Interview de Sherilyn Fenn

OnlineHost: Hollywood Online’s Inside Hollywood is pleased to present actress Sherilyn Fenn. Sherilyn has recently completed shooting an episode of « Tales of the Crypt ». She has also completed a biblical movie for Showtime Feature Films entitled « Slave of Dreams », which is scheduled for release in April 1995.

OnlineHost: Sherilyn starred in MGM’s feature film « Fatal Instinct », « Three of Hearts », « Boxing Helena », « Ruby », « Of Mice and Men » and « Diary of a Hitman ». She is probably best known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal as the tantalizing Audrey Horne in David Lynch’s critically acclaimed ABC series « Twin Peaks ». She also appeared in Lynch’s feature film « Wild at Heart », which won Best Picture at the Cannes Film Festival.

OnlineHost: Prior to « Twin Peaks », Sherilyn starred in « Two Moon Junction ». She was born in Michigan, moving to Los Angeles at 17 years old. She had been exposed to a cross-section of the arts, thus she decided to begin studying with several acting coaches to pursue an acting career. Her last coach, Roy London, has had a very influential guidance in her film career. Welcome Sherilyn!

CSEmcee3: Welcome to Center Stage, Ms. Fenn!

Fenn Live: Thank you, I’m glad to be here. Let’s have some questions!

Question: Were you disappointed in the direction Twin Peaks took after the initial episodes, particularly the last season? Were you disappointed in not having a part in « Fire Walk With Me »?

Fenn Live: Yes, I was extremely disappointed in the way the second season got off track. As far as « Fire Walk With Me, » it was something that I chose not to be a part of – and I was working on « Of Mice And Men » then.

Question: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Fenn Live: Spend my time with my son Myles, who’s one year old.

Question: What is your favorite Elizabeth Taylor film? Arthel Neville, Host, Extra

Fenn Live: Aaaaaggghhrrrr. There are so many of her films that I really love for different reasons. But I’d have to say that my favorites are « A Place In The Sun, » « Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolfe, » and « Sandpiper. »

Question: Sherilyn, I loved your work on Twin Peaks. Do you have any plans to work with David Lynch in the future?

Fenn Live: Nothing is planned, but I would love to work with him again. He’s a talented, unique, funny man.

Question: Any insights into what Lynch and Frost may have had planned for a third season of « Twin Peaks »? Do you at least know if Audrey was slated to survive the bank vault explosion?

Fenn Live: Audrey was slated to survive everything – always. Audrey almost had her own spin-off series, but it wasn’t something that I wanted to do.

Question: Having worked with both David and Jennifer Lynch, how would you compare them as directors?

Fenn Live: The obvious thing would be the difference between working with a man and a woman, which is immense. Jennifer was more like a friend. We’re close in age and « Boxing Helena » was a psychological journey for the woman in many ways. She was like a shrink in a way. David is more abstract.

Question: If you could have starred in any Elizabeth Taylor movie, which one would it have been? Arthel Neville, Host, EXTRA

Fenn Live: A year in Rome shooting the notorious « Cleopatra » sounds the most dramatic and fun.

Question: Sherilyn, Did this controversy with Kim Basinger over her pulling out of Boxing Helena involve you in any way? Are you on friendly terms with her, or has this caused tension?

Fenn Live: No. The controversy with Kim Basinger had nothing to do with me. I have no connection with her whatsoever.

Question: What direction do you feel you want your career to proceed in? TV series, mini-series, made for cable movies, Broadway productions, or feature films. Would you do any foreign independents?

Fenn Live: In a perfect world, I could be doing some bigger films and balance that with some independent films because they seem to be the most challenging and unique.

Question: Sherilyn, are there plans for any further Twin Peaks projects?

Fenn Live: No there aren’t any at this point.

Question: What kind of music are you into?

Fenn Live: Hmm. I like all kinds of music. I like Kate Bush, Marvin Gaye, Mozart, Vivaldi – all kinds of music.

Question: Hi, Ms. Fenn. I’ve been a marvelous fan of yours for some time. I’d like to know if you’ve learned anything from doing some of your « not so hot » films.

Fenn Live: Definitely. I always picture it as building a foundation. and each piece that you lay makes a strong base for you to build upon.

Question: How does it feel to be selected to portray an extraordinary living legend like Elizabeth Taylor? Arthel Neville, Host, EXTRA

Fenn Live: It’s a great compliment, and it’s a bit of a frightening challenge. It’s one thing to play a character who is fictitious. It’s another thing to fill the shoes of, as you put it, a living legend.

Question: Have you spoken with Elizabeth Taylor about doing this project? How did that go?

Fenn Live: No. I haven’t spoken to her, but I would like to very much, and intend to try to contact her.

Question: Will we be hearing hubby Holliday on the radio anytime soon?

Fenn Live: I hope so. His band’s name is THC – and thank you for spelling his name correctly.

Question: When considering the role for Boxing Helena, did you think that your character was pro or anti feminist?

Fenn Live: To be honest I never looked at it from that perspective. I related to the concept of a woman being in a box. Obviously the symbolism of that, and she was the most specifically written character that I had played. She intimidated me when I read it, and I knew that it would be an incredible challenge, sort of an inward journey. And that excited me. That’s the way I would always like to work. To be looking at things about myself and revealing them.

Question: Hey, Sherilyn, it’s your old pal bean from KROQ radio in L.A. Thanks again for doing the Kevin & Bean show that morning. Was it as awful for you as you feared? We are all looking forward to your return to the public! Happy new year! Bean

Fenn Live: Oh, Bean, Bean, my lovely Bean. You have to invite me to come and visit you again one morning. It was a lot of fun.

Question: Fenn, I was also in the class of ’83 at West Bloomfield High. Any fond memories?

Fenn Live: None whatsoever. LOL Just kidding. I was only there for under a year. Life is much sweeter now.

Question: Is there any truth to the rumor that the Twin Peaks film was quite a bit longer in length and had performances from many more TV cast members, including you?

Fenn Live: All of David Lynch’s films are always, when it’s the director’s cut, always run very very long. I remember when he was doing « Wild At Heart » and it was six hours long, and he didn’t want to cut anything else out. That’s just David loving the projects that he’s involved in. I wasn’t in the « Twin Peaks » film very much, but everything that they shot of mine was in there. Audrey started very small and blossomed. She was never a principal role.

Question: What leading man would you just love to work with?

Fenn Live: Harrison Ford. I love him. He’s a man’s man.

Question: When is HBO going to air your « Tales » episode? Thanks, Waspp

Fenn Live: I don’t know. Sorry. But Bob Zemeckis directed it, and it will be cut with Humphrey Bogart footage, which was pretty neat. My only chance to ever work with Bogart.

Question: Do you expect to make any changes in your appearance, e.g. your eye color, when you play Ms. Taylor? Arthel Neville, Host, EXTRA

Fenn Live: I think we’ll go through a series of makeup and hair and eye-color tests and see what happens. I’m not sure about anything at this point.

Question: What more can you tell us about the Elizabeth Taylor project?

Fenn Live: It will span her life, from the time that she was about eight or nine and already an active of the studio system, and will go all the way through the present time, but the biggest chunk of it is between 17 and 40. We begin filming at the end of January and it will be aired in May on NBC.

Question: What was your favorite role in any movie and why?

Fenn Live: The one that comes to mind is Jessica Lange in « Frances » because it was dramatic and passionate and one of the strongest performances I’ve seen a woman do.

Fenn Live: Joey Berlin asks me what my favorite role of my own has been. Hmmm. I’d say Candy Cane in « Ruby. » Because she was light-hearted and glamorous and she changed a lot in the piece.

Question: Sherilyn, what was your experience on « Of Mice and Men » like? Did you enjoy it?

Fenn Live: I loved working on « Of Mice and Men. » It was a wonderful group of people. John Malkovich is to me one of the best actors around right now – and a lot of fun to work with. But I didn’t like it because my poor character didn’t even have a name. She was just Curly’s wife – and Curly was a #$%^&.

Question: How did you take Playboy’s statements that you didn’t live up to the issue contract by not promoting the issue. Would you pose again or do another nude scene if the role called for it?

Fenn Live: I didn’t know that they had said anything like that, to be honest. My job as an actor is to show life, and fortunately relationships between men and women are a beautiful, positive part of life. So if the role is written well and I feel it’s necessary, I would do it again. Yes. But don’t tell my husband.

Question: I did the layout for the video box for a film you did that was a beauty and the beast type story. I worked on it back in Feb. 91 when I lived in LA. What was the name of that film? I forgot.

Fenn Live: I forgot, too.
Question: Sherilyn, what kind of film roles are you looking for? Would you do a small « art film » for scale, if the script and director appealed to you?

Fenn Live: Yes, but it would depend on the material. Usually if the material is really good, it doesn’t have to be such a small independent film.

Question: Do you have an Email address that you actually use and will hand out? Or do you let your agent do all your mail responses?

Fenn Live: Yes I do. It’s Babydol342, and I respond as much as possible.

Question: Sherilyn, I love your work. But enough about your work. What were the last three CD’s you bought?

Fenn Live: « Kermit Unpigged, » « Cirque du Soleil, » and Sade – « Love Deluxe. »

Question: How did you enter into acting?

Fenn Live: I really just fell into it. I was 17, moved to LA with my mother. Wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Actually my mother had met an agent, who then met me and encouraged me to go out on some auditions.

CSEmcee3: Referring to a previous question:

Comment: It’s « Meridian, » alternately « Kiss of the Beast. »

Fenn Live: Thank you so much for that.

Question: Do you think you look like Liz Taylor? (Who you will be portraying soon.)

Fenn Live: I wish in my dreams I looked like Elizabeth Taylor, and with the technicians doing what they do best, I’m sure we can at least get a resemblance, however slight it may be. It would be sort of arrogant to assume that I look like someone who has been pegged as one of the most beautiful women in the world – Good God!

Question: What was the single most pivotal moment of your acting career – i.e., turning point?

Fenn Live: Twin Peaks, definitely.

Question: Sherilyn, you are one of the most beautiful women in show biz, and my favorite of your roles was « Of Mice and Men. » What span of time will the Liz Taylor bio cover, and will the weight issue be covered?

Fenn Live: It will cover all of her life.

Question: Besides Liz Taylor – is there any other celebrity you’d particularly like to play in a movie bio someday?

Fenn Live: I’ve always been drawn to Marilyn Monroe, but certain aspects of her story may be too sad to tell.

Question: Do you have any musical talent?

Fenn Live: I can sing, but my voice is untrained. I sang in Ruby after two weeks of rehearsals. I’d like to do a musical actually someday.

Question: Hi Sherilyn! Were you ever married before your current husband?

Fenn Live: Absolutely not.

Question: What is the best advice you can give a young actor?

Fenn Live: That it’s about always making it personal. All people can sense if somebody’s being honest or not. Have the courage to go inside and illuminate and reveal things about yourself.

Question: How often do you work out to keep in shape?

Fenn Live: I run and walk three or four times a week. I don’t like working out. I’m not into the three-hour Demi Moore/Madonna workout. You can probably tell – LOL.

OnlineHost: All good things must come to an end. Time is up for our event.

CSEmcee3: Thanks for joining us tonight, Ms. Fenn!

Fenn Live: Thanks to everybody for joining us. It’s been a lot of fun – a little strange because I don’t know a lot about computers. And thanks to America Online and my excellent typist.

CSEmcee3: Good night everyone!

OnlineHost: Our thanks to Sherilyn Fenn for joining us tonight, and to Hollywood Online’s Inside Hollywood for making this conference possible.