Hollywood.com: Talk about the principal attraction of playing the straight girl in this wacky comedy.
Beyonce Knowles: Well, originally, I worked with the director years ago for a Disney sitcom and it was my first acting gig… and I hope no one ever finds it! Jet Jackson. Oh, why did I say that? And he remembered working with me and I remember he said, “You’re going to be an actor one day. I’m going to remember you.” And he called and told me about Xania, and said she was an international superstar/singer. And, first I thought, you know, I don’t want to play another part like that because I don’t have time to do the research…and then he told me Kevin Kline and Steve Martin were going to be part of it and I got into it. I told myself I’ll always work with the best people who I can learn from. And it only took me three weeks to film this movie. And, I did two weeks in New York and one week in Paris, and I had a great time. It didn’t feel like work. I laughed the whole time on the set and I’m happy I’m in it.
HW: You said you like to work with people that you can learn from. What did you learn from this?
BK: The biggest thing is probably watching Steve Martin. Because, he is so professional and so serious and he’s been doing it for a long time. And you can just see that in his mannerisms. In between takes, he goes from being this wacky, unbelievable character to becoming Steve Martin and working with the director and changing things and writing the script and, I’m a songwriter and performer so I respect that. Hopefully, one day, I’ll do that. But I saw…I’ve never worked with a person who wrote the script and starred in the movie.
HW: Steve described you as very shy. Where does that shyness come from and is that the reason why you became a performer in the first place?
BK: Probably, yes. I don’t say I’m shy anymore. I’m just kind of quiet and calm and I observe and I like to, when I’m not working, just blend in…but I guess I can kind of come out of my shell when I’m on the stage. Now I’m learning in films I can do the same thing with different characters.
HW: How does it feel to bring your audience to something they know nothing about?
BK: I think it’s amazing. I know my generation, even the original Pink Panther movies, I’ve never seen. And, there’s something so legendary about that song and that image of the Pink Panther and we don’t know where it came from. And, so for me to be the person that represents that in 2006 is amazing.
HW: Did it make you uncomfortable to use your sexuality like you do in the film? Because you’re not like that in real life?
BK: Well, I’m kind of like that onstage. I’m very much so like that onstage. But I’m not like that in real life. And it’s a character so it’s a part of, you know, acting.
HW: Did you pick the song you sing for the film?
BK: They originally had “Woman Like Me” and we changed it. I got some of my guys to redo the track and I rewrote some of the lyrics and melodies but the first single, “Check On It,” which I wrote and hit #1, I wrote for the movie.
HW: What keeps you balanced?
BK: My family, definitely. There’s always one or two family members with my at all times. They’re right there [in the back of the room]. I don’t go anywhere without someone that loves me and that can tell me the truth.
HW: What’s going on with your clothing line?
BK: My jeans are out and doing very well. It took me a couple years—two years for my mother and I to find the right partner, because, a lot of people offered me deals to just put my name on something and the clothes not being something I would wear and I was very adamant about not doing that because my mother’s talented, and we really should have a line that we designed. And we do, and it comes out the full line in February.
HW: Your whole like seems to be a series of great adventures, but, what do you think is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
BK: Probably going solo, because it’s hard to leave a group when you love each other and there’s nothing going wrong [tearing up]. It’s easy when you hate each other and can’t stand to be in the same room. But when you still share a dressing room, still share a tour bus, still love each other and still take that risk—you don’t have to because you’re still selling records. We’re still successful, and I took that risk and it was very scary.
HW: And what was the motivation there?
BK: I felt like it was a lot of things that all of us weren’t doing, because we were using each other as crutches, and things that I wouldn’t say or wouldn’t do because I was holding back.
HW: Dreamgirls is probably going to be the biggest thing you’ll ever do in movies–
BK: [Shaking with excitement] Definitely! I’m so excited about it I can’t even talk and my voice just starts shaking because I’m so happy! I’ve been hearing about Dreamgirls since I was about 15. I’ve never seen it because I was born the year it was on Broadway. But I have seen the bootleg tape of it and I’ve been hearing about Deena and everything about her, because my choreographer is obsessed with her. And they told me they were doing this movie and I said “Oh my God, I have to have this movie.” And at first they weren’t sure if I could play the part because I haven’t done anything like it on film. And, I knew I could do it–I just never had a chance to do it. And I got the movie and I’m so excited because I’m proud of myself and I get to play a character with range and I’m 16 in the beginning and I grow up to be 36 and there’s nothing glamorous about Dina, and she kind of butterflies into this Diva. I have dramatic scenes and emotional scenes and very funny scenes and just all these colors and I’m so excited because people are going to be able to see me act for the first time. [Director] Bill Condon is so good. He knows so much and is so detailed-oriented. First of all, we had two months to rehearse, which I’ve never experienced anything like that. Which allowed me and the other ladies to bond and we have such a great chemistry together. It’s real. Even off-screen we do little crazy things that friends do. We’re all so excited to be there, we’re just like, “Is this real? Are we in this film?”
HW: What made you want to do this now?
BK: Well, every movie I do, I learn a little bit more. And after going on auditions and kind of not getting some movies and getting some movies and having more life experiences and having a couple acting classes, I realized I am an actor and I can really do this right.
HW: Do you see your performance competing at all with Jennifer Hudson’s?
BK: Oh, no. Not at all. First of all, she is so sweet. And, one of the nicest people… it’s her first movie. Imagine someone and there first movie is Dreamgirls… How blessed is she? And she’s so excited and I have chills for her right now just talking about it. She is so grateful and I’m so grateful. And we’re both…we give each other advice, we help each other, we would change our minds or whatever…because we all want this to be great. And, the funny thing about Dreamgirls is that song, though. And I’m telling you it’s so wonderful. Everybody that’s wanted to play Deena before, wanted to be Deena and sing that song. But it’s impossible. I’m a little jealous because I do love that song. But, we help each other out—we’re both happy to be there.
HW: Would you do Broadway?
BK: Yeah, I would love to do Broadway.
HW: Is Deena you?
BK: No. Deena’s not me. But I have a lot of similarities. Just I started off in a group. I’m very ambitious. I was always…there was something about me since I was a little girl that just was different.
HW: Are you still as ambitious now as when you were forging your career?
BK: Absolutely. I think it’s very ambitious even for me to start acting, because I didn’t have to. I don’t have any need to. I just want to challenge myself and learn, and I admire people like Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross who took that risk and are really good at it.
