Kim Basinger: Kim Confidential
Q: Britain's Time Out declared animal rights the number one hip cause on the planet, eclipsing AIDS and homelessness. What do you think of that?
A: [Sarcastic] Hip hip hooray. I don't think you can call any movement more "hip" than AIDS. But anything you get involved in, there's just one rule I have and it's about focus. There are so many animal rights issues I could deplete myself in one week. I've really had to choose. In the last year I've been working on a "Free the Elephants" campaign, not through PETA. It's the Performing Animal Welfare Society in California. Hopefully we can get these animals out of the traveling shows and circuses. It's all about re-educating the public to redefine the word "entertainment."
Q: If rats are in your house, will you set traps?
A: All creatures need to be treated with as much respect as human beings. We're all living things. But I have a baby and New York apartments are sometimes full of rats and cockroaches. I haven't had the experience, [laughing] but if one jumped on me, let me tell you that sucker would be dead in about one second! I'm not going to live in a horror movie.
Q: Will Central Park horse-drawn carriages ever be banned?
A: It's a big fight. When I was 17 working as a model, I saw one fall dead in the street and I never forgot it. Ever since, when I return to New York I can't pass by without looking at those poor horses and going, "Someday. Someday." In the name of tradition a lot of things happen with animals that are truly barbaric.
Q: Some doctors say that animal research helped lead to the discovery of the AIDS virus.
A: I don't believe in any animal testing. There are other ways. You don't have to be an animal rights activist, you just have to care about one word: injustice. What right does man have to use the "lesser creatures"? Animals are great teachers. They taught me to be the mother I'm becoming, because I've brought up so many animals in my life.
Q: How is your cow, Henry?
A: He's up at the Farm Sanctuary in Orland, California. I've not been up to see him, but he sends me cards and pictures.
Q: Back to you. Are you satisfied with your career?
A: I'm very happy with where I am in my life now. I've traded in being Miss Ambition--and I truly admit I was very ambitious a long time ago for many right and some wrong reasons. I love being an actress. I have many things I love to do. I have a lot of irons in the fire, but [now] they're not all burning at once.
Q: An old beau of yours, Jon Peters, thought you'd make a good producer.
A: How nice. I never heard that, but thank you, Jon. I plan in the near future to produce a few things that I've had on hold for a long time. I love working with women and I think women make great producers. On the other hand my best male friend, [record producer] Don Was, is directing the film adaptation of the book called Knockout and he asked me to produce that with him. We're both fans of [the author] Harry Crews.
Q: Who do you like to listen to?
A: I listen to the strangest music. I adore soundtracks. I loved the soundtracks to Grace of My Heart and Michael Collins. I love Irish women's music. I love Enya. Then I can jump over and get into Dead Kennedys.
Q: How far do you run on the treadmill?
A: I run five miles in about an hour. I do my tapes, weight training. I see the difference.
Q: What do you keep your weight at?
A: Between 122 and 125. I can get extremely thin when I'm doing a movie. Before my period I'll gain weight and hate myself like every woman in town does--"Oh God, I'm fat in these pants." [Laughs]
Q: What books are on your nighttable?
A: I had the complete works of Shakespeare on my bed last night just to give myself a reprieve from magazine articles. And the The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Spanish on Your Own book, because everyone in my house speaks Spanish but me.
Q: What's the most difficult question you could be asked?
A: How much would you say you loved your baby?
Q: How much would you say you loved your husband?
A: Totally the same. In a different way. In the same measure I love my nine dogs that I have left and my seven cats.
Q: Remember last time we talked about how if a spaceship was hovering and you had to choose between going for a ride into the unknown or staying with Alec, and you chose outer space? Same question, only now you'd have to leave Alec and your baby: would you go?
A: Do I get to come back?
Q: You don't know.
A: That's a very good question. It's like Sophie's Choice. If some voice was telling me to take my family and go, I'd go. If it was overpowering that I had to go by myself, then that's what I would have to do.
Q: You've always loved to kiss. If, once you were aboard the spaceship, an alien came to kiss you, would you?
A: For what reason? Now you're just making up shit. Would I kiss the alien? What does he look like?
Q: Strange.
A: Would there be any negotiation here? Do I have a choice? [Laughs] No, I absolutely would not kiss this thing. You're a weird one.
Q: Thanks, Kim.
A: Are you searching for an ending?
Q: With you, it's never over.
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Lawrence Grobel interviewed Cameron Diaz for the March '97 issue of Movieline
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