Tuesday, January 22, 2008

If You Are Bored Today


This one will take some effort on your part, but it is well worth it. I just got done reading excerpts from Kathleen Turner's new book, and it is really good stuff. I was only going to read it for a minute and then ended up reading the entire three segments that the Daily Mail had. Here is the link to the third and final excerpt and then you can click on the first and second parts.

Here are some sections from today.

William Hurt-

Working with Bill Hurt was - shall we say - enlightening. In those days, he was pretty wild. He drank a great deal and took a lot of recreational drugs - he loved those magic mushrooms. He loved women, too; I don't know how many he went through during filming.

Michael Douglas-

It was certainly a relief to leave that character behind in my next big film, Romancing The Stone, for which I needed to be a shy and mousey novelist. My leading man was Michael Douglas, who was also producing the movie, and the plot called for lots of action and stunts.

Only later did I discover that Michael had originally intended to cast Debra Winger in my part, but they hadn't got along as well as he'd hoped. They'd met to discuss it at a Mexican restaurant, and she bit him - or so he said.

I hadn't known Michael (who was then estranged from his first wife, Diandra) before we started filming, but we bonded from the start and I soon found myself falling in love with him.

Being with him certainly helped me to portray my character's growing sexual awareness, though the romance ended when his wife decided she wanted him back.

Crimes of Passion

Crimes Of Passion, in which I played a whore, was directed by Ken Russell, who's a mad, self-sabotaging genius, and my co-star was the actor Anthony Perkins, of Psycho fame.

Ken was drinking a great deal at the time, and as the days went on, things got increasingly out of hand. Anthony, who had an appalling drug habit, was taking illegal substances in front of all of the crew. You could see his heart beating a mile a minute.

Everywhere he went, he carried a little bottle that I was told was benzyl nitrate. We'd rehearse a scene, then before the call to 'Roll camera', he'd take out his bottle and sniff it with each nostril.

His face would go red and he'd break into a sweat - and suddenly I'd have no idea whether he was in control of himself or not. It was scary. I was quite worried about getting hurt.

Nicolas Cage -

So, everything Francis wanted him to do, he went against - to show that he wasn't under his uncle's wing. Which was ridiculous. Oh, that stupid voice of his and the fake teeth! Honestly, I cringe to think about it.

He caused so many problems. He was arrested twice for drunk-driving and, I think, once for stealing a dog. He'd come across a chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket.

Burt Reynolds

My unhappiest experience as an actress? Well, that would have to be a film called Switching Channels, which came out in 1987.

It had all started well enough. I'd had two rehearsals in New York with the wonderful Michael Caine, who'd signed to play my husband. But Michael had to leave to finish the latest Jaws film - Jaws IV, V, VI, whatever - and the shark machinery kept breaking down.

He didn't have a stop date for when he'd be free and I had my own stop date, for a very important reason: I was pregnant. When it was plain that Michael couldn't join us before I grew too big, the producer hired Burt Reynolds.

For whatever reason, the first thing Burt said to me was: "I've never taken second billing to a woman."

46 comments:

Jolara said...

Oh, cool! I've always liked Kathleen Turner and especially thought her and Michael had great chemistry in their films. Can't wait to get the book.

~crazy peanut~ said...

Me too, I have always liked her.

Fave part = Chandler Bings father....lmfao. OMG hilarious.

What a fine actress. Cant wait for the book either. :)

captivagrl said...

this is the good shit. i want the book now, right now! i saw her on stage in Philadelphia doing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and she was excellent.

RobertInLB said...

Will all the gossip and rumours out there these days, love to hear it from a hot shit and truly talented actress like KT! Love it!

Judi said...

LOVE Kathleen Turner! Ballsy!

Rare Avis said...

Hmm, does anyone want to hear about my encounters with Ms. Turner?

Rare Avis said...

Nah, somethings are best left unsaid.

jax said...

god i love this old broad.
SHE should have written Tommy's book, now that would be gold!

off to my second meeting...le sigh.

Jolara said...

(sigh)...okay rare avis...spill.... My bubble was already burst regarding Tom Hanks...:0(

michele said...

Burt's an ass. I loved Romancing the Stone, totally forgot about that movie.

Anonymous said...

I love Kathleen Turner. I have to say I loved her the most in Serial Mom. I've never read any of these celebrity biographies, but hers I might, since she really gets into TMI territory ("I haven't had sex for more than two years, and I'd like to have sex again. Really good sex.").

Also on the page about her arthritis, it looks like when she was in The Graduate, it was the gay brother from Brothers & Sisters (Matthew Rhys?).

jax said...

rare im gonna figure you out soon enough..you wait..lol.

yes do tell...give me something to look forward too while i sit for 40 mins talking about the Weenis.

selenakyle said...

I'm with y'all---now THIS is the kinda goss I want to hear! Absolutely rare avis--please, do tell.
What happened re: Hanks that burst jolara's bubble? (I don't get to see CDAN every day and never get the chance to catch up completely.)
Thanks for the hot juiciness, ENT!

Rare Avis said...

Hmmm. There is gossip and then there are people with genuine problems. This is the latter. There are three famous people in my mind that battle with the bottle the hardest. Jeff Conway, Kathleen Turner, and one more. The last is the kindest, most gentle, caring fellas I have ever known, a true gem.

Jeff Conway & Kathleen Turner genuinely, truly frighten me. You wouldn't think to put the two of them in the same sentence. As a caveat, I realize that Conway also uses drugs other than alcohol. I am not implying that she does, but the intensity is the same.

If you would like to guess who the third is, go ahead.

Carte Blanche said...

"I've never taken second billing to a woman." Oh Burt. Please.

Kory said...

Kathleen Turner was (is) a trailblazer as she was the first woman to be named as one of the Top 10 in Box Office.

What a disappointment to go from Michael Caine to Burt Reynolds. I can see Norm MacDonald's impression of Burt on SNL now. Too funny.

Reese said...

Having seen the first two episodes of the rehab show with Dr. Drew Pinsky on VH-1 I find it amazing that Jeff Conway is still alive; he is absolutely harrowing to watch on that program.

Mel said...

At last an autobiography written by an actress who has lived a full life and has interesting stories to tell. Also a fellow RA sufferer.

Has anyone read 'The Moon's a Balloon' and 'Bring on the Empty Horses' by David Niven? They're a must read if you're into old Hollywood (Bogart, Flynn days), they're funny, intelligent and extremely well written.

Jolara said...

selenakyle- re-Hanks...It is rumored that he got pissed enough to beat his wife. don't remember if it was a one time thing or a few. once was enough for me to be bummed. I have always LOVED Hanks.

rare avis- Ummmm, Ok I will guess Danny DeVito? Can you give a clue? What about Bill Murray? (is he a nice guy?)

Rare Avis said...

I forgot the story. She sits down to a meeting. Has four glasses of tequila, patron silver if you would like to know. Oh sure she is slurring her speech at the time, before she sits down. Note that I say glasses, rocks glasses filled with tequila no ice. She talks about vodka, but I have never seen her touch the stuff, not that she hasn't, oh yes, I am sure she has. Vodka just sounds nicer I think. A little while later, she comes up to the bar and orders two more. Woosh buhbye. Now she has had nearly a bottle of the stuff. Still standing, slurring, but you can't tell she is wasted. Ding dong wasted. Oh, it is in the middle of the afternoon. She has a show that evening or in 15 minutes. Liam Neeson, not 3, is sitting at the bar. I say to him 'I think she has something going on there' He says in as much gravitas, 'Oh you have no idea. You should see in her in NY.' OK kettle black calling but I think that you get the picture.

Jolara said...

and my guess???

YahMoBThere said...

Love KT and LOVED the excerpt. I'm planning on reading the book now.

Reese, I heard about that! Someone told me Conaway is so strung out on drugs he can't wipe his own butt, someone else has to do it. He just sits there in a stupor. True?

Rare, I heard she was a drinker years ago but that she's cleaned up her act.

Jolara, I find that really hard to believe about Tom Hanks...so I won't...lol.

Jax, wtf do you do for a living that you're talking about the weenis? My right one is dry right now. I hate that.

Rare Avis said...

Hey Jax who do you think was pouring the drinks =*

Mr.Yardeeds said...

This my friends is a real autobiography. This is gold for the kid who grew up in the 80's.

Kat said...

I think that this would be a really engrossing read, and you have to admire the brazen nature of the woman, with actual stories and names instead of hints and pseudonyms. Not so much dirt as it is truth, but dirty enough to be salacious.

Rare, you seem like an interesting individual. You have me scratching my chin and humming 'hmmmm'...

Rare Avis said...

No and no. And TS, it would take a blue eyed miracle. I would like to think that she has though.

Kristen S. said...

Conaway, not Conway.

Jolara said...

Well, I was at least kinda close in my guess that avis was a server...so are you a bartender? Oh, the stories I bet you could tell of us regular joes, not to mention the celebs.

twisted- someone on this blog told me that story of Hanks...thoroughly saddened if true.

Jolara said...

Oh, and twisted, what the heck are you talking about: "My right one is dry right now. I hate that."

Brenda22 said...

Just saw War of The Roses on Saturday. She's awesome. I wish she would do more films.

Kat said...

What story of Hanks?

Jemtastic said...

After Aretha Franklin's crappy tell-nothing book, I have had a hard time trusting celebs and their stories. But, KT is making me a believer again! Way to go with naming names!

Also, I'm sorry but Jeff Conaway (from Grease?!?!!?) is on back-alley candy? Say it ain't so! I thought his life was together; he was on some show talking about being a born-again Christian and all that. This is why I should never turn off my TV. Damn.

YahMoBThere said...

Jolara, my weenus...lol. The skin on your elbow. The skin on my right elbow is dry.

Kat, Jolara posted it above. She wrote:

"It is rumored that he got pissed enough to beat his wife. don't remember if it was a one time thing or a few. once was enough for me to be bummed. I have always LOVED Hanks."

Not buying it!

Reese said...

Twisted, Jeff Conway has to have help to use the bathroom; he is in a wheelchair on the show due to his drug-induced seizures. He is so far gone it is tragic. All of the "celebs" on this show are train wrecks, but Conway is halfway in the grave.

Dick Insideu said...

Kathleen is a hard core drunk. She doesn't do films these days because she is uninsurable.

Reese said...

Conaway; sorry for the misspell.

Reese said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kat said...

Thanks Twisted!

I really hope Tom is the guy he seems to be. It's as though no one in film is a genuine person, and we want to believe in the fairytale, right?

jax said...

lol..Twist i said Weenis not penis!
I had no idea what a "weenis" really was..i was quoting Chandler Bing. Something about quaterly numbers balancing...mine was similar but with less excitement.

rub some lotion on your weenis!

Jolara said...

I'm with you kat & twisted...I still have a hard time believing that about Tom.
Just so you know, a couple of weeks back, Tom was a popular guess for some BI and I asked why people were guessing him (thinking it was just because he was so goody two shoes, they wanted to make him the subject of something salacious for fun). Well, then someone told me on there what I posted above and my heart sank. I have in my la la land part of my brain that Tom IS like the fun loving characters he mostly portrays. Still in denial...:0)

LOL-Twisted. I've never heard of a weenis before. I thought you & jax were saying weenis as a sub for penis...can you understand my confusion???

Jolara said...

Les- I've heard that about her before too. sad, I like watching her films.

Anonymous said...

You guys can disbelieve the Tom Hanks rumors all you want, but bear in mind that he himself has admitted that he has an anger problem, and goes into blind rages where he doesnt remember what he does.

YahMoBThere said...

Any time, Kat!

Jax and Jolara - Now I've got weenis envy. Yeah, I envy people who have two soft and smooth weenises. Must increase lotion applications.

Reese, that's so sad. I hear he mumbles, too, and you can hardly make him out. I don't think I could watch that. Sounds like several train wrecks happening at once.

Trix, no shit??!! Where has he said that? I don't think I've ever read a Hanks interview, so I have no clue.

Jolara said...

Oh yeah, I forgot it was you trix, who told me that (didn't mean to not give you credit) :0)
(sigh) I'm sure it's true...I used to LOVE Mel Gibson too. He was the epitome of the perfect man in my eyes. I never heard anything bad about him, he was funny, good looking etc. then all hell broke loose. Hopefully Hanks is getting it under control and we don't hear about it anymore....whoa, wait a minute...he isn't the answer to that one BI with the peeping photographer is he? ...gonna go back and re-read it...:0(

Jolara said...

nevermind. I've read so many, they are all bleeding into one long, bad story. LOL

Tracee said...

I love this husky voiced biotch. She's the kinda bitch you can sip some whiskey with, smoke a doobie and she'll tell you everything you want to know.

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