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Rose McGowen
Interview - Movie: Jawbreaker

Jawbreaker: an interview with Rose McGowan by Prairie Miller
Rose McGowan packs a punch in Jawbreaker as a tough prom queen with a terrible secret involving the tell tale title candy and one flashy high school gang of girlfriends. The young star had some other offscreen secrets to share with me as well, including her overnight engagement to longtime honey and Jawbreaker co-star Marilyn Manson.
ROSE MCGOWAN: I've had no sleep, so I'm going to be really quick. And really witty!
PRAIRIE MILLER: Why are you so tired?
RM: I was up watching Meet Joe Black at four AM. I was hoping Brad Pitt would die, and he was still alive at 7:40 in the morning! I actually felt sorry for once, for critics. I was like, those poor bastards, having to sit through this . I like Brad Pitt, but...
PM: How do you think your movie will do?
RM: I'm kind of keeping my fingers crossed. Jawbreaker is tough, and I would guess it's not a movie that would play well in a screening room. It's really dependent on an audience, it's funny because of that interactive kind of energy that you need from an audience. Like people in a little room watching it just seems so weird to me, but you can't control everything. But it is a really funny, kickass movie.
PM: What turned you on about playing Courtney in Jawbreaker?
RM: That she's very sassy and amoral. People confuse amorality. Her being a sociopath really, is someone who's like out there and crazy. I think Courtney's kind of like that, and it's like delicious to be able to play somebody that evil, without any repercussions.
PM: Are you anything like Courtney?
RM: I wish! That could be more fun...No, I have this terrible over empathy thing. Like I can't even drive over to Taco Bell without thinking, oh my God, that woman working here has probably eight kids at home in one little bedroom. And I'm just there for my burrito! I'm a white capitalist pig! Like I can't even do like the most benign interaction without having some huge guilt. Like putting money in other people's parking meters, which I get made fun of for a lot. I mean literally ridiculous stuff. My life is constant guilt, like I should have tipped the waiter more, you know? And Courtney definitely doesn't worry about such little things. She would laugh at someone like me. But to be, what was she, beautiful, popular, loved, feared. You know, maybe I've been all those things at different times in my life, but never at school. And never was I the ruling queen, by any stretch of the imagination.
PM: Is Hollywood the best place to be for someone that concerned about other people?
RM: No! That's why people laugh at me for doing the things I do. But I don't care. I don't necessarily think you can say it's just Hollywood. I've lived in a lot of places, and I've found people are just people. You know, if there's a car crash, people just keep going. Yes it's gonna to suck to take time out of your day and deal with it, but that's what it takes to be a decent human being. So I think I kind of have that a little bit in overdrive.
PM: Was it hard to turn Courtney off at the end of the day?
RM: As soon as I took those spiked heels off after a sixteen hour day, I was definitely through with her.
PM: Was your girl gang all friendly on the set?
RM: Yeah. It was fun. I don't know if I've ever really worked with other girls before, I've mostly just had male co-stars. Well, there was Neve in Scream, that was fun. But this was definitely, you know, very estrogen based filmmaking! So that part was really fun, it was cool. And I was a bit nervous at first, because, I don't know, it felt like school. Like I was, what if they don't like me? But it turned out totally fine. And we're all very different just as people, besides being really different in the movie. Like Rebecca Gayheart and I are very good friends in real life, but that's what makes it fun. Because otherwise I would probably never spend any time with these people...That sounded really weird, didn't it? Oh well, whatever! I know what I mean
PM: How old are you, because you guys seem a bit older than the high schoolers you play in the movie.
RM: I'm twenty three. The other girls in the film are a bit older than me, but we're all in our twenties. But we all look fairly young. And hey, compared to Beverly Hills 90210, we're babies!

.PM: If you weren't acting, what do you think you'd be doing right now?
RM: God, well I hope it would be something good! No, I've talked about this in interviews before. I would have probably loved going to work in museums. You know, like as a curator. That's kind of my dream job. And something probably that requires a lot of attention to detail, that is kind of obsessive and would keep me away from the world.
PM: What was it like working for Gregg Araki on Doom Generation?
RM: It was just a weird energy, and I was like, if that's what it takes to be an actor, I'm never doing this. I'm going home! So, who knows. But other than that, he's a good director and he's a strong director. But as a female, I don't think he has compassion. Like he would say, I don't understand what's the difference between you taking your shirt off and a guy taking his shirt off. There's a fairly inherent difference I think! One's legal and one's not, let's just think about that. So in that sense it was hard, but it was hard just because it was my first movie. But in retrospect, it taught me a lot of great things that I learned really quickly on that set.
PM: You fell into acting pretty fast. Does that make you feel insecure as an actress?
RM: No, no. I'm pretty self-confident and instinctual. What was the question? I digress! No, I'm not really insecure at all. I think if you get butterflies in your stomach, it's a good thing. Like Jawbreaker was not particularly challenging for me, but it was really fun. I'm sure it's every little girl's dream to become a vamp for a day, and I got to do it for a whole movie! Like really vampian, really evil and very saucy. I kind of likened her to Dorothy Parker in high heels sort of things. Minus the depression!
PM: Was it a trip for you and Marilyn Manson to get erotic together in Jawbreakers?
RM: Yeah! I was actually more shy about it than he was. I was worried that he would be nervous, and I was the one who was nervous! He's used to doing videos and things like that, so it was fine. And I think he probably did feel in character with his little moustache and eyebrows!
PM: Speaking of you and Marilyn, I couldn't help noticing that big rock on your finger. What's that all about
RM: Oh, yeah! Whoops. [A little embarrassed and caught off guard] As of Friday night.
PM: Well, is this serious, as in marriage, or what?
RM: My answer is yes, but it doesn't have to be for a long time. Right? I haven't gotten that far in the whole mental thing. I don't know, it's pretty freaky. I'm kind of like the guy who won't commit!
PM: Do you call him Marilyn or Brian?
RM: Neither. I call him Manson!
PM: Do you feel going out with a rock star has affected your image as an actress
RM: I was actually worried that his stuff would kind of attach a weird thing, and that people would only want to cast me in certain things. But I haven't found that to be true at all.
PM: So have you decided yet if acting is something you want to do for the rest of your life? How passionate are you about it?
RM: I'm actually becoming really passionate about it, just mainly because I think I'm a really good actor. I know what I'm capable of, and I feel that I haven't really been able to show that yet. So I'm kind of really passionate about being able to afford myself that luxury.
PM: What kind of role would fulfill that for you?
RM: Something like Thelma and Louise, something that really takes a lot of guts to go into and to come out of.
PM: What are you working on right now?
RM: I'm becoming attached to a script right now that's more like a crazy art film, the kind that will either become a huge cult hit or it'll be a respected failure because it's so bizarre.
PM: How so?

RM: It's otherworldly, and everything in it is nothing like reality as we know it. So it'll either sink or fly, but it's pretty cool, it's pretty wild. So I'm interested in still pushing boundaries and testing limits just as far as I can, visually and acting wise.
PM: Here's a trick question. If someone were playing Rose McGowan in a movie, what would you expect to see up there on the screen?
RM: Hmm...I would probably have to say a good dose of neurosis. Probably somebody who seemed really kind of tough on the outside and was maybe actually much more fragile on the inside. Gee, is that too revealing? Once I was asked what tree I would be if I wasn't a person. I said a weeping willow, just because it's my favorite tree. I guess they took that as revealing too. So...
PM: I heard you on Howard Stern. You sounded pretty cool.
RM: Oh, I'm so sad about that, because I'm such a huge Howard Stern fan. And I'm so depressed that I'm so tired right now. Like I'm just asleep at the wheel! I'm normally really quick, and this is just like the worst way to go on Howard Stern.
PM: What was he like?
RM: I actually found him attractive, I mean in his Howard Stern way. But he was actually really attractive, like just as a man. I know that was surprising, but he really was! He's a good looking fella. He's like really masculine looking, I know that sounds weird.
PM: Well, you don't have to apologize. We all get those feelings from time to time! So what's your favorite candy, could it be jawbreakers?
RM: I'd have to say...Laffy Taffies. I'm all about things that are like fluorescent, anything that's brightly colored I love. I've eaten them like forever, and I know that if I ever get in an accident, they'll cut open my stomach and find a strange wad of multi-colored taffy! And like, what the hell is wrong with this girl!
PM: You were talking on Howard Stern about a very strange childhood living on a commune. What was that like?
RM: It was very idyllic.
PM: What about eating snails?
RM: Oh that part was gross, yeah! And women there didn't shave their legs, yuck. A lot of it is freaky in retrospect, do you know what I mean? It was just living on idyllic farmlands in Italy. You know, climbing fig trees every day and getting stuck up in there. And my brother throwing all my dolls down the well, typical stuff. I had a lamb that was my pet. A lot of it actually was quite beautiful.
PM: Let's talk about those eighteen or so internet shrines to you from extremely dedicated teenage boys.
RM: How do you know they're teenage boys? No, I found a couple of those things, and I think they're funny. I usually think it's funny because it's always like on some day when I'm at home with the flu, my hair's sticking up, and I'm wearing these old frumpy pajamas. But my favorite one, just purely for the ego pickup, is the Rose McGowan total worship page. I don't know why that makes me laugh every time! But I think it's really cute and really sweet. Anyone who has the time, dedication or willingness to actually do anything is like amazing, because I'm so lazy! I don't know, I'm not obsessive in that way.
PM: What movie are we going to see you in next?
RM: It's called Baby Blue, and it's about these characters who are addicted to speed. Not the drug, but actual speed. The movie is set in a weird kind of futuristic drag racing, with crazy futuristic outfits that are like made out of chrome. It's pretty crazy. Clive Barker is producing it, but it's not a horror movie.
PM: What's life all about for you right now?
RM: I have a total type A personality, so it's better to kind of not do everything. I can't tell you, it's too much of a hassle being me. But unless something is really awesome, I'm not bothering.
PM: Are you going to go on tour with Manson?
RM: Yeah, I already have for awhile. We don't go more than seven days apart without seeing each other.

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