Post by Laura on Dec 2, 2005 18:48:28 GMT
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Interview:
IN FULL BLOOM
By: Molly Simms
Portrayed in the press as a witchy wild child, Charmed star Rose McGowan cuts the bull about her bad girl image and shares with BUST a few of her favorite things, from cake to karaoke.
If you've seen the 1999 black comedy Jawbreaker, Rose McGowan's portrayal of an evil teen bully is likely burned onto your retinas. Playing the part of a murderous prom queen, her venomous smirks practically leapt off the screen, transforming an otherwise stock character into delightful high camp. Her wry delivery of dialogue and pin-up girl looks have gone a long way towards fostering the public perception of her as a cutthroat sex kitten, hell-bent on getting her kicks. To futher thicken the cloud of mystery around her, there are the three years she spent with ex-fiance Marilyn Manson and her childhood on an Italian commune in a religious cult. Rose was born in Italy, but left both the country and the Children of God cult at nine years old, when her family moved to America. At 15 years old, Rose emancipated herself from her parents and was living on her own on the streets (she's since reconciled with her parents), finally being "discovered" in LA at age 20 and making her film debut as a caustic drug addict in the hyper-violent Doom Generation.
So it's somewhat of a surprise to walk into her spotless, lovely, 1920s-era LA home adn be greeted with the sight of Shirley Temple memorabilia, her two cute-and-spazzy Boston Terriers, and Ms. McGowan herself decked out in a white T-shirt and pink capri pants. She's less Tura Santana and more Annette Funicello, hopped up on caffeine and with a serious neatnik streak. With over a decade as an actress under her belt, the 32-year-old Rose is well versed in the Hollywood system and clearly too smart to get lost in it. That's not to say she's above causing a bit of a ruckus- the world can't seem to forget that infamous backless dress she wore to the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, comprised of nothing more than a little string and mesh.
We talked in the kitchen while she iced a homemade red velvet cake and took a break to eat lunch at her favorite neighborhood taco joint- "the place by the car wash that has the
House of the Dead video game." She's a true girly girl without a hint of pretense, and has a warm zaniness you'd never imagine, give her resume. It's obvious that Rose lives to defy expectations. Rose fanatics relished her parts in Scream, Southie, and Going All The Way, and even sat through long ago clunkers like Bio-Dome and Encino Man to catch a glimpse of McGowan's trademark surly bombshell smile. Then, five years ago, amidst much industry hubbub, she replaced Shannen Doherty to play the role of a sardonic witch on the TV series Charmed, and she's since won the heart of the American public. Soon, she'll make an appearance in The Black Dahlia, in a role hand-picked for her by Brian DePalma. Her next move, though, will undoubtedly subvert her image once again. Nomad, homebody, sweetheart, and vamp-Rose McGowan is full of strange surprises.
How has your life changed since making the switch from being a well-known indie movie actress to being a TV star and appearing inside everyone's home?
Well, I'd really rather not think about some guy sitting on the couch scratching his balls while watching me. But I guess they can do that in a movie theater just as well. The hardest thing to adjust to with Charmed was learning steady work habits, of which I had none. I grew up living a total gypsy lifestyle. I went to 10 different schools in 11 years, in between home-schooling. The way we dealt with problems in our household was that if something went wrong, we just moved. In the time I've lived in LA, I've probably moved 15 times or more, easily. I took three years off from doing movies right before starting Charmed, to tour around with Manson, because I was just so burnt out. I'd been on my own since I was 15, literally working. Like schlepping boxes of vegetables, or writing press releases for Johnson & Johnson, because I lied and said I was a graduate of the USC communications school. I wasn't even 16 yet. I've had the most bizarre assortment of jobs, all of which I got fired from, incidentally. I was not a good employee. If someone's dumb, I just have the face that says, "You're ****ing stupid." And "casual Fridays"? Oh, kill me now.
So what's it like to work on a show where women play all the central roles?
Well, that's probably my faovrite thing about it, because I've had problems over the years and done movies where I literally didn't even realize until the first day that I liked the leading man's role. "This is a kick-ass script! Wait a minute, the guy does everything that's kick-ass. Goddammit!" On Charmed, they've actually tried to make my character make fun of herself about her body, and it's male writers, of course. I'm like, "Are you kidding me?"
How do you feel about witchcraft?
I have my broomstick and it's all fired up [laughs]. It's like anything. If you're a Jehovah's Witness, cool. Don't knock on my door, but that's cool. If you're a Scientologist, cool. Just don't bombard me with it. Growing up, I did a sting in Oregon, where I was a homeless runaway. And when you're a street kid, you meet all sorts of types, so I remember meeting people who were like, "I'm a white witch." I thought, "Well, congratulations."
How does it feel to be continually branded a "bad girl"?
My friends will call and say, "Oh, they're airing the 50 Baddest Girls in Hollywood again. What'd you do this weekend, Rose?" and I say, "Nothing," and they're like, "We know." I'm famous among my friends for being completely different from the preconceived notions of me. So I wore a crazy dress one time-does that mean I wasn't ordering Martha Stewart online and baking that day? Because that's what I was doing. Incidentally, I got a lot of great jadeite dishes off that site.
What do you do during the months that you have free? Do you go away?
In the past, I had a boyfriend who lived in New York, so I spent most of my summers there, but there's only so many museums you can go to. When I first went to New York, I expected all these crazy fashion people with blue hair, and instead it was these women who were very thin, wearing all black so they never look out of step. I found it way more boring than in LA, which is full of exiles from everywhere. There's an element of being able to choose whatever life you want, because there's enough freaks here. Yes, people are self-obsessed, but there's anonymity in that. I could be standing naked on the corner, and people would be like, "Oh my God! Anyway, back to me." Also, I can walk two blocks and it's like I'm in Mexico and nobody gives a **** about me. Two blocks in another direction, and I'm in Koreatown-same thing. I go do karaoke there.
What are your songs?
Lately I'm into "Bette Davis Eyes" and "Home Sweet Home" by Motley Crue. I've been trying to get out of the depressing thing, because everyone else sings party songs, and I'm up there doing Patsy Cline. I was the queen of kill yourself music.
Do you go in the private rooms, or the open, public thing?
I actually prefer the public singing, because I love people having to get up there and embarrass themselves terribly. I hate it when people are like, "Oh, I don't sing well." That's the point, douchebag, now get up and sing.
Would you live in LA if you didn't work here?
Yes, I actually love it here. I wish the people that say they hate it would just go away, because I need their parking space. I go hiking a lot, and I'm not a beach person, but it's there if you want it. The ocean just seems stressful, like it's going to suck me out and kill me.
I read this about you somewhere-what's with you and fish?
I ****in' hate fish.
What did fish ever do to you?
I don't know, but if one ever touched me, I'd just pass out and die. I remember whene I was really little, my dad sitting on me and trying to shove salmon in my mouth because I wouldn't eat it. It's that smell. People are like, "Oh this fish doesn't smell," and I'm like, "Are you serious? It smells like fish ass." Eew, the eyeballs, the scales, the bones that can get stuck in your throat...I remember being in a lake with my brother and a catfish touched me, and I fell forward face-first in horror.
Here's something I'm fascinated by-do you read the **** that people write about you on the Internet?
I stay off the Internet as much as humanly possible. Just like anybody, when one person picks out the one bad thing you do, it's going to stick in your head. I have enough bad things in my head-I don't need to pollute it with other people's. A while ago, this person who is not my friend anymore was like, "Oh you should go to this site. It's so funny." So I clicked, and it was a site dedicated to how fat I was. I was on a cross, and there were diagrams all over of how fat I was. This site was really labor-intensive-the person had taken my face, and kind of melted it. At first I laughed, but it was this gross evil energy, and it really disgusted me. That stuck with me for a long time. People offer up their opnions all the time. I went to Home Depot to buy a plant and a guy said, "Hey, you're much fatter in real life." It's infuriating to me. I don't walk up and go, "Hey, you're ****in' ugly. I just felt like saying that."
So was it strange when you first started dating Manson, to weather the storm of publicity surrounding the relationship?
Honestly, I feel so weird talking about this relationship years later. I think questions about my past relationships are tired.
Um...OK. So, are you seeing somebody now?
This is the first time I've been single since sixth grade. I guess I've always had the fortune to meet cool people that I liked. I'm not one of those people who's like, "I must find a man." Women who are like that are generally such a huge turnoff to me. I think that's basically because they put the **** on an altar. I also enjoy reading about people who I allegedly go out with. There's this "legend" person that I was seen having dinner with, along with a group of my older friends. So then we started being linked in the papers.
Al Pacino.
Which was ****ing funny. Then not long ago, there was something saying we'd broken up. It said that he was seen with a mystery date at some restaurant, and I was seen "dining alone."
Did he fictionally break up with you?
No, I think we fictionally mutually called it off. "Rose McGowan seen dining, alone, as she always will be." But there are those moments where I think, "Oh my gosh, what if I don't ever meet anybody I like again?" But I suppose everybody has that, right?
Of course. So how is it being single now?
One of the bad things is that my weekends are no longer planned, but I have a small, tight group of friends, so I see them a lot more. That's a positive. The negative? It's just me and my dogs in bed at night. My parents have been married a lot, and I'm not scared of marriage, but I am terrified of divorce. That's what keeps me away from it.
How many times have your parents been divorced?
Collectively? Seven or eight. But I didn't know anything different, that's just how it was. It's funny, I raised myself learning what not to do. So it's not like I know the secret to some great, long-lasting marriage, but I certainly think I have some good ideas on the matter.
How did you see your adult self when you were a kid?
Well, just like any kid, I think it changes. I had a boyfriend who was killed, and after that I really wanted to be a forensic pathologist. I did some time in beauty school, and I was going to do that and go to college at night. But I was really floating around. I'd been living on my own since I was 15 1/2, when I went to court to get emancipated. It's funny, because I was representing myself.
How were your court arguments?
They were very good! I remember the judge being extremely impressed. It's a really hazy, patchy time in my life. Let's just say it was a lot of drama and weird stuff, which is probably why I'm not overly drawn to that now. Sometimes I think that just being born into what I was born into was a marker for weirdness from the get-go. I've spent a lot of time unlearning a lot of things that were probably programmed into me.
So you're clearly somewhat of a type-A person...
You think?
Look at the way you were icing that cake! It was so precise.
Well, you have to take part of the icing and put it in a bowl, and you use that icing to ice the top and the sides. That icing's going to have your cake crumbs in it. After that first layer, take the reserved icing, and make a second layer, which won't have cake crumbs in it. Also, undercook the cake by 25 degrees and turn it a quarter-turn every few minutes toward the end.
This is my point exactly. How do you reconcile those impulses with working on a set where it's more structured and you might not have as much say?
It's hard, because I've been in situations working with geniuses, and then I've worked with people who are complete and total morons. Lots of sexist directors. This one producer always hello to the breasts first, and I'm like, "Dude, you've known me for so long. Aren't these breasts old by now?" If they're stupid and they give me direction, I'll just smile and nod and go back and do exactly what I did before. And they'll go, "Wow, what a great adjustment!" I've learned to pick the battles.
Are you happy with the way your life has turned out so far?
Well, things are still turning out, but I've always known I was earmarked for something strange. I don't know if this is it-it could be something later on, much further down the path. But I always knew it was going to be a big and strange life.
Credit: RMO Forum
Interview:
IN FULL BLOOM
By: Molly Simms
Portrayed in the press as a witchy wild child, Charmed star Rose McGowan cuts the bull about her bad girl image and shares with BUST a few of her favorite things, from cake to karaoke.
If you've seen the 1999 black comedy Jawbreaker, Rose McGowan's portrayal of an evil teen bully is likely burned onto your retinas. Playing the part of a murderous prom queen, her venomous smirks practically leapt off the screen, transforming an otherwise stock character into delightful high camp. Her wry delivery of dialogue and pin-up girl looks have gone a long way towards fostering the public perception of her as a cutthroat sex kitten, hell-bent on getting her kicks. To futher thicken the cloud of mystery around her, there are the three years she spent with ex-fiance Marilyn Manson and her childhood on an Italian commune in a religious cult. Rose was born in Italy, but left both the country and the Children of God cult at nine years old, when her family moved to America. At 15 years old, Rose emancipated herself from her parents and was living on her own on the streets (she's since reconciled with her parents), finally being "discovered" in LA at age 20 and making her film debut as a caustic drug addict in the hyper-violent Doom Generation.
So it's somewhat of a surprise to walk into her spotless, lovely, 1920s-era LA home adn be greeted with the sight of Shirley Temple memorabilia, her two cute-and-spazzy Boston Terriers, and Ms. McGowan herself decked out in a white T-shirt and pink capri pants. She's less Tura Santana and more Annette Funicello, hopped up on caffeine and with a serious neatnik streak. With over a decade as an actress under her belt, the 32-year-old Rose is well versed in the Hollywood system and clearly too smart to get lost in it. That's not to say she's above causing a bit of a ruckus- the world can't seem to forget that infamous backless dress she wore to the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, comprised of nothing more than a little string and mesh.
We talked in the kitchen while she iced a homemade red velvet cake and took a break to eat lunch at her favorite neighborhood taco joint- "the place by the car wash that has the
House of the Dead video game." She's a true girly girl without a hint of pretense, and has a warm zaniness you'd never imagine, give her resume. It's obvious that Rose lives to defy expectations. Rose fanatics relished her parts in Scream, Southie, and Going All The Way, and even sat through long ago clunkers like Bio-Dome and Encino Man to catch a glimpse of McGowan's trademark surly bombshell smile. Then, five years ago, amidst much industry hubbub, she replaced Shannen Doherty to play the role of a sardonic witch on the TV series Charmed, and she's since won the heart of the American public. Soon, she'll make an appearance in The Black Dahlia, in a role hand-picked for her by Brian DePalma. Her next move, though, will undoubtedly subvert her image once again. Nomad, homebody, sweetheart, and vamp-Rose McGowan is full of strange surprises.
How has your life changed since making the switch from being a well-known indie movie actress to being a TV star and appearing inside everyone's home?
Well, I'd really rather not think about some guy sitting on the couch scratching his balls while watching me. But I guess they can do that in a movie theater just as well. The hardest thing to adjust to with Charmed was learning steady work habits, of which I had none. I grew up living a total gypsy lifestyle. I went to 10 different schools in 11 years, in between home-schooling. The way we dealt with problems in our household was that if something went wrong, we just moved. In the time I've lived in LA, I've probably moved 15 times or more, easily. I took three years off from doing movies right before starting Charmed, to tour around with Manson, because I was just so burnt out. I'd been on my own since I was 15, literally working. Like schlepping boxes of vegetables, or writing press releases for Johnson & Johnson, because I lied and said I was a graduate of the USC communications school. I wasn't even 16 yet. I've had the most bizarre assortment of jobs, all of which I got fired from, incidentally. I was not a good employee. If someone's dumb, I just have the face that says, "You're ****ing stupid." And "casual Fridays"? Oh, kill me now.
So what's it like to work on a show where women play all the central roles?
Well, that's probably my faovrite thing about it, because I've had problems over the years and done movies where I literally didn't even realize until the first day that I liked the leading man's role. "This is a kick-ass script! Wait a minute, the guy does everything that's kick-ass. Goddammit!" On Charmed, they've actually tried to make my character make fun of herself about her body, and it's male writers, of course. I'm like, "Are you kidding me?"
How do you feel about witchcraft?
I have my broomstick and it's all fired up [laughs]. It's like anything. If you're a Jehovah's Witness, cool. Don't knock on my door, but that's cool. If you're a Scientologist, cool. Just don't bombard me with it. Growing up, I did a sting in Oregon, where I was a homeless runaway. And when you're a street kid, you meet all sorts of types, so I remember meeting people who were like, "I'm a white witch." I thought, "Well, congratulations."
How does it feel to be continually branded a "bad girl"?
My friends will call and say, "Oh, they're airing the 50 Baddest Girls in Hollywood again. What'd you do this weekend, Rose?" and I say, "Nothing," and they're like, "We know." I'm famous among my friends for being completely different from the preconceived notions of me. So I wore a crazy dress one time-does that mean I wasn't ordering Martha Stewart online and baking that day? Because that's what I was doing. Incidentally, I got a lot of great jadeite dishes off that site.
What do you do during the months that you have free? Do you go away?
In the past, I had a boyfriend who lived in New York, so I spent most of my summers there, but there's only so many museums you can go to. When I first went to New York, I expected all these crazy fashion people with blue hair, and instead it was these women who were very thin, wearing all black so they never look out of step. I found it way more boring than in LA, which is full of exiles from everywhere. There's an element of being able to choose whatever life you want, because there's enough freaks here. Yes, people are self-obsessed, but there's anonymity in that. I could be standing naked on the corner, and people would be like, "Oh my God! Anyway, back to me." Also, I can walk two blocks and it's like I'm in Mexico and nobody gives a **** about me. Two blocks in another direction, and I'm in Koreatown-same thing. I go do karaoke there.
What are your songs?
Lately I'm into "Bette Davis Eyes" and "Home Sweet Home" by Motley Crue. I've been trying to get out of the depressing thing, because everyone else sings party songs, and I'm up there doing Patsy Cline. I was the queen of kill yourself music.
Do you go in the private rooms, or the open, public thing?
I actually prefer the public singing, because I love people having to get up there and embarrass themselves terribly. I hate it when people are like, "Oh, I don't sing well." That's the point, douchebag, now get up and sing.
Would you live in LA if you didn't work here?
Yes, I actually love it here. I wish the people that say they hate it would just go away, because I need their parking space. I go hiking a lot, and I'm not a beach person, but it's there if you want it. The ocean just seems stressful, like it's going to suck me out and kill me.
I read this about you somewhere-what's with you and fish?
I ****in' hate fish.
What did fish ever do to you?
I don't know, but if one ever touched me, I'd just pass out and die. I remember whene I was really little, my dad sitting on me and trying to shove salmon in my mouth because I wouldn't eat it. It's that smell. People are like, "Oh this fish doesn't smell," and I'm like, "Are you serious? It smells like fish ass." Eew, the eyeballs, the scales, the bones that can get stuck in your throat...I remember being in a lake with my brother and a catfish touched me, and I fell forward face-first in horror.
Here's something I'm fascinated by-do you read the **** that people write about you on the Internet?
I stay off the Internet as much as humanly possible. Just like anybody, when one person picks out the one bad thing you do, it's going to stick in your head. I have enough bad things in my head-I don't need to pollute it with other people's. A while ago, this person who is not my friend anymore was like, "Oh you should go to this site. It's so funny." So I clicked, and it was a site dedicated to how fat I was. I was on a cross, and there were diagrams all over of how fat I was. This site was really labor-intensive-the person had taken my face, and kind of melted it. At first I laughed, but it was this gross evil energy, and it really disgusted me. That stuck with me for a long time. People offer up their opnions all the time. I went to Home Depot to buy a plant and a guy said, "Hey, you're much fatter in real life." It's infuriating to me. I don't walk up and go, "Hey, you're ****in' ugly. I just felt like saying that."
So was it strange when you first started dating Manson, to weather the storm of publicity surrounding the relationship?
Honestly, I feel so weird talking about this relationship years later. I think questions about my past relationships are tired.
Um...OK. So, are you seeing somebody now?
This is the first time I've been single since sixth grade. I guess I've always had the fortune to meet cool people that I liked. I'm not one of those people who's like, "I must find a man." Women who are like that are generally such a huge turnoff to me. I think that's basically because they put the **** on an altar. I also enjoy reading about people who I allegedly go out with. There's this "legend" person that I was seen having dinner with, along with a group of my older friends. So then we started being linked in the papers.
Al Pacino.
Which was ****ing funny. Then not long ago, there was something saying we'd broken up. It said that he was seen with a mystery date at some restaurant, and I was seen "dining alone."
Did he fictionally break up with you?
No, I think we fictionally mutually called it off. "Rose McGowan seen dining, alone, as she always will be." But there are those moments where I think, "Oh my gosh, what if I don't ever meet anybody I like again?" But I suppose everybody has that, right?
Of course. So how is it being single now?
One of the bad things is that my weekends are no longer planned, but I have a small, tight group of friends, so I see them a lot more. That's a positive. The negative? It's just me and my dogs in bed at night. My parents have been married a lot, and I'm not scared of marriage, but I am terrified of divorce. That's what keeps me away from it.
How many times have your parents been divorced?
Collectively? Seven or eight. But I didn't know anything different, that's just how it was. It's funny, I raised myself learning what not to do. So it's not like I know the secret to some great, long-lasting marriage, but I certainly think I have some good ideas on the matter.
How did you see your adult self when you were a kid?
Well, just like any kid, I think it changes. I had a boyfriend who was killed, and after that I really wanted to be a forensic pathologist. I did some time in beauty school, and I was going to do that and go to college at night. But I was really floating around. I'd been living on my own since I was 15 1/2, when I went to court to get emancipated. It's funny, because I was representing myself.
How were your court arguments?
They were very good! I remember the judge being extremely impressed. It's a really hazy, patchy time in my life. Let's just say it was a lot of drama and weird stuff, which is probably why I'm not overly drawn to that now. Sometimes I think that just being born into what I was born into was a marker for weirdness from the get-go. I've spent a lot of time unlearning a lot of things that were probably programmed into me.
So you're clearly somewhat of a type-A person...
You think?
Look at the way you were icing that cake! It was so precise.
Well, you have to take part of the icing and put it in a bowl, and you use that icing to ice the top and the sides. That icing's going to have your cake crumbs in it. After that first layer, take the reserved icing, and make a second layer, which won't have cake crumbs in it. Also, undercook the cake by 25 degrees and turn it a quarter-turn every few minutes toward the end.
This is my point exactly. How do you reconcile those impulses with working on a set where it's more structured and you might not have as much say?
It's hard, because I've been in situations working with geniuses, and then I've worked with people who are complete and total morons. Lots of sexist directors. This one producer always hello to the breasts first, and I'm like, "Dude, you've known me for so long. Aren't these breasts old by now?" If they're stupid and they give me direction, I'll just smile and nod and go back and do exactly what I did before. And they'll go, "Wow, what a great adjustment!" I've learned to pick the battles.
Are you happy with the way your life has turned out so far?
Well, things are still turning out, but I've always known I was earmarked for something strange. I don't know if this is it-it could be something later on, much further down the path. But I always knew it was going to be a big and strange life.
Credit: RMO Forum
