Parade Magazine
Readers ask … Bette Midler
December 22, 2012
The star, 67, returns to the big screen opposite Billy Crystal in Parental Guidance, Dec. 25.
Q: How did you feel about playing a grandmother? ”¨–Brian Heck, New York City
A: Initially, I was suicidal. First you’re the ingenue, next you’re the mom, later you’re the grandmother, and then you’re the corpse. But when I heard that I would be playing opposite Billy Crystal, I leapt in.
Q: Was he a good onscreen husband? –Janet H., Augusta, Ga.
A: He made me laugh till I fell on the floor. It was as though we had been married for years! We have been, though not to each other. I think marriage makes us all the same after a long enough time!
Q: What would the Bette of today tell Bette from the ’70s? –Alexandra L., Logan, Utah
A: Red hair is aging! Go blond!
Q: Does your family ever ask you to sing for them at home? –Chris Merriman, Houston
A: Never. More likely, they tell me to shut up, and not that nicely.
Q: Who is one celebrity you were nervous to meet? ”¨–Tasha Riggins, Concordia, Kan.
A: Bob Dylan. I broke into a nervous sweat and ruined my new blouse.
Online Extra: Which of her past roles is most like the real Bette? ӬРNancy Rechtman
A: Winnie from Hocus Pocus!
