OK’s Back Page Interview With Bette Midler (Thanks Nicola)

Mister D: I’d like to send some hugs and kissed to Nicola for typing this out for me because I could not find it online. This interview is in the latest issue of the U.K.’s OK magazine, just for the record.

IDOL GOSSIP

Bette Midler on tips from Posh and hot British Toty!

You’ve been visting our shores – what do you make of British men?

There are some real hotties. I’ve seen some really hot men over here. I really have. There is this look a lot of them have, you know the long messy hair – that’s cute. But hey, I’m 63

Your stay overlapped with Goldie Hawn attending the BAFTAs. Did you have a First Wives Club meeting?

No I didn’t. I didn’t even know she was in town. Although I did run into her in India once in the middle of Delhi in fact. She goes there all the time. She has a guru and she has an ashram and she writes books on it. She’s just terrific.

On The First Wives Club you looked as though you had so much fun, do you meet up with the other girls much?

I call from time to time. I called Diane [Keaton} because I liked to keep up with her too. I called her about a script I was interested in working on and I was hoping she would be one of the players. But we’re all so busy.

Victoria and David Beckham have made a splash in the states – have you ever met them?

I’ve never met the Beckhams but I did buy Victoria’s book. It was fun. I liked all her tips but most of it was stuff I already knew. I like Victoria, she’s no shrinking violet. I admire that.

Your career has spanned 40 years – how do you look back on it?

I never look at those pictures – I almost never do. You know, I’ve had a very full 40 years and some great moments stand out and the lesser moments you don’t really think about. When I was 50, I didn’t go back and look at everything. I hardly have any photographs.

Fame and stardom have changed a lot in the past decade – would you want to be starting out now?

When I was coming up it was very rare to be photographed – there would maybe be a couple of guys. Now it’s 24/7 in your face. The other day I went to dinner with John Stamos from ER and when we came out the restaurant there must have been 35 people with cameras and the light was blinding. I really got scared and I couldn’t see to get into the car. It’s very different from when I started in the industry.

As a major recording artist and actress, have you ever considered being a judge on American Idol?

I’ve never really thought about being a judge on one of those shows. I do like to see talent and discover it, but doing something like that has never occurred to me.

Wind Beneath My Wings and From A Distance are iconic songs – do you ever tire of singing them night after night?

I have to say that I’ve never had that. I still enjoy singing all those songs. If I set them up properly they’re great. It’s always a challenge to keep it fresh and new. It reminds people of good times and every singer prays for songs like that and i’ve been so lucky because i’ve had a few.

Young stars such as Lindsay Lohan live their lives in the tabloids – will that destroy their careers?

We’ll only know by watching and seeing how it all pans out for those girls. They’ll either find their way or they won’t.

What has been your most poignant performance?

I think it has to be the performances after 9/11. That was terrible, the memorials and those events. It feels as though it was only yesterday and it’s still going on. There’s so much heartbreak in the world and it’s still going on.

Which movie did you have the most fun making?

We really had a lot of fun on The First Wives Club. The Rose was incredible, I loved making Beaches – although I was watching clips of it and I honestly don’t know what I was thinking about with that red hair! For The Boys I loved, although it didn’t do as well as I hoped it would.