Leslie, can you start the https://racksandrazors.com/ readers off with
a visual and describe the room where you're
answering these questions?
Sure. First of all, let me
say '"Hello" and how nice it is to be
doing this interview with you. It's a treat for
me.
I would love to
say it was a glamorous room...or a sexy room...or
even an intellectually stimulating room, but I'd
be lying and I'll leave that to the Bush
Administration. They are so much better at it
than I am.
You see, you have
inadvertently given me a chance to vent and,
presented with this opportunity, I just can't
stop myself!
My husband and I
have been remodeling a house for a year and a
half. That was not the original time frame. When
we moved out of the old house we thought we'd be
in the new one in 4, 5, or at the very longest, 6
months. Boy, were we dreamers!
Here's the good
news: We have been staying with his sister and
her husband who are indubitably the kindest, most
generous and most thoroughly selfless people in
the world.
Now for the bad
news: They have provided us with three small
rooms; two bedrooms connected by a bathroom. My
husband is using the smaller of the two bedrooms
as an office. That's understandable as he is a
writer by trade and a WGA board member and union
rabble-rouser by election. The other room is our
kitchen, breakfast nook, dining room, library,
living room, media room, storage room, den,
bedroom and, last but not least, MY OFFICE. This
is where I now sit, in a bright red, overly
complicated but divinely comfortable office chair
-- no complaints there! However, I'm told the
walls of this room are covered with wallpaper --
a delicate baby blue and white flowered print.
Will I ever get this? No! We've crammed
everything we own, that's not stuffed into giant
storage containers somewhere in \line downtown
LA, into this multi-tasking room and it's piled
up every wall to the ceiling. If you hear there's
been an earthquake in LA, call out the dogs.
Actually,
it's a kind of adventure, living this crowded.
It's like being 'on the road' with a theatre
company again and living in a small hotel --
everything at my fingertips -- everything but
what I'm LOOKING FOR, that is. Perhaps I'm a
little long-in-the-tooth to really appreciate
this particular adventure?
Hmmmmm. Well,
I've included good new and bad news, so here's a
bonafide NEWS FLASH -- my husband just came in
from the bathroom holding the shower \line faucet
-- in his hand. I'm going to take a little break
now, to call \line the PLUMBER! When I come back
we'll move on...
I guess
first off I want to hear how you were chosen by
Rob Zombie to reprise the Mother Firefly role in
'The Devil's Rejects'? Was it due to your passing
resemblance to Karen Black (Mother Firefly in
'House of 1000 Corpses') or was Rob a fan of your
'Police Academy' (as Debbie Callahan) movies or
your work on 'Laverne and Shirley'?
I never thought
to ask him. Initially I was just excited to
audition for him and then so glad he cast me (I
instantly loved the material for M. Firefly) it
never occurred to me to find out. I don't know
whether our casting director, Monika Mikkelsen,
bless her soul, had the idea, or Rob. Rob and I
never discussed "Police
Academy" or "Laverne
and Shirley". In fact I don't know
if he ever saw them. However, if you were alive
in the 80's, it would have been tough to miss at
least one of them.
As the years
passed I've learned that it's not a good thing to
mention those credits to potential employers. As
proud as I am of them, the industry tends to hold
them against me. I'm not alone in this -- many
actors you may remember from the 80's seem to
have vanished in the 90's. This is not their idea
and not an accident. Getting to resurface in the
2000's is a rare blessing. It is a miracle that
Rob took a chance on me and gave me a role so
different from anything I'd ever played before.
As I'm sure you noticed, there are several
familiar actors from the 80's in "Devil's".
Rob defies common practice -- just one of the
ways he is unique. Another? He refuses to discuss
or compare one actress with another. To this day
I have no idea why I was cast and I have no idea
why Karen Black wasn't. Thank you for the
"passing resemblance to Karen Black"
part of your question, Owen. That's high praise
in my book.
I have a
quote here of you saying "When I became an
actor I wanted to go places inside where I would
never get to go in my personal life". Can
you give your take on that internal place you
went to in order to create your amazing character
work as Mother Firefly?
I'm glad you
found that quote -- it's absolutely true! Most of
us don't become actors to play ourselves, Owen. I
might even go so far as to say some of us want to
escape being ourselves occasionally and have a
legitimate excuse for it! Whether it's childhood
trauma or simple curiosity, it produces the same
result. The heart of a character actor yearns to
work outside the envelope. The dilemma? Good
villains are deliciously cathartic, but good
heroes pay your bills. It's generally a much
harder choice for men than women. It's only
recently that so many good bad women's roles have
begun popping up. Yes, there have always been
great bad women in the movies, but not so many of
the really complicated cold-hearted bitches we
enjoy today.
It really warms
my heart, Owen. After years of reading and
hearing a wide variety of comments about
characters I've played, like Callahan in "Police
Academy" or Rhonda on "Laverne
and Shirley", it's refreshing and
ultimately astonishing to have someone finally
compliment my "work" (not just the way
I fill out a uniform.) Granted I have always
treasured those uniform comments, been truly
thankful that I was even noticed and given credit
where it was due -- to the terrific
"work" of numerous wardrobe
departments.
I find it a
little difficult to actually address the
"work". It's such a personal thing.
Truth -- I'm surprised to find it hard. I love to
\line joke, as you've probably noticed. To talk
seriously about myself is something new. I'll
give it a try
I'm proud of my
work as Mother F. and I'll tell you why. I don't
recognize myself in my performance. Usually I am
highly critical of my work and watching it makes
me uncomfortable but I got to go way outside my
box for Mama, to places I'd only gone in live
theatre, and I finally lost ME. (Of course, you
can't play something that isn't a part of
yourself at all. You have to have the reality
somewhere in your psyche to play it; but dormant.
It's dormant because of the many layers of
civilization placed on you by your own emotional
make-up or family, school/education/learning,
community, religion/morality, friends/peers --
any number of things that help you mold your own
public persona and create the unique individual
you call "me".)
Mother Firefly is
a brilliantly written character in "The
Devil's Rejects" -- that is a
given. As a director, Rob gives you a long rope
and then gets out of your way. He gives you
permission to fly. He trusts you. If you hang
yourself, he may shorten the rope a little, make
a suggestion or two but then let you go again. He
lets you swing that rope, swing from it, fling
it, tear is up, wrap it around yourself, caress
it, tie it is knots, shred it fiber by fiber, or
beat the hell out of it -- it's up to you and it
is a glorious experience. No Rules!
After digesting
the written word, I decided that Mother Firefly
must think of herself as the perfect woman. Sexy,
cunning, brave and willing to sacrifice ANYTHING
for her children. The fact that she's a depraved
psycho never enters her mind. Mama would never
see herself that way; so neither could I.
Mother Firefly's
mantra and emotional triggers: I love my family.
I will do anything for my children, enable them
without judging them, and sacrifice my life for
them. I am confidant that I am the perfect
mother. I am a good and righteous mother and
woman. I am a sexual predator and proud of it.
That's it. I prepared myself emotionally with my
mantra and just let go. I was in a state of
absolute awareness. I even remember noticing the
smells in the jail cell and how they would change
from take to take or after lunch, or if someone
had had a cup of coffee on the set during a
lighting break. Everything was accentuated. I've
heard it called heightened animation -- whatever
it was, I can't wait to smoke it again...
So you
have been in the business for a number of years -
what about the Rob Zombie set did you find
unique?
Rob's preparation
is astounding. It makes it so much easier to do
your work. I say this not only for the actors but
the crew, as well.
He shoots with
many more cameras that any director I've ever
worked with. That means the lighting (which is
gorgeous in "Devil's"
thanks to Phil Parmet) has to be more specific
for each shot, too. Rob does his own storyboards
and knows exactly what he wants. Yet he is still
open to suggestion -- in short, it's the first
time I've felt that making a film was like having
an artistic conversation or experience. Rob is an
artist and treats others as such. Unique?
Absolutely. It's the closest I've ever come to
feeling that every contributor was on the same
page. Not warm and fuzzy, mind you, but filled
with mutual respect. It was a good place to be
and one I want to return to as soon as possible.
(I must add that this would not have been
possible without producer Andy Gould giving Rob
his support at all times. There were other
producers, all of them gems, but Andy is Rob's
manager and produced "House",
as well. They have a wonderful relationship. I've
never witnessed a relationship between
writer/director and produce so close and trusting
before.
Any news
on what Mr. Zombie plans to do next?
I think there are
an enormous number of people asking the same
question -- certainly anyone who has worked with
him. We all want to do it again. The most recent
rumor is that he plans to make an animated movie
of his own comic books. I can only hope one of
his characters will need a voice like mine!
So has
playing Mother Firefly resulted in a huge
onslaught and offering of horror roles for you?
Ah...a question
with a short answer. Not a one! I still have
hope, though. Wouldn't that be great?
Along
those lines tell me about your work as Helen in
the 2003 flick 'Dismembered' and Knull in
'Maniacts' (2001) - both sound promising.
How things sound
and how they turn out can sometimes be a
contradiction. I can't believe you know the
character names -- good homework. I made both
films for friends -- filmmakers I had known and
loved for years -- and wanted to support them and
their projects. Both films became different
animals after the fact. In both cases they
changed because of either insufficient funding or
conflict between the creators and the producers.
I'm not proud of my work in either film or of the
finished products, but don't regret being in
them. Both filmmakers are very talented and
suffered from outside pressures. I know we'll
hear from them again and get to see what they are
really capable of in their next endeavors.
CW Cressler, who
wrote and directed "Maniacts",
has a script called "Heads You
Lose" that would make a fabulous
movie. In fact it was that script that first
introduced us. When I read it in the 80's, I
liked it so much that I tried to help him get it
made. We came so close that I still can't believe
it wasn't shot. It's terrific. It's about a
serial killer who has an ingenious method of
decapitating his victims and a tough lady cop who
tracks him down. I'm too old to play that cop now
but there are any number of good young actresses
working today who could bring her to life -- if
any of your readers are looking for their next
project, track down Mr. Cressler and read "Heads
You Lose". You won't be
disappointed.
Going
back to something I mentioned earlier. I've read
that a new 'Police Academy' movie is in the
works. After starring in 7 of those movies are
you excited to go back to work as Sgt. Debbie
Callahan?
You hit the nail
of the head. I live in suspended animation,
waiting to go back to work as Debbie Callahan.
I've been in this state for 11 years now and have
no intention of giving it up. I love her and am
very grateful for her!
Are there
any other projects in the offing you would like
to mention or plug for the https://racksandrazors.com/ readers?
Would that there
were. I'll tell you what; if anything comes up,
I'll let you know.
In
addition to what I've already mentioned you've
done so many great things - several episodes of
'Murder She Wrote', as Rhonda Lee on several
seasons of 'Laverne and Shirley', a recurring
role on 'Ryan's Hope', lots of guest starring
work on 'Matlock', 'Hunter', and movies like 'The
Taking of Flight 847', 'Private Resort',
'Collector of Souls', etc. Is there some role or
moment on screen that you see as your finest as
an actress?
Just for the
record, "Collector of Souls"
was never finished. In fact all we shot was the
trailer. It's funny how things get confused on
the net. I hope it is made someday -- the
filmmaker, Marcum Anderson, is another good
friend of mine and deserves a break.
I made a movie
for USA Network in 2004 as part of their True
Crime series. It was directed by another
brilliant filmmaker and dear friend, John Fasano.
No one involved in the project wanted me in the
movie, but John had faith in me and insisted I be
in it. He even provided my accommodations on
location in Canada when the network refused.
The role was
small, but complicated, and John helped me find
something inside myself that I'd never used
before as an actress. The character was based on
a real woman this time -- a mother, like M.
Firefly, who did terrible things to protect her
children. This time it was just a son, but her
crime was real and unimaginably horrible.
If you have a
chance, take a look at "Murder at
the Presidio". There are two scenes
near the end of the movie that I am very proud
of. They are quiet scenes but emotionally, for
me, off the chart. You won't regret seeing the
film. Lou Diamond Phillips does wonderful work --
as does the rest of the cast.
I also
want to hear your impressions of what it was like
to sing 'The Star Spangled Banner' at Superbowl
XVII - that's got to be an insane rush?
You ask the BEST
questions. Yes, an insane rush. I was so nervous,
I only stopped shaking two years ago -- and I
sang it in 1982. I get nervous every time I'm at
a ball game or watch one on TV when someone sings
the anthem -- anyone. That's sense memory for ya.
It was the best
time, though. They gave me 10 seats on the 50
yard line, I got patted on the butt by John
Riggins, I got 2 limos for myself and my friends
and family, I got "Cheers"
in TV Guide, every once in a while the Arizona
Republic describes my performance as the best one
ever (why, I'll never know) and I've had a most
unique resume from that day forward.
I still get to
sing our national anthem for events and I'm very
proud to do it. I sang it last Saturday night in
Irvine, CA at a banquet honoring our soldiers. It
was a very emotional evening and there I was,
singing my favorite song while crying my eyes out
-- all these years later.
I also
want to hear about your take on the horror movie
conventions. What is the best way to describe
that experience from the "other side of the
table"?
Wow! Horror
conventions are great. I've never had such fun.
This shouldn't be kept a secret. It can't
possibly be better for the fans \line than for
the actors. It's totally entertaining -- the
wardrobe alone is a knock out. You get to meet
your audience -- it's better than theatre, too,
because the audience talks back. I've never been
treated better or had a better time. I think this
is why I'm so anxious to make another horror
movie -- so I'll get to do them again and again.
I really feel I've made friends at both of the
conventions I've attended and not just friends
for the day.
Okay - we
are pulling the car into the Leslie Easterbrook
Drive In. What three horror films are on the
triple bill tonight and what goodies are they
going to be serving at the concession stand?
Any horror movie
by Rob Zombie -- I just want him to keep makin'
'em. Any movie by George Romero -- he's the
master. Or perhaps "Heads You
Lose", "Collector of
Souls", and a new John Fasano flick
or anything starring ME. Actually any movies
could be running (I'm a complete movie freak) as
long I can eat popcorn all night long with short
breaks to knock back some turkey chili and wash
it all down with vanilla milk shakes. No alcohol
-- when I watch a movie I want a clear head, to
become one with the content but also to admire
the filmmaker's work process -- God, I love it!
What
makes you go psycho in real life?
Having most of
the things I need every day locked away in
storage for a year and a half!
What
scares you in real life?
The thought that
something terrible could happen to people I love.
The thought that I'll never work again.
Being held down -- I am claustrophobic.
Thanks so
much Leslie - all the best to you in both life
and career.
To you too, Owen.
Thanks for the great questions. |