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Part
2: In which we turn our sights on Mary Kay Place, who first burst
out as the country western singer Loretta on Mary Hartman, Mary
Hartman. Place had already made a mark as a writer for teevee's
M*A*S*H, cut three record albums as Loretta and, in addition to
a continuing acting career, has directed episodes of HBO's Dream
On, Arliss, and NBC's Friends.
Bean,
by the way, has a theater near his home in Venice, California and
trods the boards with wife, Ally Mills (of "The Wonder Years,"
now on Nick)
and,
yes, we'll finally get around to talking about Being John Malkovich
. . .
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CrankyCritic: As
long as we're getting nostalgic. Mary Kay, your turn. Do you still
get remembered for Mary Hartman Mary Hartman?
Mary Kay Place: Oh, yes.
CrankyCritic: Do you still sing?
Mary Kay Place: In my bathtub constantly.
CrankyCritic:
OK then, let's talk movies. Buried deep beneath all the fun stuff
in Being John Malkovitch is a story about the ability to
live forever. Would you want to?
Mary Kay Place: No. I don't know. Reincarnation sounds
interesting, but then you don't have a memory, apparently. If you
could take the life lessons that you've learned and apply them at
an earlier age, when you have that kind of energy ...
CrankyCritic: Would
you rather make the short term jump into someone else's body?
Mary Kay Place: Yeah! Who wouldn't want to do it? If
I were going into the body of a heroin addict, that would be an
unpleasant situation -- maybe not during the rush -- but as long
as you knew you could come back out, who wouldn't? What an adventure!
The idea of walking in another person's moccasins, so to speak,
just to see what it feels like to come from a totally different
place would be food for all of us. We might have more compassion
for each other. I think as human beings we need to look at each
other without judgment. You have no idea what it would be like to
come from that situation.
CrankyCritic: Malkovich
likened it to acting, "jumping" into another character.
Mary Kay Place: When you're playing characters and they
seem unsympathetic on the page, you can't play that. You have to
care for these people when you embody them. If you're judging them,
they're not fully human when you play them. Something is missing
and it doesn't ring true. Not to get too hideous here, but it is
part of our culture. This whole idea of celebrity and people feeling
alienated. It's us segmenting off into these little groups and not
respecting each other.
Orson Bean: Celebrity is very seductive and very tricky.
The stuff of the limo coming for you and the flashbulbs going off
and riding in first class. We went to this big party last night,
which was a freeloaders convention. Everybody is eating the food
and they're looking at you and pointing and, for us, we have to
remember that it's all bull. You just have to enjoy it. It doesn't
mean anything. It made me nervous last night. I wanted my own autograph
[laughs]
CrankyCritic:
Mary, you're directing now. Was that born from not getting interesting
acting offers or was it always intended?
Mary Kay Place: It's been the intention since I first
started writing. It's fascinating. I like the rhythm of it and,
obviously, I have a long ways to go but it's really fun. And I also
love acting so, directing is really challenging to me.
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