Spy Games: Q&A With 'Duplicity' Star Julia Roberts
By Lisa Collins, Hollywood.com Staff
|
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Both you and Clive's personalities click, because ...
"We have a similar sense of humor."
He said the exact same thing, 10 minutes ago.
"Oh, good. [laughs slyly] And I think our list of priorities of our personal lives are not different. You know, we’re both happily married and with families, and lead a normal, unaffected existence within this odd universe of show business that we’ve both chosen to go into. We’re similar in that way, too, I think."
Advice for your teen actress niece, Emma Roberts (Lymelife), or your kids if they choose acting:
"Well she’s not under my rule [laughs] … I don’t really give Emma any advice about show business. Our conversations tend to be on a more personal level. And my first instinct [for my kids] is that I would prefer for my kids, if they were to be artists, that they wait. That they just wait [pause ... laughs] as long as they can!"
The industry for young women -- easier back then or now?
"Well, it depends on your measure of success. It’s up to the individual, what they think is "succeeding" in this business, now. I like the way business was when I started. So, I’m glad that I had that experience."
Identify what changed.
"Well, media coverage, and the amount that’s heaped on everyday about everything a person does in their day-to-day life. It’s insidious and pointless. So I think that takes away from getting to have that special moment where you go see somebody in a movie. That magic gets diluted."
Secrets in avoiding paps and press.
" I think there’s a good balance in my life. I mean, if I could avoid it all together [shakes head], I hopefully would. But I also love my job ... here’s this movie that I really enjoyed making and I’m happy to talk about -- I just think it would be nice if there were some clearer divisions of what people think is interesting."
But clearly you’re a consumer of media.
"I’m not really a consumer. I used to be and it got kind of so sickening [pauses]. You know, I mean it’s like eating a GIANT cheeseburger: you think you want to eat the whole thing -- and then about half-way in you go, “What the f--k am I doing?” [Wryly smiles] This is gonna make me sick."
As a teen, didn't you want to know everything about your favorite band?
"Well, there’s everything -- and then there’s e-v-e-r-y-thing. I, like anybody, want to see some nice picture of Clive in a magazine. But I don’t need to see a picture of Clive in his boxer shorts taking out his garbage. I think that’s where people think they want SO much coverage -- those private moments, stolen away. But they don’t really, because ... you do end up thinking: 'I really shouldn’t be seeing this. I really shouldn’t be voting on the popularity of who has the cutest baby. [Pensively] Doesn’t that kind of make me a small person?' I think that we just need some relief ... some re-programming."
"America's Sweetheart" also has her own role models in the biz.
"There’s a lot of people; Sean Penn is a person that I admire, who's been a friend for a long time. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon are great examples of people who have evolved through the Hollywood system as creative people, normal people.
Romantic comedies and you -- still friends?
"I mean they’re not dead to me. I’ve read a couple of really funny romantic comedy scripts in the last year ... I just think at a certain point -- you kind of have to change the game a little bit for it to work. The older you get, the more that you look like you "know" ... You have to kind of change the circumstances to accommodate that. Sometimes, the math doesn’t work for me. But it’s certainly not dead, and I have a laugh reading it."
Maturity, shmaturity. Any Brad Pitt & Clooney-style pranks on this set from Clive?
"[Playfully droll] No. What a relief! [Laughs out loud] ... Don’t have to check the toilet for anything. Or the light bulbs. Or the phone. Just good old-fashioned friendship. [Smiling widely] Yeah."
Photo(s) © 2009- Universal Pictures- All Rights Reserved