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Interview<br />
music//film//girls//toys//fashion//reviews//news//music//film//gir<br />
20<br />
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feel like a““I<br />
powerful modern<br />
woman, for sure.<br />
Empowered.<br />
g3 Have you always wanted a career in music?<br />
I’ve always loved to sing. I’ve always tried not to just<br />
pigeon-hole myself into ‘actor extraordinaire’. It’s<br />
nice to be able to work with other incredibly<br />
talented people and compile a project that’s<br />
greater than everyone involved.<br />
g3 Were you afraid of people thinking<br />
you’re just another singing actress?<br />
‘The Singing Actress’ – it sounds like some kind<br />
of musical. If fine art artists can do live<br />
installations and musicians can make movies,<br />
why shouldn’t actors be musically inclined?<br />
g3 How did you get David Bowie to sing<br />
on your album?<br />
I paid him a huge amount! He was just really<br />
into the idea.<br />
g3 Regarding The Other Boleyn Girl, were<br />
you afraid of not getting along with Natalie<br />
Portman?<br />
Not really. I don’t have a preconceived idea of<br />
what somebody is going to be like. I’ve always been<br />
a huge fan of Natalie’s, which is why I joined onto<br />
this project. She asked if I would read the script and<br />
play the role. I was so honoured by that.<br />
g3 After a film like The Other Boleyn Girl, do you<br />
become like sisters or at least good friends?<br />
It was very hard work. Both our characters went<br />
through the kind of emotional struggles and very<br />
vulnerable times that bring you closer, of course.<br />
There’s a lot of nastiness on screen. Natalie was<br />
always very apologetic and kept saying,<br />
‘I didn’t mean it’, and ‘It’s just my job!’<br />
g3 What’s your opinion of your young acting<br />
peers that have been seduced by the dark side<br />
of Hollywood?<br />
Unfortunately, actors are in the spotlight with all<br />
the media frenzy around them, so there is sort of a<br />
stigma around them. But they’re young people.<br />
I know plenty of young people that have terrible<br />
drug habits.<br />
g3 Do you think there is less discrimination<br />
against women than in the past?<br />
I think it would be ignorant to assume that this kind<br />
of discrimination doesn’t happen in the modern<br />
world, because it does. Certainly not in modern<br />
England, but certainly in other parts of the world.<br />
It’s a long, long road for woman’s liberation. I’m just<br />
happy I live in a liberated country and at a time<br />
when I’m given the opportunity to have a voice.<br />
g3 Do you feel like you have power?<br />
I feel like a powerful modern woman, for sure.<br />
Empowered, I guess.<br />
g3 You’re rooting for Obama, but Natalie is for<br />
Hilary Clinton – any arguments there?<br />
No. I’ve been very active on the campaign. I’m just<br />
really excited so many people are involved. It’s not<br />
like I’m going out there saying, ‘Hi, I’m famous, vote<br />
for Obama’. I’m really going out there to get young<br />
people aware and learn about the primaries.<br />
The Lost In Translation<br />
star proves she is a<br />
woman of many talents<br />
as, this month, she takes a<br />
swift break from movies<br />
to launch her new album.<br />
g3 You could have a woman in power soon in the<br />
US, so what makes Hilary less alluring than him?<br />
It’s silly to say nasty thinks about Hilary Clinton, I<br />
think she has some good ideas and I think her ideals<br />
are positive. I think it would be exciting to have<br />
either candidate as president, but particular<br />
policies of Barrack’s speak to me more. It’s very<br />
important to me that he was opposed to the war<br />
in Iraq from the beginning. That was something<br />
that attracted me to his run for the nomination.<br />
He also has an amazing wife, Michelle Obama,<br />
so there would be an inspired woman in the<br />
White House.<br />
g3 You’re playing Mary Queen of Scots next –<br />
what is the attraction of these historical women?<br />
I think there are a lot of interesting stories to be told<br />
about these female characters that have had these<br />
stigmas and restrictions placed upon them, but<br />
have had the ambition to succeed although it<br />
seemed against all odds – whether politically or<br />
socially – it makes for interesting stories. Also, I think<br />
it’s exciting to be part of historical projects, because<br />
it allows us to escape into another time for two<br />
hours. I think that’s why people are so hungry for<br />
these particular stories now.<br />
Scarlett Johansson will release her debut album,<br />
Anywhere I Lay My Head (Rhino on 19 <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>08</strong>.<br />
The inspired album features 10 Tom Waits songs<br />
and includes one original track, David Bowie also<br />
features in two tracks doing backing vocals.<br />
WORDS BY IVANA SLOANE
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