Articles & Interviews - 2004-2005

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Heavenly Creature (Lucire, June 2005)

With a regular sitcom, CBS's Two and a Half Men, her star has officially risen. Melanie Lynskey is now one of New Zealand's best known exports. She talks exclusively to Lucire about fame, home, and compares the New Zealand way to the American one.

Melanie Lynskey is known to most New Zealanders for her role in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures in 1994. To American readers, and no doubt many in Europe listening to her dubbed, she's Rose, the neighbour, on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, starring Charlie Sheen.

Lynskey has been acting for over a decade and it was expected that Heavenly Creatures would propel her on to the world stage. While her role was critically acclaimed, Lynskey had to work particularly hard - an automatic acceptance into the major leagues of acting didn't come after her first major role. But success soon followed because of her determination: her big-screen credits include Foreign Correspondents, Ever After, Coyote Ugly and Sweet Home Alabama. Despite a regular TV series, she has continued her silver-screen career, with Say Uncle her most recent film.

Now with an American green card and a regular, high-profile role on network television, Lucire spoke to Lynskey in Los Angeles.

After Heavenly Creatures, your next film was Foreign Correspondents. What did it feel like when you got the offer? Did it feel like a break away from New Zealand?
I had been auditioning for quite a bit from New Zealand (on videotape) for different projects and had gone over to Los Angeles for callbacks and auditions and so on. So it was nice to be able to go to America knowing I had a job there to go to. I felt a bit more purposeful.

But it was really when I got Ever After that I had that feeling of, 'Oh, people trust me to be in their movie, and maybe I could actually do this for a living.' Plus we filmed it on location in the south of France, so that was really a break from New Zealand. Not that I wanted to get away from New Zealand, but I wasn't doing very much there, I felt unhappy and aimless because I wanted to be working. So it was wonderful to go and be busy and work with an experienced director and cast.

Did you ever confront "tall poppy syndrome" at home, and can this be contrasted with your experience in the United States?
People at home are a bit weirder when they recognize you. Like in America, when I get recognized, people come up and say, 'Oh, I liked you in' such-and-such. At home they just kind of stare at me, unless I go out to a bar or something, then everyone's drunk and they come up and say whatever they want, like 'You're skinny in real life but you looked fat in Sweet Home Alabama.' Um, thank you? It's kind of funny.

As far as tall poppy syndrome, when I was still at school it was a bit difficult. People assumed I thought I was the greatest thing ever. And at home I get a lot of people being very standoffish, thinking I'm going to be rude, so they might as well be rude first.

When I got to America I was a typical New Zealander, always trying to downplay things, which is not how people operate here at all. I would be in a meeting getting compliments and I would deflect them and be embarrassed and say, 'Oh, no, I wasn't that good,' or 'Oh, it was so long ago," and people would be confused. It took me a long time to be able to just say, 'Thank you,' without being terrified my head was going to explode with arrogance.

There are some of the locals there who are getting the roles that you would be suited for. Yet as you know, most of these actresses are just regular folks. Is it their promotion? And did you have to actively promote there?
I don't have a publicist. I do think it's important, if you want to be in the public eye, to have someone like that working for you to get you out there. Where the problem is for me is that I don't like the idea of promoting myself to try and get famous, because that is not a goal I have for myself.

I don't mind at all promoting things that I am in, I like doing it in fact. For Snakeskin (2001) I did all the press in New Zealand, pretty much, and I had fun, because I loved the movie and I wanted people to know about it. And if someone asks me to do press "just because", then why not? Like, this photo shoot was really fun.

It's just the thought of going out, trying to wrangle interviews, and having someone try to get me into places, on talk shows and whatever that makes me really uncomfortable.

The only good thing about being famous is the freedom to choose from a wider range of films. (And the free clothes!) I have lost roles because of not being famous. The money people don't consider me a guaranteed investment, and that is upsetting when you really care about a project. I get a bit sick of being the director's choice and then having the money people say no to me.

I don't like the idea of being famous. I like my life so much and I like the privacy I have, but I do want to be able to do those films, so it's tricky. If I end up in a movie that I feature in a lot and I want people to know about it, then I'll go and talk about it. But I'm not going to go to a bunch of parties and try to get photographed. I don't want to be one of those girls on the red carpet at every premiere pushing myself into the spotlight. It just isn't me.

I've worked very hard to get where I am in a way that feels right for me, and I want to continue being true to myself. It's so weird to me how many people in this world think that being famous is the greatest thing that can happen in life. I really think fame can do bad things to people, and create a kind of scary, insular world that isn't very healthy to live in. I'm very grateful for the life that I have. I think I'm extremely lucky.

So you'd live a more balanced lifestyle than some of your contemporaries, e.g. Drew Barrymore. Would this be fair?
I think it's very hard for people to be hugely famous, and live a normal, balanced life. For me, I'm fine, because no one's looking, so I can just do what I want. I find my happiness in my friendships and in my relationship and in feeling good within myself, and enjoying my work. I don't live that kind of Hollywood life so there's no danger of me getting caught up in it.

It is interesting to see how people behave though. There are definitely celebrities who just surround themselves with sycophants and no one who would ever dare to disagree with them. [They] don't have a true friend or a real relationship in the world, and obviously that's not a balanced life. Then there are people like Reese Witherspoon, who is a very normal woman who is incredibly talented and works really hard and has a family she absolutely loves - but is also a superstar. She is completely inspiring to me. She got to where she is by working really hard and always being amazing, and gradually people started to notice. I have a lot of respect for her on every level. She lives her life as a mother and a wife and an actor, as a real person, not as a celebrity.

I think that's the difference. If you start believing you're special and live in that insular Hollywood world, you can really become a horrible person. Celebrities can't help the fact that people are going to stare at them when they go out and paparazzi [are] going to be around, but they are in charge of themselves and who they surround themselves with. If you have a strong structure of people who really know you, you're not going to go too crazy. Transient things like fame and that type of attention are not going to be your real source of happiness.

You asked about Drew, and the people she spends her time with are close friends who really care about her as a person. She doesn't have a crazy unbalanced life. One thing I really admire about her is that she is so gracious to everyone she meets. She does have a weird life, having always been famous, but she handles it so well. I've gone out with her and she constantly has people coming up to her, and she is always so kind to everyone. She must get sick of it, but I never saw her show it.

You now have a green card and a house in Los Angeles. What were those moments like, knowing that they kind of separate you a little from home?
Kind of amazing and kind of sad. It felt great to be finally settled here, after having spent so long really struggling and not knowing if I was going to be able to stay here or not. And I do love LA and my life here. And I love my house. But, you know, since I was little I always imagined living in Wellington, so it did feel a bit weird buying my first house, but not there. Then I guess my life is different to what I imagined.

While your film roles have been excellent, I feel your television work has really upped your profile to mainstream audiences. Anything you'd do with this newfound fame?
Well, I don't feel very famous. I get more fan mail now, and it's all from men, but that's about all that's changed. If I ever felt like I was in a position where people wanted to listen to what I had to say, I think I would try to emulate my friend Kathy Najimy, who is so inspiring. She speaks out on behalf of every underprivileged person and animal you could think of, and she's always raising money for different charities, and using the fact that she has a public profile to be the voice for people who aren't being heard. I could only hope to try and do some of the good that she does.

What are your beauty essentials?
I love beauty products. I have crazily sensitive skin, so when I find a product that doesn't make my face all red, it's very exciting. My skin is also dry, and I never thought I would find a scrub for it, but Caudalie has an amazing exfoliant for sensitive skin. I use Shiseido Bio-Performance moisturiser and eye cream. At night I use the AEsop Fabulous Face Oil. I like the smell of vanilla and rose so for body lotion I use Dr Hauschka's Rose Oil or Ecco Bella vanilla lotion, both of which you get at health food stores. I also like Kiehl's rose lotion, and their coconut one in summer.

I've never had any clue what to do with my hair. I get my hair cut about once a year and put it in a pony tail most of the time, but my hairdresser on Two and a Half Men has a great line called Prawduct, which is all natural. For the first time in my life, I like how my hair looks when it's down. You can just spritz some stuff in and go. His products smell good too which is very important!

I love make-up and I have boxes and boxes of it. My new best friend is Benefit: they have a great mascara called Bad Gal Lash and I love all their glowy shimmery highlighting stuff. I love NARS and use their amazing eyeshadows as liners, too. I have been faithful to my MAC pressed powder for years, as well as Clinique's Soft Finish foundation, which I truly believe is the best base ever for dry skin.

What do you miss the most about home?
The air feels different in New Zealand, cleaner and crisper. I notice it the minute I step off the plane. I miss my friends and family. I miss Zambesi, Karen Walker and Helen Cherry. I miss good lattes. Wellington. Hearing New Zealand music on the radio. I miss New Zealand summers, being at a house by a lovely beach somewhere, drinking good New Zealand wine and having Kapiti cheese.

 

Heavenly Creature

Curve Magazine - February 2005

Though she's been a fixture in queer films, including the upcoming film 'Donut Hole', Melanie Lynskey plays it straight - sort of - for prime-time television.

By Kathy Belge

 

Imagine being pulled out of English class at age 15 to audition for the coveted role of a teenaged matricidal lesbian. That's what happened to Melanie Lynskey more than ten years ago, when she scored one of the leading roles in 'Heavenly Creatures', alongside Kate Winslet. She's had roles in several queer-themed movies since, from the quirky mean girl in 'But I'm A Cheerleader!' to the, well, quirky, fun girl in the summer hit 'The Nearly Adventurous Life Of Zoe Cadwaulder'. The native New Zealander came from a super-queer-friendly environment. When she was a teen, her mother encouraged her to explore her sexual identity; more recently, her boyfriend, Jimmi Simpson, was a hit on this year's lesbian and gay circuit as one of the actors in the film-length version of the lesbian action comedy 'D.E.B.S'. Lynskey, a major player in POWER UP (the lesbian Hollywood organization), took time to chat between filming 'Donut Hole' - an independent movie written by, directed and starring Peter Paige, of 'Queer As Folk' fame - and her regular role as the offbeat stalker Rose on CBS's highest rated comedy 'Two-And-A-Half Men'.

 

You've been in quite a few feature films. Why did you decide to be in this little independent flick, 'Donut Hole'?I thought (the script) was funny. I really agreed with what it was saying. I thought it was making some interesting points about society and I thought it was a good thing to be involved in.Like what kind of things?

Just that people get into this mass hysteria about someone who they don't know and haven't talked to. I feel like that seems to be happening quite often, where people get into a huge panic about, oh, that person's gay. It's kind of crazy thinking.You're also in the lesbian short film 'The Nearly Unadventurous Life Of Zoe Cadwaulder'. What attracted you to that film?

I just thought it was a really cute story. It's sort of like a quirky romantic comedy. It was very sweet.You've been in quite a few films with gay and lesbian themes. How come?

I think I get asked to do them. The movies I get offered are either horrible studio movies where I would be playing some kind of best-friendy character or the plainer girl of the group. I get some offered some independent films that are being made by gay filmmakers. I think people liked 'Heavenly Creatures' or something. (In independent films, the stories are so much important and interesting.)Did you have any concerns about playing a lesbian in movies?

I never have. I mean, all the characters have been so different. I've never thought, "Oh...another lesbian!". It seems funny to me to think that. I mean, my character in 'But I'm A Cheerleader' is such a weird little sort of mean person. And in 'Heavenly Creatures', the character was so complicated. In 'Zoe', the character is such a sweet girl. They just seemed like different people to me.Can we go back to 'Heavenly Creatures'? I'm wondering what it was like to get a role like that at age 15.

It was amazing. I was always acting in school plays; I had never done anything close to professional. So, that alone was kind of amazing. But then, the whole experience of working on the movie and understanding what it's like to really get to know a character, and working with such a great director - Fran Walsh, who co-wrote the script, was an amazing woman, and she worked really closely with us.What's the difference between doing film and 'Two-And-A-Half Men' on CBS?

It's so different. The hours on the television show are amazing. You barely work, and then at the end of the week, you have one long day and you have to tape in front of the audience. It's really, really fun. And the character that I play, she's funny for a particular reason. The character stays pretty similar; there's not a huge journey that she's going on. A movie is interesting because you tell someone's entire story.What's it like when you go back to New Zealand? Are they gaga over movie stars over there like we are here?

I don't really consider myself a movie star at all. The town that I come from, the people are kind of funny; they don't come up to you and say anything. Here, people will come up and say, "Oh, I liked whatever film you were in!". At home, people just look at you and talk about you. It's really uncomfortable. I'm not used to that. I think, "Oh, god! Did I spill something or is my dress tucked into my underpants?What was it like at an all-girls' school? I think some lesbians have an idea that there's a lot of fooling around.

I think all women kind of experiment with each other as teenagers, don't you think?So you experimented with your friends?

Yes, I think it is healthy to get to know yourself. It just seemed like part of growing up and discovering who you are, testing out different scenarios, even though were with boys on the weekend. It didn't seem right or wrong. I don't know if more of that happens at a girls' school - maybe just where I come from. I feel like we were encouraged to find out who we were as people, and I remember, growing up, there was always the option that maybe I would be gay. That was my mother's attitude towards it. It just seemed to be something that you would look into. I think it's normal to be curious and find out what you like and who you like.Did your mom actually talk about it?

She was very, very open. The great thing about her is that she loves other people's differences. I remember when I was very little and we were hanging out at a friend's house. I was playing with the other children and the woman who brought the children over had a lesbian partner. I was really young at the time, and I don't think I had ever met two women who had children before. And I remember saying to my mother, "What's that all about?". And she just said, "The kids have two moms. Like you have a mom and a dad, but their mothers are in love with each other and they live together like Dad and I live together. She never made it seem like it was something to be afraid of. Growing up, she had some gay friends, and it always seemed like something that was possible. When I was younger, I had a crush on a girl at school, and my mother was like "Do you think you're gay?", and I was like, "I don't know. I have a crush on this girl!". But there were never any feelings like "Oh, no! What would happen (if I were gay)?". It just always seemed like something to find out about. Because you're either gay or you're not, and I think my mother had an understanding of that. She would never try to repress anything.Do you think people in New Zealand are more liberal in that way?

I think there are certainly people in New Zealand who are not liberal. I was lucky that my mother was quite liberal, but I don't think her attitude was quite typical.Tell me about your work with POWER UP.

They're a great bunch of women. Whenever they have an event, I always go to it. I just wanted to do the 'Zoe' movie partly because they were doing it - they just seemed to be doing something good. I'm kind of naive, because I live in my own world and I have my own beliefs about people and things, and you realise that some other people have some crazy, outdated notions.So what do you think of the whole same-sex marriage issue and the backlash?

I hope that there's going to be a point in history where people look back at this time and say, "Remember when people were trying to outlaw it?". It seems like madness to me. I just don't understand that kind of prejudice. It's such a difficult thing to be a gay person in this country. I feel for people I know who are such great, strong people in committed relationships who have stuck together throughout all kinds of obstacles and prejudice. Not everyone wants to get married, but it should be an option.So, as an outsider from a foreign country, what's your view of Hollywood?

At first, I thought it was the most awful, unhealthy place. I'm not exactly what the Hollywood ideal is, I guess. I'm like a size 6, which is considered enormous. I felt very awkward, and I'm not very good at self-promotion; I had a lot of rejection when I first came here. And then over the years, I made friends, and now I'm in a job that I'm very comfortable in, and they've never made an issue about anything about me. I've had to deal with a lot of people saying, "She's not pretty enough for the role. She's not skinny enough.".Would you say it's tougher for women?

Yes, definitely. The standards are completely different. I read something the other day where Michael Douglas was talking about Catherine Zeta Jones. He said, "Women's careers are finite, and she needs to be working now.". I think that's just people's attitude....but why should it be like that? It makes me so sad that you turn 40 and you're (considered) an old hag.

Slice of Heaven (Sunday Star-Times, 15 August 2004)
By Megan Nicol Reed

"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride . . . " It's the story of Melanie Lynskey's decade-long career. First she got to watch from the sidelines as her Heavenly Creatures co-star Kate Winslet's career rose to Titanic-sized heights, then she got to play Drew Barrymore's ugly stepsister in the Hollywood remake of Cinderella fairytale Ever After. And in Coyote Ugly and Sweet Home Alabama, she played the small-town, homely best friend to Piper Perabo and Reese Witherspoon's sexy leads.

But the former New Plymouth girl is satisfied with her lot. In fact, she seems down-right chuffed. Her role in TV2's new sitcom Two and a Half Men, starring Charlie Sheen, means a regular pay cheque; she's recently bought a house in Los Angeles with her actor boyfriend Jimmi Simpson, who she met on the set of the Stephen King mini-series Rose Red, and the couple have got themselves a dog.

Lynskey, who has only just received a green card, auditioned for three TV shows and says she is absolutely thrilled to be doing Two and a Half Men, which by the end of its first season in the US, was being touted as America's number one comedy. How did she choose between the roles?

"Well, actually, this was the only one I got," she laughs.

Apart from playing the leading lady in the Kiwi-made road movie Snakeskin, Lynskey hasn't bagged any big roles since Peter Jackson's wife Fran Walsh discovered her as a school girl and cast her as mother-killer Pauline in Heavenly Creatures. Hollywood has been kinder to her than most and while her output hasn't been stellar, it has been consistent. But the movie business is not getting any easier, says the 27-year-old.

"I was working, but not at a level where I was being offered a lot of prime roles. The sort of roles I would have usually tried for were going to really famous actresses. I found myself losing stuff to Rene Zellweger and Cameron Diaz. It just started to feel like I wanted a part I could do more with."

Her character Rose was initially intended to be a guest-starring role, but when the show's pilot was picked up by a network, the producers asked her to stay. Rose is the "attractive, offbeat neighbour" of Charlie (played by Sheen). The pair had a brief fling and now he can't get rid of her. According to Lynskey, who despite four years in LA is refreshingly un-fabulous, Rose is a stalker.

Sheen plays an advertising jingle writer with a Malibu mansion, a flash car in the garage and an endless supply of gorgeous women in his bed. But when his neurotic brother turns up on his doorstep with his 10-year-old son after his wife decides she might be a lesbian, Charlie's playboy lifestyle is turned on its head. What follows is a predictable clash of personalities, tempered with a drizzle of cynicism (albeit American-style) and a dollop of schmaltz. The odd clever one-liner and Lynskey's quirkiness keep it watchable: Rose constantly peering through Charlie's door is the sort of running gag which endows sitcoms with cult status.

Lynskey puts the show's success down to Sheen. "I think people really love Charlie. There's an enormous amount of goodwill towards him."

And what does she think of the great star? "We get on terribly. I can't stand him."

Oh? My muck-raking ears prick up. "No, he's great. He's really quiet and shy and sweet."

Surely those stories in the gossip mags about his partying days being over aren't true? This, after all, is the man whose drug-fuelled downward spiral was rivalled only by Robert Downey jnr's[sic] excess.

"I didn't know what to expect. They say people are reformed, but are they ever? But no, he's totally into his wife and baby."

Lynskey, who answers the phone with a certified American drawl but veers towards a Kiwi twang over the course of our conversation, says she tries to get home on a regular basis. But coming from the anonymity of LA, these days home can feel a little bit weird.

"People stare at me and I think there must be something wrong with how I'm dressed."

She had always imagined if she bought a house it would be in Wellington, but when she found the house of her dreams, a little old Victorian place, she couldn't resist. In an area of LA called Echo Park, it sounds more quaint than flash. To the whir of a police helicopter flying overhead, Lynskey describes it as being "in the 'hood.' " On her way inside to escape the noise, she knocks over an empty wine bottle.

It's a long way from New Plymouth.

"I think if somebody had come up to me then and told me this is what your life is going to be like, I never would have believed them."