The Unsinkable Melanie Griffith

Q: Speaking of the press, I just read that last year you took Spanish classes, which made me wonder if you and Antonio have ever suffered from a language barrier problem.

A: You can't believe the misunderstandings we had in the beginning of our relationship! Once we were talking on the phone about God and religion and I said, "I don't think of God as some guy up there in the clouds with a big stick in his hand." There was this long pause before Antonio said, "A big dick in his hand?" I thought he must have been thinking, "Oh, man... American movie actresses." Another time, we were boarding a plane and the flight crew let us board first. We thought we were being very private and nobody was noticing us until other passengers boarded and said, "Hi Melanie," "Hi Antonio." Anyway, as this passenger with very gray hair happened to walk by, I whispered to Antonio, "God, I may as well just lean over and give you head," meaning, "We haven't been so secret, I guess." Antonio looked very confused, looked at the guy's gray hair and said, "Pigmentation?" I said, "What the fuck are you talking about?" Antonio, all innocent, said, "His hair. Pigmentation, right?" He'd never heard the expression "to give head."

Q: What was it like having Antonio tell you what to do on Crazy in Alabama?

A: It was fun. Antonio never faltered, even though the material's difficult. There was a time when, for personal reasons, I had decided I might not do the film. Danny DeVito had wanted to direct it and Sharon Stone had wanted to star in it. But Antonio had the confidence and he knew exactly how he wanted to make it. It turned out like a very American story, about justice, about the social conditions of our country in the '60s seen through a European's eyes. He was especially good at working with the actors, like David Morse and Lucas Black, the boy from Sling Blade. We all loved Rod Steiger, who said Antonio is the best director he's ever worked with.

Q: Is it true that you two will soon be working together on another project?

A: Yes. It's called Loving Lulu, and it's about a schizophrenic woman and the man in her life. It's a real acting challenge. The money's in place so it's a go.

Q: Any other projects you're working on?

A: Glenn Close is producing a movie that she's asked me to star in. It's about a couple who loses a child then later another child is left on their doorstep. I want Glenn to direct it, though.

Q: What do you eventually hope to get out of your career?

A: Joanne Woodward told me years ago that she had three dreams when she was very young: to marry a movie star, to have a beautiful baby and to win an Academy Award. She got all of those. And now, so do I, except for the Academy Award. But who knows.

Q: Do you have any other goals?

A: Yes, $50 million, minimum, in the bank. You see, I need to make $50 million in this day and age to make sure my children are set. I make good money and Antonio makes even more, but though I've made $50 million over my career, I don't have that in the bank now. Which made me think of how I can get it. When I was pregnant, I called Ralph Lauren and asked, "What can I do to look good?" He told me to wear leggings, some cool flats, and my husband's shirts and jackets. So that made me start thinking about designing my own pregnancy survival kit. I'm in discussions with people about it now. I can sell the clothes through, say, Kmart, so it's affordable to the average woman. If I can make $50 to $100 million, like these models do through selling their clothes at Kmart, I can not only secure my children's future but I can also help other people in the world.

Q: Sounds like you've got your future pretty well mapped out.

A: My career's hardly over yet. I want challenges. I want to work. If I can do one good movie or play a year, I'll be happy.

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Stephen Rebello wrote about Young Hollywood acting careers for the March 99 issue of Movieline.

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