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| ASK THE DUST |
| Interview w/Salma Hayek |
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Salma Hayek is definitely
comfortable in her skin and her
sexuality. This sultry Latin actress
talks about her role in the Robert
Towne-directed adaptation of John
Fante's Depression Era novel ‘Ask the
Dust’: Hayek will play the fiery Mexican
beauty Camilla who hopes to rise above
her station by marrying a wealthy
American. That is complicated by meeting
Arturo Bandini (Colin Farrell), a
first-generation Italian hoping to land
a writing career and a blue-eyed blonde
on his arm.
Hayek isn’t just an actress but a
fighter of women’s rights. She is a
heavy activist against domestic violence
of women right here in this country. And
is eager to express those feelings and
views in this interview.
We heard from
Robert Towne that when he first thought
you were the perfect person to do this
nine years ago you said there is no way
I can play a Mexican waitress I would
never get to do anything else being
typecast.
Salma: It's not just that. I
didn't understand the character. I
though they were mean. I thought if they
love each why don't they just get
together. I was young. I didn't want to
do the movie because I didn't understand
the character. Eight years later I read
the script and it hadn't changed much.
What was so interesting was I changed so
much. I loved it. I said "Oh my god,
what a jewel you have here." It's very
hard to write love stories that are so
intimate. They don't make them anymore.
They make romantic comedies, but not so
many stories that are about the
complexity about human emotions. I think
it takes a really good writer to explore
that and it takes a lot of courage
because everybody is going If you do it
right everybody is going to see it in a
completely different way. And it cannot
please everyone, but that is the nature
of a real relationship and you cannot
explain it. It cannot be simplistic.
It's rare to come across projects like
this. It would take a writer like John
Fante to write the book and a writer
like Robert Towne to write the script. I
feel fortunate that I came across this
character.
Why do they treat each other the way
they do. Why don't they just get
together?
Salma: In the best case scenario
everybody will have a different opinion
on this. What's interesting is it will
make you think, which is one of those
reasons why it's nice to do films. I
think we want to narrow into a
simplistic way that everyone can
understand. Its one of those cases that
you fall in love with everything that
you never wanted to fall in love with.
It goes from. You have to think of the
time period, it's the depression in Los
Angeles; it's the peak of racism.
Someone who is so broken that the most
she can hope for is for her children,
that she doesn't have to have a better
future, and that would to marry an
American guy. He is an Italian, now it's
not as bad a Mexican, but it was pretty
bad time to be an Italian. He falls in
love with a woman who can't even read
when it's his dream to be a writer. So
it's the typical thing of that's not
what I was hoping for. Than it's the
normal thing of being terrified to fall
in love because it's very painful to
fall in love and for it not to work.
When you see there is a relationship
that has everything going against it.
She's afraid.
Was their courage
for you to do this, with the sensuality
and the nudity?
Salma: Yes it took a lot of
courage to do this part because the
nudity has a lot to do with the intimacy
of the characters. I think the scene on
the beach, which is an iconic scene from
the book, represents its symbolic for
how this woman is a free spirit, full of
life, full of passion, with a twisted
sense of humor.
Was that easy to
do the nude scene, were you asking for a
shot whiskey?
Salma: No you could not get a
shot of whiskey because it was very
dangerous, it was very very cold. I
actually had to take something special
to keep my body warm. So did Colin.
There were risks of hypothermia. And
actually that's when we stopped. They
would take our temperature every time.
It was very complicated to shoot. Not to
mention the e waves. You have to be very
precise and at the same time look very
free and joyful while you are purple.
Yes it was a very complicated scene.
Being naked it's never easy. I've been
diving since I was 12 and once we hit
the water there was something calming
for me about the water, I sort felt at
home. And Colin was magnificent. He was
very supportive. He never looked at my
body and I know this is shocking and I
almost started to worry. But he never
took his eyes off of mine and he was a
total gentleman. And fun and made it
light. I never thought I'd say this but
I think that I couldn't have felt safer
with anyone else. For some reason that
was just the way he behaved in this
movie. He was very good to me.
Can you elaborate
on your rapport with Colin?
Salma: It didn't start out like
that to be honest with you. He had a
long rehearsal. It was part of his
process to see the interaction. I think
I had my reservations about Colin as a
man, as an actor, I confess. Number one,
have you ever heard of another actor
that dedicates a month or month and a
half for a movie for free? That alone…
On time every day with the best
disposition, willing to learn to
participate, passionate about the work.
Everybody talks about how passionate
Colin Farrell is, but nobody mentions
how passionate he actually is about the
art, learning, being there. Some people
are sort of there, but not there, not
completely. Something really beautiful
happened. He really won my respect. Our
relationship worked so well because he
was always respectful of me from the
beginning. We trusted each other so we
were free to try crazy stuff, make fun
of each other, surprise each other. I
never knew what he was gonna do and he
never knew how I was gong to respond. So
we were on our toes. I think that is
what kept it fresh and created the good
chemistry.
How often do you
get stereotypical scripts?
Salma: Everyone has a different
idea of what stereotype is. I think
stereotype is when you take a group of
people and you give them five
characteristics and that's all you know.
This part is unusual because number one
it's based on a real woman. It was funny
because I met John Fante's wife before
she died, which was not Camilla it was
the woman she hated the most in her
life. When she saw Colin she melted and
when she saw me she came to get me. She
wanted to slap me. She started insulting
me. I hate you. So it's based on a real
woman. So I think it has some
stereotypical characteristics and 50
more. She's fragile, afraid, strong and
legitimate fears that we could all
share.
How often to get
scripts that you are supposed to play
the hot Latina?
Salma: That's not how I see this
part. I haven't gotten any lately.
You mentioned you
were too young to understand it. Do you
feel very strange that you're turning
40?
Salma: I don't know what that
means. I don't have this relationship
with numbers that you guys have. I find
its more like when people go to jail,
and your number, whatever, whatever, I
think people have that relationship with
age. To me it's another year. I couldn't
care less. I don't feel the difference
if its number 22, or number 52. To me
every year it's a gift of life filled
with opportunities, and secrets and
things to discover and mystery. I don't
differentiate one from the other. I
never stop to think about the number. I
sort of just take in the day to the best
of my ability.
Could you talk
about your work with abused women?
Salma: The work I do with
domestic violence is separate from my
career. I like it that way. I don't try
to make movies about that because I
think it takes away from the seriousness
of the problem and it becomes a fantasy
story. It makes light of it a little
bit. I think it's a serious issue.
Everyone is so concerned about the
security in America. No one stops to say
that women and children are not safe in
their own home. One out every three
women in America is a victim of domestic
violence. We're so worried about
terrorists. The Children, the future of
the country, are not safe in their own
home. More should be done about it. …
What have you
learned from Robert Towne?
Salma: One of the things it made
me think about is of all those women who
have been an inspiration to a man, who
were forming a mans life, who changed
him, who made him create a work of art.
I think of all those women who never got
the credit for it. That in many times
they never even knew it. Sometimes they
die. Camilla dies thinking she never …
It made me think of all the geniuses in
art and science had to have a Camilla in
order to be inspired to have a
contribution to society. Who are these
Camillas? It makes me think of the name
of the book, "Ask the Dust". |
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Copyright © 2006 Gesica Magazine |
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