Fun & Famous
Celeb interviews
by Ilonka Leenheer
One of the questions that comes up most when people hear about what industry I work in (besides being asked if I get a lot of designer clothing – uhm, no, unfortunately not, what am I doing wrong): who was the coolest celebrity that you interviewed? And who was the most unpleasant?
Since it’s my last week as a guest editor at Amayzine (yes, this was just for the summer, but who knows, maybe I’ll be back) I’ve decided to finally answer the question. But let’s keep it to ourselves alright?
Have you ever seen the movie Notting Hill? The one in which Hugh Grant pretends to be a journalist for Horse and Hound just so he can see Julia Roberts? Well, that’s pretty much how film junkets go: you’re either alone or with a group of international film journalists in some chic hotel suite and you’re given about twenty minutes to interview The Talent (yes, that’s seriously what they call the actors).
Not done: asking to get a photo with The Talent
Sometimes you even have to sign a contract for this. I’m fine with this though; you’re there to interview someone, not to be a fangirl. But even in my loooong career, I’ve made a few exceptions. Take Cate Blanchett (goddess!) for example who went on a photo with everyone, well it would be rude to say no – right? And then there was George Clooney. And a photo with Patsy and Edina, sorry I mean Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders from Absolutely Fabulous. That one was necessary. A MUST. Because have tea with those two, that was the high light of my loooong career. Now I even want to be adopted by Joanna Lumley.
Must: sitting next to The Talent
Because this way you’ll get the most attention when you’re interviewing with a group. Another good pointer: sometimes there’s not too much room around a table and you’re literally sitting thigh to thigh with for example Michael ‘Fassy’ Fassbender (who’s thigh was half the size of mine, which, believe me, says more about his than mine). Sometimes this will help you get in some added info, like the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch smells good for exampe. And that Beyoncé doesn’t wax her upper lip.
Who is the most boring?
Rooney Mara. Yawn. I can’t even name an example, nothing stuck.
Who sucked the most?
Matthew McConaughey. What an ass. At first he didn’t want to sit down which meant I spent half the interview, uhm, talking to his crotch. And absolutely nothing sensible came out of it. His mouth, just so we’re clear.
America’s sweetheart? Not!
Who was the most unpleasant?
Reese Witherspoon. America’s sweetheart? Not! All her responses were either: yes, no, I don’t know, I don’t want to talk about it. So that’s what you take a 12 hour flight for. I get that these interviews might not be the most thrilling part of your job, but that’s why they pay you the big bucks.
Who was the cattiest?
Katy Perry. Not entirely surprising, right?
Who was unexpectedly a lot of fun?
Penelope Cruz. This was back in the day when she and Matthew McConaughey were hitting it off, so you might think that the people that you surround yourself with my infect you. But no! She was very passionate, engaged and funny. And she stayed cool when a Belgian interviewer asked her: Why are you with that cowboy? She didn’t respond, but she did giggle. Shortly after, their relationship was over.
Who talked the most?
Keira Knightley. When I interviewed her I only had fifteen minutes of time to do so but she talked so much that it was easy for me to fill up three sheets of paper. Perhaps six would have even worked.
Who was the best looking?
Alexander Skarsgård. I was almost incapable of saying a word. And he was funny too. And smart. But he’s with Alexa Chung (although I’m going to pretend like I still had a shot had he been single).
Hot as heck, talks like a construction worker.
Who was the girl crush?
Jennifer Lawrence. Duh. Hot as heck, talks like a construction worker.
Who ran out of the hotel room?
Kate Winslet, when I asked her what it was like working with her husband on a movie about a failed marriage (Revolutionary Road). She did come back though, with bright red eyes. A few weeks later they had released a statement that she and her husband, director Sam Mendes, we’re no longer together.
Who would you like to hang out with?
Renée Zellweger. You probably didn’t see this one coming, but she’s a lot of fun. She once bought a Mexican diner so she could spend relaxed evenings hanging out at the bar drinking margarita’s with her friends, and I like those too. The margarita’s.
I could go on for hours, but I won’t. We still want other things to gossip about in the future.
