movie thank you, I do too, that movie 394 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: coming to But but I think what's interesting, it's it's 395 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: it's funny how one day you know you are a 396 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: movie star whose work as a young leading lady in 397 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,919 Speaker 1: these coming of age films were very popular films. Do 398 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,400 Speaker 1: you kind of like you're like, oh, yeah, okay, great, 399 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 1: you don't really want to well, I mean I sometimes sure, 400 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,640 Speaker 1: But I mean I also have to accept the factor. 401 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess I don't have to accept it, 402 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: but I do accept the fact that these films really 403 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: no longer belong to me. They belong to everyone else, 404 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: and they're very meaningful and I and I have to 405 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: sort of respect that. Um, you know. I mean, I'm 406 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,160 Speaker 1: wrapped up in people's memories and I'm part of their 407 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: their slumber parties, and I'm part of their first kiss, 408 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 1: and I and I mean, I can't tell you how 409 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: many times I hear you got me through high school, 410 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: you got me through this very difficult time in my life, 411 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: you know. And and it's kind of people never say 412 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: that to me. They never say that to me. They 413 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 1: never say Glen Garry, Glen Ross got me through high school, 414 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: cut me through my twenties. Um, I can respect that. 415 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: At the same time, it's not what is most interesting 416 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: to me in my life. You know. It's definitely one 417 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: of the highlights. But I'm more interested in sort of 418 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: what I'm doing in the moment. Molly Ringwald is singing 419 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,000 Speaker 1: jazz at the moment, or rather next month at Birdland 420 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:24,280 Speaker 1: in New York City. Take a listen to the Here's 421 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: the Thing Archives, where director Chris Columbus talks about the 422 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: stroke of luck that led to his first movie Spielberg. 423 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: Steven Spielberg was leaving his office on a Friday and 424 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 1: passed his secretary's desk, and it was sitting there. That's 425 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 1: why so much of this business is luck. He passed 426 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: the script and saw the title and said that looks interesting. 427 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 1: Take a listen at Here's the Thing dot Org. This 428 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to. Here's the thing. 429 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 1: My guest today is author, singer, and actress Molly Ringwald. 430 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: Molly Ringwald actually has something in common with another one 431 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: of my guests, Mickey Rourke. They both took a long 432 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:15,160 Speaker 1: time off from filmmaking after the massive success of films 433 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: like The Breakfast Club and Pretty and Pink. Molly knew 434 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: she had an opportunity to reinvent herself, but she was 435 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: unsure how to begin. I guess I was just really young. 436 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. I 437 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: don't think it was probably the right time for me 438 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: to do that. I mean, I look at people now 439 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: like Lena Denham and and you know, and John was 440 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: always telling me, you have to write, you have to direct, 441 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 1: this is what you have to do. But it was 442 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:41,920 Speaker 1: like I just wasn't ready, and I had to I 443 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: had to live a little bit before I was ready 444 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:47,639 Speaker 1: to sort of. I just I don't feel like I 445 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: was a prodigy in that way. Um and and I 446 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 1: needed to live life kind of away from everything and 447 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 1: sort of learn how to be a human being and 448 00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:58,919 Speaker 1: sort of be more well rounded. And that's sort of 449 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: what I ended up doing. When you make these films 450 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,439 Speaker 1: and you're very young and you're surrounded by people, but 451 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 1: you're savvy. Who were the people you work with? It 452 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:10,920 Speaker 1: you ended up admiring actors. Director, who who's let's stick 453 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: with actors for the time being. Who was somebody who 454 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: you work with and you thought, wow, they were really 455 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: they were good. John. I think John Cassavetti's um, I 456 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: think about your peers, Raoul Julia in terms of my peers, Um, 457 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: I'm trying to think who did I? Who did I? Really? 458 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 1: I really loved Sean Penn. I really wanted to work 459 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: with him as an actor, but he was older than me. 460 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: He was, you know, I think he's like a good 461 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:38,360 Speaker 1: ten ten years older than me. There was really nobody 462 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:45,160 Speaker 1: at the time that was that was my age, that 463 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: that I could get paired up with, and and it 464 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: was like another moment in time you've already been paired 465 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: up with all of them. It was also a time 466 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: where they weren't casting really young p bowl with older 467 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: people like they are now. Like your leading man was 468 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: not thirty years older. It just wasn't done like right 469 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 1: then in this like little tiny moment of time. And 470 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: so we came across that that thing all the time. 471 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,400 Speaker 1: We're like, nobody knew who to set me up with 472 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: on film. You weren't cast opposite Sean Connery, No, No, 473 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: I was not. I mean I never really had any 474 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,880 Speaker 1: male co stars that were sort of that that could 475 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: sort of where I was a little bit and that's 476 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: what I did. But like Robert Downey at the time, 477 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: wasn't known. I mean he was, he was really sort 478 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: of he had small parts I think in John's movies, 479 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 1: but you know, he was a big part for him though. 480 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 1: That was a huge part of Toback, our mutual friend Toback, 481 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: who was a guest on this show by the way 482 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 1: to back, I love Toback. He was great with me. 483 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: I think I was probably the only woman that that 484 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: he never made a play for, like in the history 485 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 1: of the universe, you know, and that was just because 486 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: you know, Warren was producing it and so I sort 487 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,879 Speaker 1: of it was like having like the Mafia. They're like, 488 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: you knew, you know, don't don't go near here. Um. Yeah. 489 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: So it was just kind of like a weird time 490 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,679 Speaker 1: where I think people didn't really know what to do 491 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,160 Speaker 1: with me, and I was not. I mean, I was savvy, 492 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: but I was not savvy enough to really know exactly 493 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: what to do with myself, other than to get out 494 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: to sort of distance myself. I had a famous actress 495 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: once in the late eighties, and she was shooting a 496 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: film and she came to the set to meet me 497 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: to talk about doing a reading of a script with her. 498 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 1: And this actress, this famous actress who was a child star, 499 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,879 Speaker 1: said to me she was going to take off a 500 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: year or something, and I said, don't you like to work? 501 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:44,639 Speaker 1: I said, how do you take off all that time? 502 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: I mean, you must have endless opportunities to make films. 503 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: You're very talented and very sought after. And she said 504 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: I hate working because she'd worked so much when she 505 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,600 Speaker 1: was young, and she really affected her. Did you feel 506 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: the same way, UM, I don't know that I ever 507 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,680 Speaker 1: hated working. Um, Did you grow to feel like you've 508 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,320 Speaker 1: done enough of that? It was that I was so 509 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: not turned on by the material, and I didn't know 510 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:16,320 Speaker 1: how to write myself. Then I was writing, um, and 511 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: I've always written, you know, along with with singing and acting. 512 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: But it was I wasn't good enough and I wasn't 513 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: confident enough in what I was writing to put it 514 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: out there. So what did you do? What did I do? 515 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: I mean, in those years after those films with John? 516 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: What was your kind of compass you said to you 517 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 1: use if I want to do what? I moved to Paris? 518 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,040 Speaker 1: Talk about that. How long were you there? I was there, 519 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 1: I mean full time for about five years, and then 520 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:46,200 Speaker 1: and then pretty much on and off for about ten years. Um. 521 00:27:46,240 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 1: I moved from Paris to New York and then I 522 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: kept a residence in both places. But I just I 523 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, other than 524 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to be somewhere where I could just be myself. 525 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: So I went to Paris. I got rid of the 526 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: red hair, I you know, dyed my hair dark. I 527 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 1: learned French. I mean, I went to French class. I 528 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:09,280 Speaker 1: mean before I went to Paris, I did what I 529 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,760 Speaker 1: was supposed to do and were single. You weren't married then, No, 530 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,919 Speaker 1: I was not married. Um, I was still in Los Angeles, 531 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: but I I Um, I applied to a college, you know, 532 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: because I felt like that's what I was supposed to do. 533 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: And I got accepted to usc UM with the agreement 534 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: that I would take special math courses because I'm so 535 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: bad with math uh. And then I went to Paris 536 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 1: to do a job, one of those you know, stupid 537 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: jobs that you know where it's a terrible script, but 538 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:41,200 Speaker 1: you know, hey, you're going to be in Paris in May, 539 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: and why not, you know. And then I went there 540 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: and I just thought this. It was like suddenly breathing 541 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: oxygen after you've been just suffocating um, and it was. 542 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: It was the most incredible feeling. And I thought, I 543 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: just have to chase this. I'm not married, I don't 544 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: have any kids. If I ever do this in my life. 545 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: Now is the time. I was about twenty three, and 546 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 1: what did you do with yourself over there? I just lived. 547 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,960 Speaker 1: I just like drank a lot of wine and ate 548 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: a lot of cheese and walked around and and learned 549 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 1: French and and become a part of something. Yeah. I mean, 550 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:24,360 Speaker 1: I just you know, eventually, I knew that my life 551 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: was not going to end up there. I knew that 552 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: I was not going to become, you know, the next 553 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 1: Jane Berkin. I wasn't going to you know, that's not 554 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: where I was going to end up. But it was. 555 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 1: It was. It gave me some distance to sort of 556 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: recharge and to figure out you know what what I 557 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: was going to do with my life and who I 558 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 1: was going to be. And then I kind of had 559 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:47,479 Speaker 1: to sort of decide again whether or not I wanted 560 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: to act as an adult, you know, because when I 561 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: did it as a young person, it was so completely 562 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: it was just all instinct, you know, and I and I, 563 00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: you know, can you really say that you make a 564 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: decision when you're liner? You know, Yeah, I loved it, 565 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,160 Speaker 1: but it wasn't I wouldn't say it was entirely my decision. 566 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 1: So I kind of had to make that decision again 567 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: as an adult and say, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna 568 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: keep doing this, but I'm gonna do other stuff too. 569 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 1: What did you step up to bad again? So to speak? 570 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: With the acting was actually, you're a little bit instrumental 571 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: in this. No, it's a it's a good thing. I 572 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 1: think it's a really good thing. I you know, when 573 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: you do something for so long and it comes easy 574 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: to you, it's easy to kind of lose respect for 575 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: what you do, and you sort of realized that not 576 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: everyone can do it. And I remember I was asked 577 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: to do a to read a story for the New 578 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:39,600 Speaker 1: Yorker Festival, and you were reading a story too, and 579 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: I was really pregnant at the time, I remember, and 580 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: I wasn't crazy about the story that I was reading. 581 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: But you did the most incredible reading I've ever heard. 582 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 1: It was it was phenomenal. I mean, you had to 583 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:55,840 Speaker 1: do an Irish accent, you had to do an African acts. 584 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 1: Do you remember this? Really? It was? It was it 585 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: was an Irish ride her. Um. It was because I thought, 586 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: how is he doing? Like how much did he work 587 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: on this? And it really kind of made me remember 588 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: in a way what what was possible in terms of 589 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:19,120 Speaker 1: acting and how and how that it really is a skill. 590 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: And I had to sort of look at that and say, like, well, 591 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: how is he like does he just like work on 592 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: accents when he's sitting by himself? And it was sort 593 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:28,920 Speaker 1: of like a series. I mean that that wasn't the 594 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: only moment, but that was like a moment like that 595 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 1: sort of I had these moments and doing theater again 596 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: and you're looking at someone and you're like, that's what 597 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: that is? Yeah, And I want to see somebody like 598 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: Cherry Jones. Every time I see Cherry. She's a very 599 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: vivid example of someone who reminds me of why we 600 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: do this. Yeah, And and also Jeffrey tamber and what 601 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 1: he's doing right now in Transparent. You know, I've always 602 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: known him, I think, as most people as a comedic actor, 603 00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:58,400 Speaker 1: and I you know, I worked with him, um and 604 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: he was, you know, playing one of the buffoon of 605 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 1: many that he played. And to see him play this 606 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:07,520 Speaker 1: part and not do the obvious thing. It's moments like 607 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: those that remind me of why I'm doing what I'm 608 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,560 Speaker 1: doing and how and how challenging it can still be. 609 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 1: But in order to do work like that, you have 610 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: to have great material, and unfortunately there is just a 611 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: dearth of great material for everyone, but particularly for for actresses. 612 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,560 Speaker 1: It's it's even worse. So, you know, so I can't 613 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: only do that. I think if I'm only an actor, 614 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: I'll go out of my mind. And it's it's why 615 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: I write books, and it's why I sing, and you 616 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: know I do It's, Uh, it's the hardest thing that 617 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: I do. For sure. It doesn't come easily, Like I 618 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: didn't come out of the womb writing books. So it's 619 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: something that I always have to work at and I 620 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:49,960 Speaker 1: I don't I don't think that I've ever had that 621 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 1: confidence in writing, but it's something that I have that 622 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 1: I'm more proud of when I've written the hell out 623 00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: of something and I and I understand something about a 624 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: care and why somebody does what they do, which I 625 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: think is the same thing that I'm interested in in 626 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,920 Speaker 1: in acting. It's it's the characters and how you can 627 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: take somebody who's so flawed and see them from all 628 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 1: angles and and that's just an obsession that I have. 629 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: And when I do that and I do it well, 630 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: there's no greater feeling. I feel like I'm flying. I 631 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,000 Speaker 1: love doing plays, and I don't get to do them 632 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: as often as i'd like, especially now that I have 633 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:26,640 Speaker 1: little kids. Do you do you like performing in the theater? 634 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 1: I do, yeah, But do you minimize that because of 635 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 1: your own family situation? Um? No, It's actually one of 636 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 1: the reasons why I moved back to New York was 637 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:37,920 Speaker 1: because I really missed doing theater, and my kids all 638 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 1: love theater. How old are your children now? I have 639 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: a twelve year old and I have two six year olds, 640 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 1: a girl and a boy. Adel In Roman, you have 641 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: three children. I have three children, and you live outside 642 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:52,239 Speaker 1: the city. You're not in the city, No, not right? 643 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 1: Now and that was what you needed to do with 644 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 1: your kids. Yeah, you want to get out of the the city. Yeah, 645 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: well I wanted to have proximity to the city, you know. Um, 646 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: but but you know, when we were in Los Angeles, 647 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:06,760 Speaker 1: we kept sort of trying out in neighborhoods and I 648 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: just kept getting further and further out. You know, we 649 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: moved back and I said, well, you know, when I 650 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 1: was in Los Angeles, I was always on the east side. 651 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:14,920 Speaker 1: So if I have to go back, I'm going to 652 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: be on the west side, and my kids are going 653 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: to grow up in the surf. So we started out 654 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,880 Speaker 1: in Venice, and then we moved to Santa Monica and 655 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 1: then to Rusta Canyon, and then we you know, ended 656 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: up into Panga until finally I just said, you know, 657 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:27,879 Speaker 1: in fact, I don't want to be here. I really 658 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 1: don't want to No, I mean, I want to go 659 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,839 Speaker 1: back to visit my my parents are are in northern California. 660 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: I just I don't like Hollywood. I just, um, you know, 661 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: And I don't care if you're into Panga, if you're 662 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: in the vicinity of Los Angeles. It's just it just 663 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,279 Speaker 1: doesn't feel real to me. And and never really did. 664 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: And maybe it's because I wasn't born in Los Angeles. 665 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 1: I was born in northern California. But I and I 666 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 1: feel like there's a real distinction between northern and southern California. 667 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,840 Speaker 1: But it just it always felt like artifice to me. 668 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: It never felt real. And so when when I had 669 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:06,160 Speaker 1: everyone's eyes on me, it felt uncomfortable. When I had 670 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,480 Speaker 1: when I felt like no one's eyes around me, that 671 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 1: feels uncomfortable. It just the whole the whole thing just 672 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:15,400 Speaker 1: didn't feel good to me. And I finally, and I 673 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:18,000 Speaker 1: was really the one that wanted to move back to 674 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,399 Speaker 1: New York because my husband was raised on the East 675 00:35:20,440 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 1: Coast and you know, for him California, he's a book 676 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: editor and writer and uh, and then he took a 677 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: little hiatus and got his MBA at Stanford. You're a genius, 678 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: He's a he's a genius. Yeah. So, but he liked 679 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: he liked it out there, you know, and he made 680 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 1: some good friends and it was very sunny. But I 681 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,600 Speaker 1: just said, if, if, I, if we moved back, we 682 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 1: have to do it now because Matilda is leaving middle 683 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: school and I don't want her to go to a 684 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:52,319 Speaker 1: middle school and pull her out of it. So if 685 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:54,879 Speaker 1: we do it, we have to do it now? Yeah, 686 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,560 Speaker 1: pretty much? Um? And I would have I would have 687 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,520 Speaker 1: just sucked it up and just stayed there if if 688 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: it didn't happen. But I said, I really, I will 689 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: wither and die. Not that I'm dramatic or anything, but 690 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,279 Speaker 1: I will wither and die if I have to stay here. 691 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 1: Please please let's go back, and so um and so yeah, 692 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: so we're back. How driven and how creative and how 693 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:21,239 Speaker 1: uh stage worthy is Matilda? And how are you going 694 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 1: to handle that differentely than yours? Percent? She I, I 695 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 1: have a rule. I don't know if you made the 696 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:29,560 Speaker 1: same rule for your kids, but my my kids are 697 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: not allowed to be professional as kids. And that's just 698 00:36:33,239 --> 00:36:35,759 Speaker 1: based on my own personal experience. I don't think that 699 00:36:36,239 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 1: they just if they have talent, that talent will not 700 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: go away. And if they go through college and get 701 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:45,319 Speaker 1: to or at least to that college age and say, 702 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:46,879 Speaker 1: you know what, this is really what I want to do, 703 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: I'll do whatever I can to help them and support them. 704 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,040 Speaker 1: But they know that they can't do that before then. 705 00:36:52,719 --> 00:36:55,280 Speaker 1: But I said, you can do theater, you can take classes, 706 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 1: you know you can. Um, you know, you can do 707 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 1: whatever you want as long as it's not professional all. 708 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,800 Speaker 1: And it's been a battle. I think I think Matilda's 709 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,840 Speaker 1: somewhat resigned now, Um, but you know it's been I 710 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:09,319 Speaker 1: mean for a while it was a daily battle. You know, well, 711 00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 1: why why can't I? Why could you? Why was it 712 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:14,880 Speaker 1: okay for you and not for me? Um? And I 713 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 1: just you know, we just it's both of us. It's 714 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:18,840 Speaker 1: not just me. My husband and I have made that decision. 715 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: And I just want to see what they do. I mean, 716 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,239 Speaker 1: they're extraordinary, you know. And and personally, I think if 717 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:27,360 Speaker 1: I was gonna, if I was a betting person, I 718 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,560 Speaker 1: would bet that she is is going to be a director, 719 00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 1: and I just hope that she'll put me in her room. 720 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:39,760 Speaker 1: She I mean, she's a she's she's really incredible director, 721 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 1: and she makes her own movies, and you know, and 722 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,520 Speaker 1: I think if she was all concentrated on going and 723 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:48,439 Speaker 1: you know, going to auditions and getting rejected and doing 724 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 1: all of that stuff, I don't know that she would 725 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:54,280 Speaker 1: be doing what she's doing right now and and figuring 726 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 1: that stuff out out of the public eye. And I 727 00:37:56,239 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: just think that it's the right thing to do. I 728 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 1: think she's very lucky to have you as a mother 729 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,239 Speaker 1: with your perspective, because as I tell people, I go 730 00:38:03,320 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 1: to acting classes sometimes and teach, and I'll say to them, 731 00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:09,160 Speaker 1: but also remember that if you want to be happy, 732 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:12,560 Speaker 1: this is not a great business. It's not a great business. 733 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,080 Speaker 1: The thing about you that strikes me is there are 734 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: people who become stars and it's only visual. You know, 735 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 1: you're very striking looking and and it's only visual, and 736 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: then they go away. But you, as an actress then 737 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:28,879 Speaker 1: had something very unique and something very special. You had 738 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: this tremendous emotional reservoir. You're very emotive in the films, 739 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 1: and you had a bravery, you know, your character faced things. 740 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 1: When people remember those films and they see you now, 741 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 1: they see somebody who was very brave. And I mean 742 00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:45,960 Speaker 1: there's a kind of a brave read you in those 743 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: films that I really really loved. I love that and 744 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:53,080 Speaker 1: and it's it's something that I hear from people. And also, um, 745 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,120 Speaker 1: I think the fact that I have survived and flourished, 746 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: that that I'm still here, that that I more or 747 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:05,279 Speaker 1: less look the same, that I fantastic, that I'm then 748 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 1: I'm okay. I think it's incredibly reassured. You're one of 749 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:12,359 Speaker 1: the few people in the world. Raise your plastic water 750 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,319 Speaker 1: bottle with me. You're one of the first few people 751 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:15,360 Speaker 1: in the world I can be in a room with 752 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:22,239 Speaker 1: and say to John Hughes, if Molly Ringwald got you 753 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: through high school, you may want to read her books. 754 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,799 Speaker 1: Getting the Pretty Back and when it happens to you, 755 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:33,239 Speaker 1: this is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the 756 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:33,520 Speaker 1: Thing