Anjelica Huston on 50/50, Discovering Her Grandfather's Films, and Oprah's Oscar Grudge

Sandy Dennis won an Oscar right when her movie career began, and she claimed that she couldn't be "new" anymore afterward. What was the effect of winning the big award at such an early phase in your career?

I was absolutely rocked. You have to understand that I fought to be an actress; I fought myself more than anyone. I really wanted to be an actress, and I never thought I was good-looking enough. I never knew if I had the chops or not. It was really trial-and-error with me. The first movie I made with my dad was very difficult for both of us. The second one brought me an Academy Award. The third one was the last one he ever made in his life, and that's an experience and a movie that I'll treasure forever, The Dead. I've been all over the map with it, really. I'm just thrilled and excited that people consider me for roles, and in this, my sixtieth year, I've been able to do good work and be inspired by what I do. That's a huge thing. I don't feel like I've ever really been confirmed. I feel like I'm still up there and working hard every time to have it turn out right, to have the elements come together in the magical way they can. That's my aim, to enhance the films I'm in.

When you won your Oscar, you beat Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple. You're the one person on Earth who can claim to have beaten Oprah at anything.

[Laughs] I know! She's never asked me on that show either! Isn't that interesting? [Laughs.] Well, it just goes to show, we all have a tiny capacity for a miniature failure -- even if you're Oprah!

Lastly, we do a feature at Movieline called "My Favorite Scene." What's your favorite movie scene of all time?

"As God as my witness -- I'll...!" It's gotta be Gone with the Wind. It's just a movie I keep on going back to. It's a monster, that film! It gets me on every level, and gets me every time. It's just a phenomenal performance by Vivien Leigh. I always fall in love with one of the boys in the movie. I can never really make up my mind about who I love best -- [Leslie Howard] or Clark Gable. So, it's always rich for me, that movie.

If I may draw a parallel, I think you and Vivien Leigh share an on-screen dichotomy: total command on one hand, childlike vulnerability on the other.

I hadn't really thought about that until you brought it up, but that's probably what makes me attracted to her. I love feeling many ways about characters. That, to me, is the sign of a really good performance. You're just on board, and you go, "Ohhhh, no. Don't do that. Don't go there. Don't go there." You're still there though she's badly misbehaving. I feel an empathy with her, and particularly in that part. I love Scarlett O'Hara. I think she's a fabulous woman, and I love southern women. Southern women are the best.

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