Whew! Another year of interviews with the great, not-so-great and people who just think they’re great is winding down. Remembering 1991 brings back a torrent of impressions of the famous people I’ve interviewed. Some had changed. Like Mel Gibson, who is a different person from the man I first met in 1981.
Sober now, and more assured of his career (“Hamlet ” did wonders for him) Gibson is much easier with himself. Still someone who’d rather whoop it up with the boys than play at “movie-star,” he’s no longer a tongue-tied oaf about himself.
Some other memorable people of 1991:
”¢ Joan Rivers, who went through the agony of being fired from her national TV show, suffored an estrangemont with her only child and survived the suicide of her husband. A courageous, brutally honest woman, who still finds something to laugh about.
Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, “L.A. Law’s” odd-couple. He’s a mighty mite, aggressive and insistent; she’s a refined and delicate lady with the courage of her convictions.
”¢ Michael Keaton, an ordinary Joe who still doesn’t know what all the fuss is about.
Ӣ Julia Roberts, who started out as a genuinely warm human being and has turned into a petulant prima donna.
Ӣ Warren Beatty, more full of himself than ever, and Annette Bening, quick-wittcd and cultured, a woman who deserves someone better.
Ӣ Scott Glenn, still one of the most forthright actors around, who has never been given the credit he deserves either as an actor or as a man.
Ӣ Roseanne Arnold, a shattered woman who is picking up the pieces left from a tortuous childhood and stepping on anyone who gets in her way.
”¢ Madonna, a marketing genius who could probably have saved Orion if they’d had the money to hire her. Savagely focused and so-o-o-o smart. A sweet, young thing she’s not.
”¢ Julie Andrews, a real “lady”  in every sense of the word, though she’d like to think otherwise.
”¢ Robin Williams, who has the mind of an assault rifle ”¢ whimsical, inventive, diffuse. It’s impossible to write an interview with him beause he moves so quickly between personas, sound effects, groans and whistles. A comic genius who’s always a few inches off the ground.
”¢ Robert De Niro, catatonic in an interview. When he does open his mouth, he has  nothing worth saying.
”¢ Ellen Barkin, refreshingly opinionated, articulate, with a firm grasp on what’s important in life.
”¢ Steven Spielberg; he really IS Peter Pan, a 10-year-old kid in wire-rim glasses who still believes in fairies. The “business” hasn’t ruined him yet, but it’s trying hard.
”¢ Robert Wise, a film directorpar excellence who has been downtrodden by the industry.
He’s relegated to sporadic independent ventures while minor talents like Renny Harlin keep catching the big ones.
”¢ Whoopi Goldberg: She knows what she wants and she goes after it. Like strong, black
coffee she’s an acquired taste.
”¢ Bette Midler, wary, chary, and cautious beyond endurance. Her boop-boop-a-doop persona is strictly a pose. One has the feeling that there is a fascinating woman secreted somewhere in there, but she’s so guarded that all you see is the facade.
”¢ L.L. Cool J, a sweet kid with strong Christian convictions. The kind of guy who could give rap a good name.
”¢ Scan Connery, still shy after all these years.
”¢ Jeff and Beau Bridges, two movie brats who grew up in the industry and managed to turn out whole in spite of it. JefTs the handsome one. Beau’s the considerate one. There’s probably not a more kindly gentleman in the business than Beau Bridges, except maybe his father, Lloyd.
”¢ Danny Glover, Mr. Affable. Easy-going, earnest and a strong family man. Nobody doesn’t like Danny Glover.
”¢ James Woods is colorful, quixotic and passionate. Energetic and frenetic, no one can
keep up with him. A stimulating and challenging interview and human being, but get on his
wrong side and he’s a formidable adversary.
”¢ Kevin Costner, lackluster actor celebrated way beyond his capabilities, who peppers every sentence with four-letter words.
”¢ Glenn Close ”¢ Miss Iceberg of 1991.
”¢ Michelle PfeifTer, a cool blonde with a warm heart.
”¢ Arnold Schwarzenegger, underestimating this behemoth muscle man has been Hollywood’s biggest mistake. Behind the bar-bells is a mind as calculating as a Held marshal’s.
”¢ Bob Newhart, unassuming, reticent wit who is being badly served by poor representation. One of the few comedians of the ’50s (Jonathan Winters is another)
who translates into the ’90s.
”¢ Harold Bobbins is a man who has everything in the world he could want, except good
health. A man of simple truths and little vision.
”¢ Carl Weathers, savvy and smart with a mind to match that peerless body.
One thought on “BetteBack December 31, 1991: Interviewees of 1991 stripped down to bare impressions”
I laughed while reading it, tks. LOL. But if this individual can’t see the facinating woman behind the persona, he is missing a good deal of her work…or is just stupid. LOL 😛 xx
I laughed while reading it, tks. LOL. But if this individual can’t see the facinating woman behind the persona, he is missing a good deal of her work…or is just stupid. LOL 😛 xx