Are you a Joan Crawford or a Norma Shearer?
Which of the following most closely describes your childhood/upbringing and family background?
My father was a successful businessman, and my mother ensured that her children had lovely clothes, fine manners, and piano lessons. My childhood was an 'unbelievably happy period', even though my parents eventually fell upon some very hard times.
My childhood was Dickensian. Never even knew one of my biological parents, while the parent I did know always favoured my brother over me. I was a child of want, not a child of plenty - not only in a material sense, but moreover in an emotional sense.
As a child, which would you have rather grown up to be?
A concert pianist
A dancer
You have arrived in Hollywood. Who would you rather marry?
A Handsome and Wealthy Young Actor, whose father and stepmother are the most fashionable couple in Hollywood.
An Exceedingly Smart and Savvy Young Studio Executive, who knows how to make the most out of his time and energies, even if he has an underlying health condition.
What would you do to demonstrate that you can be as Sexually Desirable as any other actress in Hollywood?
Organize a Photo Shoot all on your own, with a very talented photographer, to showcase a much Sexier Side of you than anyone has ever seen before. A little Imagination goes a long way!!
Put yourself on a very exacting Diet, however questionable it might be in hindsight. Whatever it takes to lose all facial fat and make those cheekbones protrude through the camera!!
What would you most want to prove to everyone in Hollywood, even after becoming a Star?
That you can play modern women as successfully as you can play period piece heroines
That you can be a serious actress and a sex symbol at the same time
Which role would you take on to challenge yourself as an actress, and showcase your dramatic versatility?
Juliet
Sadie Thompson
You have played a wide range of characters, both morally upright and morally questionable. If there was one character that you would want audiences to identify you with the most, which would it be?
A Complex Historical Queen
A Complex Self-Made Modern Mother
Regardless of what you portray onscreen, how strong are your Maternal Instincts OFF-SCREEN?
I never really wanted to be a mother, but I didn't want to deny my husband the joy of becoming a father - I knew it meant a great deal to him. Truth be told, I have a far too Girlish Personality to fully embrace all that Motherhood entails.
I do want to raise Children, even if they're not my own - not just 1 or 2, but 4 or 5 - although Discipline and Obedience are of paramount importance to me. They need to appreciate the material comforts I bestow upon them - I never had them myself!
How do you feel about Growing Old and Old Age in general?
If it were up to me, I would remain Young and Girlish forever (not just at heart), although I could definitely portray a CHARACTER who grows old over the course of the story!! But Youthfulness is something I prize highly.
I am not afraid of Growing Old, or portraying women who are of 'a certain age' throughout the story, as long as I am not photographed in an unkind manner. The right wig and the right kind of lighting can go a long way!!
How do you feel about the Past?
*sigh* Nostalgic! The Past is a beautiful thing. I want people to always remember me the way I used to be in my prime. And I still miss my first husband terribly, even though it's been decades since he passed away - no younger man can ever replace him.
I'm very proud of my Past achievements, which I worked hard for, although there are also aspects of my Past that I would prefer to avoid reflecting on at all costs! The Present + the Future are what TRULY matter. My first marriage was also not the best.
Would you ever play Lady Macbeth?
I mean, I used to read and perform excerpts of Shakespeare with my second husband, but ummm, I am not sure if I can take on a fully-fledged Shakespearean role. Period pieces aren't my forte anyway. But then again, maybe if Laurence Olivier played Macbeth?
I already played Juliet, so I don't see why not? Shakespeare was rather intimidating at first, but I worked with the best coaches and got the hang of all those words, and the iambic pentameter! I don't need a famous stage actor to play Macbeth necessarily
Does your Career mean EVERYTHING to you?
Yes, of course!! I will keep working for as long as I am able to. Even when I grow old, there had better be a darn good reason to make me stop.
No, it's not everything! There is a time to step away from one's work gracefully, and find pleasure in the myriad other things that life has to offer.
Does MONEY mean everything to you?
Not everything, but having more than enough of it early on gives you the luxury of retiring well before some of your colleagues do.....and then enjoying a really comfortable lifestyle that doesn't require that daily grind.
I mean, I don't need to have tens of millions of dollars in the bank, and money certainly does NOT buy everything, but as long as I can keep working, why not keep making more? I do enjoy working in and of itself, after all.
How do you feel about Younger Men?
If I lost the love of my life, then......a handsome and passionate younger man would definitely be the next best thing.....I think. But I would want to marry him, ideally, not just be 'lovers' because.....marriage is such a fine institution, you know?
It can sometimes be almost impossible to resist a red hot fling with a sexy, younger man, but I don't need to MARRY one....again! In fact, I have learned that it's better to marry someone a little older and 'wiser', or at least WORLDLIER.
Would you ever talk trash about the biggest rival/competitor you had at your place of work?
Certainly not in public. That wouldn't be the proper thing to do. One must never go on the record disparaging someone. That seems classless, and I don't think my mother raised me that way.
I mean, I wouldn't go out of my way to do it, but if someone asks me a question about that person - whether in public or in private - I don't need to go out of my way to hold back either, if they deserve it!
How far would you go to sabotage your number one enemy at the studio?
Use your clout to have her costumes and hair-dos replaced/changed while working on the same picture as you, so that she cannot rely on her PHYSICAL APPEARANCE to outdo you......after all, shouldn't it be all about the Acting, anyway?
Make it almost impossible for her to remain in character and say her lines correctly while she's shooting her close-ups, by making such a ruckus with your knitting needles off-camera. I mean, if she's an Oscar-winning actress, can't she just roll with it?
Regardless of your childhood, what was your Adult perception of your Mother like?
I never forgot my Mother's advice. Least of all, about retreating from the public's unforgiving view after a certain age.....like 35. Ok, maybe 40.
I had to cut off all ties with my mother, who didn't seem to mellow with age at all. If anything, she became even more exasperating. I'm certainly a better mother myself.....aren't I?
What are your Children likely to say about you when they are all Grown Up?
That I was not the best mother because I seemed to be a little more fascinated by myself than I was by their lives and pursuits. They cannot accuse me of abusing them though.......maybe just a little emotional neglect.
Well, they weren't my biological children to begin with, and while half of them will vouch for my tenderness and care, the other half are going to make it seem like I tried to murder them.....just because of my strict disciplinary measures!
What do you think of Clark Gable?
I think we had some great onscreen chemistry.
How could my chemistry with "The King" be confined to the screen alone??
What are your thoughts on Greta Garbo?
I enjoyed doing my own impression of her highness in one of my films. *giggle*
*sigh* She made me feel as weak in the knees as Clark Gable did. *drool*
When do you think is the best point in your career to win an Oscar?
Early on!! Show them that you are better than the best, even when you're still very young. Especially if it's a role that your own husband had another actress in mind for, originally. Now THAT'S what you call Acting Prowess!!!
I mean, I suppose I wouldn't have minded winning an Oscar early in my career, but Mid-Career might be more meaningful in a way, because......it shows you've really earned your peers' respect over time?
Is winning an Oscar the most emotional thing that can happen to you as an actress?
I understand the strength of Sentiment better than anyone, but there's no need to get unnecessarily emotional about an Oscar. When you've won it, you step up and collect the award graciously and decorously, like a Lady. It's a milestone to be proud of.
Oh my gosh, yes - the general public has no clue what it really means to us. I was literally feverish with excitement at the prospect of winning one, and it gave me so much psychological validation to think that I had been officially accepted by the elite
Have men always said you were attractive?
Yes, indeed. Going all the way back to my......teens. I think it's always been a sort of magnetic attraction.
Not always, but I certainly had my pick of men by the time my career was underway. There is more to attraction than sex appeal.
What do you fear is going to be your biggest obstacle towards the end of your life?
Dementia
Isolation
How can a Woman have it all?
With Charm, Poise, Strategy, Grace, and Economic Independence
With Charisma, Cajones, Doggedness, Purpose, and Business Acumen
Do you, or have you had a significant problem with Smoking and/or Alcohol for a significant portion of your adult life?
No. I was able to give up Smoking by the time I was in my early-mid 30s, and never had a problem with alcohol.
*hic* Smoking can be a substitute for anything, even love or sex, and by the time I was in my late 30s, I developed an increasing reliance on Alcohol as another 'substitute'.
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