[[MEDIA-VIDEO]] The Inside Reel: Selma Blair and Director Lori Petty 'The Poker House'

Selma Blair




Lori Petty

[[MEDIA-VIDEO]] Behind The Scene: 'The Poker House'

[[CANDIDS]] Selma Blair fringante et pétillante... Pourquoi tant de bonne humeur ?

Cela fait dix ans que Selma Blair s'est fait remarquer dans l'adaptation très libre des Liaisons dangereuses, le film Sexe Intentions. Aujourd'hui, à 37 ans, elle garde le même air mutin et l'oeil toujours aussi pétillant.

Serait-ce parce que sa carrière brille de mille feux ? Certes, elle enflamme Hellboy mais à la télévision, sa prestation dans la série comique Kath & Kim ne fait pas l'unanimité. La vraie raison qui explique sa bonne humeur communicative réside dans... l'amour !

Depuis quelques mois, elle fréquente son jeune partenaire Mikey Day - il a 28 ans. Nous les avons récemment vus dans les rues de Los Angeles gais comme des pinsons avec le sympathique Woofy de mademoiselle. Le 18 juillet et comme vous pouvez le voir sur nos photos, elle n'est pas avec son chevalier charmant et pourtant. L'homme de sa vie est dans son coeur quelles que soient les situations et permet à Selma de voir la vie en rose 24h/24 !

Notons que sa robe noire particulièrement bien coupée, dôtée de fines bretelles grises et ses escarpins Louboutin gris à imprimé python contribuent à son look chic et à sa mine choc !


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[[CANDIDS]] Selma Blair, son chéri et son Woofy : Quoi de plus pour être heureux ?

Selma Blair s'enflamme, au cinéma dans Hellboy et dans la vie avec sa nouvelle idylle. Depuis quelques mois, elle est amoureuse d'un jeune homme, Mikey Day, qui a peut-être huit ans de moins qu'elle mais avec qui elle se sent très bien.

Agée de 37 ans, elle s'éloigne de la quarantaine avec son nouveau chéri et son petit toutou tellement chou. Habillée d'une robe légère et blanche, elle arpente ce 18 juillet les rues de Los angeles joyeusement en écoutant les plaisanteries de son homme. A ses pieds, elle porte des spartiates en peau de serpent, chacun ses goûts mais nous nous concentrerons plutôt sur sa tunique. Que ce soit au restaurant, en balade ou à Miami, ils sont complices et coquins !

Le couple s'est formé sur les plateaux de tournage de la série comique Kath & Kim, remake américain d'une sitcom australienne. Les critiques ne sont pas très tendres avec la version US à qui on reproche de ne pas être très drôle. Qu'importe pour Selma et Mikey, le joli tandem cathodique et amoureux vit d'amour et promenade !

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[[INTERVIEWS]] Selma Blair on "The Pocker House"

by Sheila Roberts

We caught up with the talented and sexy Selma Blair at the Los Angeles press day for her new film, The Poker House, a poignant gritty film set in small town Iowa and directed by Lori Petty. One of today’s most exciting and versatile actresses, Selma first gained our attention for her performance in Cruel Intentions, a youthful retelling of the classic novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Hit the jump to read the full interview.

Selma starred for two seasons as the title character in the WB’s Zoe and then appeared in the hit comedy, Legally Blonde opposite Reese Witherspoon. She then starred opposite Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate in The Sweetest Thing and in two independent films that garnered her much critical acclaim: Dana Lustig’s Kill Me Later and Todd Solodnz’s controversial Storytelling.

Selma starred in Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. She also appeared in John Waters’ A Dirty Shame. Her other recent film credits include Paul Weitz’s In Good Company opposite Topher Grace, Marcos Siega’s Pretty Persuasion, and Thomas Sigel’s The Big Empty opposite Elias Koteas.

Most recently, she co-starred opposite Greg Kinnear and Morgan Freeman in Robert Benton’s Feast of Love, opposite Antonio Banderas, Meg Ryan and Colin Hanks in My Mom’s New Boyfriend, and starred in Ed Burns’ Purple Violets. Her upcoming films include Happy Together with Dermot Mulroney and Hope Davis. Selma also stars alongside Molly Shannon and John Michael Higgins in NBC’s “Kim and Kim,” a U.S. version of the popular British TV series.

In her new film, The Poker House, Selma plays Sarah, a strung out mother who struggles against desperation and poverty to raise three young daughters (Jennifer Lawrence, Sophia Bairley, Chloe Grace Moretz) with a pimp father (Bokeem Woodbine) in a home overrun by gamblers, thieves and johns.

Selma Blair is a terrific actress and we really appreciated her time. Here’s what she had to tell us:

Well just be thankful you didn’t have to get into Sarah make-up today.

SELMA BLAIR: I could have used it. I liked that make-up.

Why? Other than the fact you’re totally unrecognizable.

BLAIR: Maybe that’s why I liked it. That makes your job so much easier to play someone. Those scenes where I’m looking in the mirror, it’s just like I can’t even see myself so it helps to not look like yourself when you’re playing a character that won’t look at themselves. That made it blissfully easy and working with Lori. I liked her make-up. I liked it. I like whenever you can have the help of something that can be a little bit bigger than the average character you get to play.

Does that change things as soon as you see when the make-up is done? You might already have had an idea and then you go in a different direction?

BLAIR: Yeah. Unfortunately for me, I also realized the last day of shooting that I have a great idea for this character. (Laughs) I was like, “Oh my God, it took me this long to get there.” But hopefully, live and learn and it won’t be such a slow process from here.

Did you dye your hair or was that a wig?

BLAIR: I had my hair blonde at the time. It was a wig but in the front it was my hair and the back. I do that a lot in movies. You know, I wear it like a fall. But yeah, I had my hair blonde at the time. Very light blonde.

What were some of those ideas that you had for the character later in the process?

BLAIR: Well I didn’t so much for that character, thank God, because it was such a short process. I think I worked on that film four days so I didn’t have time to say “Oh my God, I’m doing it all wrong.” And also, Lori was so instrumental in making sure that I felt right on with it at the start. She would tell me if there was something she wanted more of right away. I love that dialogue with directors. Sometimes they don’t do it because they want to be so respectful, like “Oh I won’t want to tell the actor or even give them a line reading.” I’m like no, no, anything to engage just helps you do it because in film we don’t have rehearsal time. We don’t have anything. We get the script. The first time you say the lines is in front of a camera. It’s practically an audition and hopefully you’re more prepared that that, than just an audition. Yeah, I like to engage in anything on set with the director or the actors and Lori was great about that. But yeah, no, other films, definitely. I’ve watched them and afterwards said, “Oh God! I have a great idea for this character. Much better choice I can make.”

Is that when you call the director and producer and say “Sequel. Sequel.”

BLAIR: (Laughs) No, that’s when I call them and say “Sorry. Sorry.” There’s a film I’m shooting right now that I really thought would be very different and I thought I was going to really play this gorgeous femme fatale that was completely out of touch with reality but at the same time was really the strong woman and give me two days alone with this character and oh God, she’s shattered. She looks like a femme fatale that went through the washing machine and I like it that way. I really love the characters that fall apart.

Is this character in Columbus Circle?

BLAIR: Yeah. She’s written this old timey heiress who lives…and her dialogue is very kind of Lauren Bacall. It’s evolved into something kind of twitchy and weird that has a very nice Ava Gardner wig on. (Laughs)

What was your first reaction to this material when it was presented to you?

BLAIR: I loved it. It was a quick decision. They said “Here’s the script. Lori Petty.” Love Lori Petty. Didn’t know her. Loved her. “We need an answer by tomorrow and it’s going to go shoot in a week in Illinois.” So I read it and, of course, I wanted to be on board. Anyone that’s going to pour their heart out in such a poetic and honest way without fear, without apology and without judgment. She doesn’t even judge her mother and her mother’s her biggest supporter now and wishes she were in the film more, like I’ve said. which I think is very funny. It was a special experience. I was on board right away.

Did you meet Lori’s mom in the process of making the film?

BLAIR: No. I didn’t. She wasn’t there when we were shooting. She was at a screening I was at but I didn’t see her. She’ll be there on Saturday. I’m going this Saturday for the Q&A.

Do you think if you’d met her first that it would have impacted your interpretation of the character at all?

BLAIR: Yeah, it might have because she’s a very different woman now. She’s a successful business woman and has been. (Laughs) Not a ‘has been’. She has been a successful business woman so I didn’t want to smarten her up. I’m afraid if I would have seen her in that way I would have added elements in that. No, this is a woman that’s really messed up right now. Let’s just show it. It doesn’t have to be sugar coated. She is *the* worst mom at this point. It’s bad. I didn’t want to take her mannerisms. She’s a much more controlled person now.

What was the biggest challenge you faced creating that character?

BLAIR: I don’t know it there were any. Maybe there was. It happened too quickly so I didn’t think about it. I know that there were moments maybe I was afraid it’s over the top. I’ve also said Lori was very “No, it’s not.” My instinct was it could have even been bigger. It could have been but I didn’t want to throw the whole balance off the film. The film is actually kind of quiet so if I’m completely tearing up the joint, it would have been like whoa! I mean, a character that is that lost in their life, you have carte blanche to be as big as you want but you have to have respect for the film so you stop. But [with] Lori, it was a really easy process. Once I got that hair on and those nails, I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t scared of it the way I am by some other characters.

Was your own upbringing considerably more idyllic than this movie?

BLAIR: I dare say. It was just as colorful in a strange way but we had a functioning family. I had two good meals a day and I went to grade schools and I was a well dressed, appropriate child. But no, there’s plenty to draw on and I’ll have to wait until my mother is dead to tell that story. (Laughs)

Hopefully it’s more of a comedy.

BLAIR: Because she will not forgive me. Yeah, if we mean…yeah, well, I’ll stop there. (Laughs) I love my mom very much. I want her to love me too.

You have such powerful scenes and interaction with Jennifer Lawrence. How was it working with Jennifer and the process of the two of you together in some of the pivotal scenes?

BLAIR: She was such a sweet, vulnerable and also really capable girl as this character, and the scenes that I have where I’m kicking her and stuff, yeah, that felt good. I liked that. (Laughs) It was really good to bully. It’s like all those things I had as a kid where all the people would bully me and I’m like I see how monsters are created. There’s like a certain satisfaction and knowing you’re in a safe area obviously, that you’re both in on it. Thank God. There’s nothing about me that wants to bully a child. It was surprisingly fun to kick around. I threw those kicks in. She didn’t see them coming (laughs) and I kept doing it each take, more and more, because I really wanted her to cry. I really wanted this character to cry because I was just thinking as my character. When I’m a miserable person, I push other people’s buttons to make them more miserable than me. I have on some of my worst days. So that was kind of my character, you know, every time I was in front of the camera, so yeah, I would just torture her. That scene in the bathtub, she was heartbreaking, and when I was doing my whole monologue which was going on for a while, I’d just look over at her and I’d just burst into tears and I couldn’t because my character wouldn’t cry. I would cry as Selma but my character wouldn’t cry for her in the bathtub. She’d cry for my make-up smear and the make-up and I’ve got to go out there. My character cries at all the things she lost. It’s not what she has in that bathtub. She’s not seeing that. That was a hard day because she’s such a vulnerable, beautiful young girl.

Was the kitchen scene filmed on that same day also?

BLAIR: No, it was the next day. She was really great in that scene.

How was Lori’s directorial process for you? You’ve worked with so many different directors. Does she go through it sequentially or does she break it out for you?

BLAIR: I think we actually went in order for my character. You know, I worked so few days. And so I think she went in order which was really kind of her so I could find those little moments if there were glimmers of love for my child, which I did have while shooting it, whether it came out or not. But I quickly shut them off and threw hate in her face instead because I didn’t want to feel that as that character. I can’t even remember what Lori did because it was really seamless. She just made me feel really comfortable. Sometimes she’d tell me to go off. I mean, not so much me because I’ve been around a bit more, but to Jennifer. She was like “What are you doing? Get off in your corner. Get off there.” She was always keeping her in that space of a child and these quiet moments for her and protecting Jennifer on set so she wasn’t distracted by Doritos and things like that. She just created an environment on set that was safe for everyone to play a big game of pretend and not ruin their own little psyche in it. We’re all just figuring it out. It’s such a tiny film.

Your choices in films are very diverse - from The Poker House and Storytelling to Hellboy. What goes into a choice when you’re picking a role? Is there anything specific that you look for?

BLAIR: No, I’m just all over the place. Sometimes it’s the director, sometimes there’s like two words in that script and I’m like “I want to say those words!” The whole rest of the script might be hogwash but you’re like, “I have one scene where I get to do this and it’s going to be fun.” No, now I have to probably be a little more careful. Probably if I’m lucky enough to have a career in this for a long time I imagine I’ll stick around that way doing completely insane, silly comedy and then something that might wound people a little bit more. I hope. I like that balance.

Seeing Lori go behind the camera and tell her own story, did that inspire you in any way. Do you have a story you want to tell? Do you want to direct ?

BLAIR: I do want to direct. I want to write more than I want to direct. I’m a bit afraid to write. My own experiences are I really honor people’s secrets and I’ve been a holder of a lot of secrets in my life and I wouldn’t want to betray them but at the same time they make up my life and they make an incredibly good story. I’m really torn on how to protect, how to really get far enough away but keep an essence of that without ever really betraying the people who’ve entrusted me with some of their things. I do, I do want to write. Hopefully, I will.

Did you see Lori struggle with any of that while she was making the movie or was she just so embracing of those secrets?

BLAIR: She was focused and they weren’t secrets any more and, like I said, she had her mother’s support and that was probably the one that you’d have to be afraid of offending the most because that was really unflattering light. But no, she was there. She was on board. She didn’t feel bad. None of us felt bad for doing it. I felt a little nervous when her mom was at one of the screenings. I said something really thoughtless on the microphone in the front. I was like “…and portraying such a horrible, hateful woman…” and I just meant within the script’s context. I don’t know her mother and her mother’s in the audience somewhere and afterwards I was like “Oooh, oooh, I messed up so bad. I gotta be more thoughtful.” I know nothing of her mother other than just in this dramatic moment. I think I did that in a few interviews about her mom. She’s not someone to be trifled with. I need to shut up.

Well, for you, it’s the character instead of the person.

BLAIR: Yeah, it’s the character. I never met her so I didn’t think of it and I didn’t want to meet her because I would have tried to make it nicer probably so she wouldn’t be mad at me.

You seem comfortable re-watching and reviewing your own work. Was there something you enjoyed most as a viewer watching this movie? I mean, aside from the scenes where you get to bully children.

BLAIR: I just really enjoyed - not having anything to do with me - I really enjoyed the girls. I really enjoyed watching how much Jennifer’s character really seemed to love her sisters and that was…you just don’t ever see it anymore. You always see everyone pitted against each other - children and popularity contests and all this stuff and all the modern stuff we see on TV, so I really loved this old fashioned love story between sisters. I really did enjoy that scene in the bathroom where my character is talking to Jennifer and Jennifer is so trying to reach out for love and this person just won’t see it. I think that was a beautiful moment for two characters.

What do you think is the secret to Lori being a survivor? This kind of situation could have broken another person.

BLAIR: I don’t know. I think probably that she’s such an amazingly creative person. She’s played a million roles. I mean, she’s played strung out hookers, she’s played physicists, she’s played everything and she’s such an adept [actor]. She can really tune into these characters. I think that probably might have. I can only conjecture. I don’t know. I think she’s a really honest person and I think she expresses herself to her mother, to her sisters and friends. She has a network of people that love her. This woman makes you love her. Lori is a really, really lovable person and really generous.

What do you think is the ultimate message that you would like to see the audience take home with them from this film?

BLAIR: I don’t know. Ask Lori that, she wrote it. These children survived and, especially the one that this most horrible thing happened to, she flourished and she will flourish and there will be setbacks and things. It really is a great survival story and love story of the sisters and also, by knowing that it’s based on really true events, and maybe even knowing that this mother, the one that seemed like she’d never return to the land of the living and caring, that she is and she supports this film and she supports Lori’s truth of how she wanted to tell it and that to me is one characteristic of a great mother that will let you tell your life the way you want to even if it involves you in a really, really unflattering way. There’s a lot of redemption in that and people do horrible things but you can choose to change and they all seem to.

Can you talk a little bit about working with Todd Solondz and what that was like?

BLAIR: I love Todd. Forever I will consider him to be one of my dearest friends even though we don’t speak very much right now. He is a very private man and he’s a very special man. I think he says what he wants through his work. I don’t think he wants his own opinions and blathering on, not that he’s one to blather, but I think things can be more special if you just let it be. His writing is so succinct. His things are so darkly comedic and I find to be very true even though some people are like, “Oh my God, that’s ridiculous. That sarcasm is crazy.” “Are you kidding? That’s a funny day in the life.” I mean, that’s real to me. I get it. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t even want to walk around with a plastic shopping bag. He doesn’t want people to see his tuna sandwich. It’s too much information. I understand and I wish I could be more like him but I’m an actress that needs to try and sell herself or sell the story she’s telling or whatever. So, here I am, blathering on and you don’t want to see any of my movies because it’s fucking boring. I’m fucking boring you all. (Laughs) So he has the right idea. I’ve never done any good by talking to you all. (Laughs) Really. I’m not saying your jobs are useless. I’m saying there’s people that can do it more eloquently and that don’t need to. I wish I could just go to work and could be good at it and learn and tell better stories instead of telling how I’m trying to tell a better story.

Obviously the words speak for themselves, but I’m just curious as a front seat person who’s been on the set with him if you had any insight into what his process is as a director?

BLAIR: He was just very specific and it was such a perfect and controlled environment. I’ve never loved being on a set so much as I did on Todd’s and then Lori’s was kind of a second to that. I love him so much. I’m not trying to be cheeky with you, like “You know why. The work speaks for itself.” I also don’t ever want to betray him. He’s someone that doesn’t want to give out information about him so I guess… I know you say it as a fan and as a journalist and not at all as gossip or anything but then I’m like, “Oh, he doesn’t like to talk about it. I’d better shut up. What do I know?” And I haven’t even worked with him in six years so for me to start talking about him…

Is it tough this selling side of your job and being asked to do these things?

BLAIR: You want to do them because you want people to see the movie and I love Lori and I want people to see her movie. I want all success for her. There are some performances you’re proud of and you want to show them and then other parts, it’s like “Oh, this is the paying part of the job.” I get it. I do get it. I’m not trying to be an ungrateful little twat, but you know, I’m really not the most eloquent speaker in these and I’ll say off color things and get myself in trouble. It’s like I just wish I didn’t have any personality that went along with acting. I wish I could just go act.

But that would be a different interview.

BLAIR: (Laughs) Well, for whom I don’t know. Things in print look a lot more serious than you intend them.

You said you watch a performance and there’s things you’d like to incorporate. Do you feel in Hellboy 2 there were things that you incorporated from the first movie that you really wanted to do when you were given a second chance to do another film?

BLAIR: It was really tricky on Hellboy 2 for me because it was a completely different character. In Hellboy 1, she was so damaged and had all this baggage and was like a 12-year-old with her best buddy. She was going to make this decision that they would have this really sweet kiss at the end. I’m not watering the movie down to that but my character was this sweet, awkward, kind of Gothic weird thing and then in the second one she was a woman and it was important and that was really difficult. Maybe it’s difficult for me to play women. I’m so used to playing … not like it’s easier for me to play men … I’m saying I really had the majority of my career as playing an adolescent or pre-adolescent or woman-child. So, when I actually have a role that’s just a strong, capable woman that is supporting and loving her man and also dealing with pregnancy and all these things inside, the movie is such a grand thing so it’s all lovely being a part of it, more than lovely. I love those movies. You know, it was a very different character. I couldn’t bring much from the first one to it because she had let that go. She had to, to function.

Has there been any discussion on your end about a third one?

BLAIR: No.

Get on the phone!

BLAIR: (Laughs) I would love to. I love those people.

Do you keep up with the comics since the movie has exploded into this huge thing now?

BLAIR: No, I’m not like a meltdown buying them whenever a new one comes out. I couldn’t even get my action figure. I had to get one sent to me from Universal. I went to the store. I was so embarrassed trying to buy your own action figure.

It is Universal. That is the problem right there.

BLAIR: They did send me some. I actually have three incarnations of my action figure - ‘on fire’ Liz, ‘really burning with fire’ Blue Liz, and then ‘regular’ Liz.

Is that odd for you going into a store and seeing a doll of yourself?

BLAIR: Oh, I love it. I just love it. I have no shame. Everyone else is like “Oh, it’s weird.” I’m like, “No, it’s not weird.” Oh my God, I wish I could give it to all my friends. I love it. That was a thrill. And she’s so petite. Her thighs didn’t touch the way mine do. (Laughs) She looked taller. Yeah, I loved it.

When you’re looking at the doll at the store, has anybody approached you and said “Oh, that’s you!” and they’re trying to….nothing?

BLAIR: No.

Why don’t you take it off the shelf and display it next to you?

BLAIR: They knew who I was when I went in the store. I was like “Got any dolls that are like me?” And they were all sold out. I was like, “I know it’s so embarrassing but you only get a doll made once in a life, if that.” So, I’m going to go in. I have no shame.

That’s a good thing that they were sold out already.

BLAIR: I know. Right?

Well as long as you have merchandising rights.

BLAIR: Oh, puleez! Do you think I’m George Lucas and Harrison Ford? My God, no! I can’t even get a doll. Forget the merchandising rights. No, that was a thrill though. I have no shame. Oh my God.

Are you still finding that balance between the bigger, more commercial projects and then these kind of more interesting films where you can immerse yourself into the character and explore more?

BLAIR: I guess I’ll always go back and forth. There is a really light, joyous side to me that can tap into some really over the top comedy stuff. I love the physical comedy. I love all that and then I really love the stuff that’s the grey matter in our minds. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to do both. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to continue working…if I shut up (Laughs).

I think fans are more interested in what you have to say than you give yourself credit for. So, with that in mind, can you talk about the plot of the film that you have coming up next, Columbus Circle? How does your character in that fit in?

BLAIR: I play a reclusive heiress who’s been a shut-in for 17 years in her Columbus Circle apartment in New York. She’s been really damaged and there’s a murder than happens across the hallway and the police start coming around and they start to question her. She has one confidante in her life played by Beau Bridges and he was a friend of her fathers who helps support me in this seclusion. I have tons of money and so I order everything online which explains the really snazzy wardrobe. (Laughs) It’s a thriller and I don’t want to give too much away. Hopefully, it works and it will be worth telling. A couple moves across the hallway into the murdered woman’s apartment and brings me out of my shell and lures me into this. It’s the con in me, maybe. (Laughs)

With a script like that, which sounds like a mystery thriller that has a lot of twists and turns, are you good at figuring out the ending before you get to it?

BLAIR: No, no, I’m pretty lazy in the brain. I just keep reading. I don’t really think about it. This one actually surprised me. It was a good script but I think the way I’m playing it, I’ve changed the whole ending. I’ve got to tell those directors. (Laughs) It’s for real. I have too much chemistry with the girl, with Amy Smart, so now we look like we’re a couple. The whole character has changed. (Laughs) The whole thing. It’s so funny. The director takes me aside and says, “You guys have a lot of chemistry in these scenes.” So I was like, “It’s so weird.” She’s a reclusive shut-in that falls in love with the girl…that’s too much. (Laughs) I’ve ruined this film.

Ben Kingsley has said in the past that it’s much more difficult to play a drunk character with the choreography in terms of re-shooting and getting back in character. Did you find that to be true shooting Sarah?

BLAIR: Well, shooting Sarah, it was such a short time and we moved so quickly so yes, I imagine if it were to be a much longer shoot and you have to stay true to continuity while you’re also still kind of free falling with a character that’s drunk, because who knows what comes out when you have the liberty of being drunk, so yeah, I imagine what Sir Ben Kingsley says is…I can imagine. But with this one, we’d just do a couple takes so there wasn’t a ton to repeat but I was conscious of it. You have a continuity person coming up to you saying, “Okay. You stumbled here. You picked this up and turned it around in your glass.” And it is kind of difficult to have to match things when you’re free associating and free falling. Thank God the shoot was so short so it wasn’t that challenging.

I always look forward to seeing what you’re going to do when you’re doing a public event, when you’re on a red carpet or something because you seem to have fun with your fashion. Can you talk about your approach to personal style? Does it differ in your everyday life from what it is when you’re doing a big public event?

BLAIR: I think for a while I really tried to impress my mother when I’d get gussied up for a red carpet event. I hold her in the highest esteem and how she would put herself together and how she wanted her children put together with very classic fashion sensibilities so I really honored her with that and felt much more comfortable when I’d go out and just felt very appropriate for the event, because what comes out of my mouth isn’t always appropriate so I feel like you have to have a balance, like you can’t scare people away too much. But yeah, in my own life, I run the gamut from completely immature, kind of punk clothing even though I’m not punk but I do love some of the fun of that even though I’m probably far too old to wear it, but I guess a punk would say, “Fuck off! It doesn’t matter.” (Laughs) So, no apologies there. You know, I just wear everything. I mean, as a child I would dress in costume a lot. Every day was a different style at school and my mom thought I was crazy but I enjoyed it and no one ever gave me any flack for it. But no, I almost completely wear a gown one day and then wear a whole equestrian outfit the next day with the boots and the crop. I mean, ludicrous. But it was really fun and I think if you’re well meaning, the clothing is really, really fun. I like to be a little more conservative in my ‘going out’ life.

“The Poker House” opens in theaters on July 17th.

[[INTERVIEWS]] Selma Blair grows up before our eyes in "The Poker House"

Selma Blair first caught audiences' attention sharing a sexy onscreen kiss with Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions, the teen-take Dangerous Liaisons. She courted controversy again with Todd Solondz's Storytelling, in which her character, an earnest college student, shouted racial epithets while engaged in a sex act with her African-American professor. But her new film, The Poker House, might be her most surprising role to date. The feature directing debut of actor Lori Petty (Point Break), the film is based on Petty's teen years. It tells the story of young Agnes (Jennifer Lawrence), whose home is used as a brothel and gambling den by her drug-addicted mother, played by Blair. The film opens in limited release July 17, before being released on DVD Aug. 18.

Blair's raw, vanity-free performance in The Poker House is a sharp contrast to the stunning, outgoing figure she cuts in real life. In fact, upon meeting the gregarious Blair, it's hard to believe she's made a career of playing tortured souls like firestarter Liz Sherman in the Hellboy franchise. She has proven equally adept at comedy, going all out in the raunchy comedy The Sweetest Thing (for Cruel Intentions director Roger Kumble) and on last year's NBC comedy Kath & Kim, in which she played Molly Shannon's spoiled daughter. But perhaps her best comedic turn is as herself, in a popular YouTube video that pokes fun at the paparazzi—and at Blair. (See below.) Recently, Blair spoke to Back Stage about criticism, auditioning, and acting her age.

Back Stage: Had you met Lori before she offered you the role in The Poker House?

Selma Blair: I didn't know Lori before. I read the script and wanted to play it right away, then found out it was based on real events in her life. I was so moved and proud of her—although, who am I to be proud of her—but just as a woman, knowing she had gone through such a dark period and was writing about it and had become such an accomplished actress. So I didn't know her, but I fell in love with her right away. She's a pretty grand woman.

Back Stage: Were you at all hesitant to work with a first-time director?

Blair: She's an actress, obviously, so I felt really comfortable in her hands. And she's not a shrinking violet, so if I'm doing something that's really off, she would have no qualms telling me to stop. So I never felt tentative; I never worried, "Is this too big?" It felt real to me. But I know one reviewer said, in a negative way, "This film has the biggest performance in the world, it's so over-the-top, by Selma Blair." Lori said, "No, don't you listen." Because when people are that strung out and wanting to escape from their life but at the same time wanting to get noticed, those are some big, ugly moments.

Back Stage: So you're admitting you read your reviews?

Blair: I'm sort of a glutton for punishment. Actually, that's not totally true, but in this case I was so supportive of Lori, I wanted to read all the reviews. So I came across that sentence. It's so sad; it's so much easier to remember the criticism than the praise.

Back Stage: How do you deal with criticism?

Blair: In this case, I told myself I should probably just be glad they're talking about the damn movie.

Back Stage: Do you spend any time reading what the public is saying, like on message boards?

Blair: I try not to. Guillermo [del Toro] warned me during Hellboy not to check out message boards, but I did. And I was like, "Oh my God, people hate me! They think I'm the ugliest thing ever and should be chained up and live in a basement." People really get creative with hatred on the Internet. And it's hard, it's cyber bullying. You should know better not to get involved with that negativity, but we're human and we're intrigued when people are saying something about us. But there are supporters, too; there are fan sites that are really nice that I check in on once in a while. And it's sweet, and I'm just grateful to have a fan. But Guillermo said it best when he told me, "Don't look. It's like licking the bottom of a toilet seat: Nothing good is going to come of it."



Back Stage: Would you say Poker House was one of your most challenging roles?

Blair: People assume that. And they say same thing about Storytelling: "Oh, how hard to go there." But it's my strength—or weakness—as an actor and as a person that those are the easy roles for me. The darker sides of people are a familiar spot for me, and those are much more comfortable, honest roles for me. There's something to hold on to, rather just being there and being the girl.

Back Stage: The film features an amazing performance by young actor Jennifer Lawrence. You also started out young—

Blair: Well, not really. I went to college at the University of Michigan first, and actually started kind of late. But one of my first films that people saw was Cruel Intentions, where I was playing a 14-year-old. But I was, like, 26 or something. I was lucky because I got to play a teen for a really long time. Which is fortunate, because I don't think I would have been able to break into this business without being able to play a teen for a time. God knows, if I moved here now, I can't imagine I'd get a job, ever. So I'm grateful for that and grateful that I got to grow up on screen—even though I was already grown up, so I didn't have all the angst that goes with actually growing up.

Back Stage: Did you ever worry about being stuck in young roles?

Blair: I still get stuck in young roles, other than this one. But I try to break out. I'm going to be a 40-year-old woman before I'm going to be anything else, so it's so funny when people say, "Oh, she's a teenager, we'll think of her for the daughter or the daughter's friend." I want to say, "Oh my God, someone look at me! I'm a grown-up." But, truthfully, I've never really minded. I just figure I'll have to learn to be a better actress for them to see me this way.

Back Stage: Did you study acting at University of Michigan?

Blair: No, I went to University of Michigan for my Fine Arts in English and psychology. I mean, I was interested in acting. I did plays there and, of course, in high school—the kind that would empty out at intermission. It's pretty sad, but even that experience toughened me up. I'd just say to myself, "Not good enough; I didn't keep them." The first one I did was a snooze cruise. I'm really sorry, T.S. Eliot, but it was Murder in the Cathedral. Really, do a bunch of kids want to hear monologue after monologue about medieval times? If I could have left at intermission, I would have!

Back Stage: Are you still interested in doing theater?

Blair: I really want to do theater now. I'd do it anywhere that's going to be the right thing for me—I'm better suited for Mamet than I would be for Shakespeare. I love having rehearsal time; in film it's a rare experience to get to explore a character because so much of it is done with editing and lighting and there are so many other storytellers involved. Which is amazing, but as an actor it's so different from what I thought I'd be doing. Which is breaking down a character and discussing it with the other characters and building trust. Sometimes on film, it's the first time I've ever said the lines.

Back Stage: Can't you just ring up David Mamet and suggest working together?

Blair: I think some people could. I mean, if Julia Roberts picked up the phone and called you, you'd be pleased. If Selma Blair picked up the phone…they might think you're mentally unhinged. I'm not saying I'm at a bad point in my career, but you kind of have to get a point where that's okay. But maybe that's just in my head; maybe I should try it. Cut to: me in jail for stalking David Mamet.

Back Stage: Is there anyone else you want to work with?

Blair: I would love to work with Roman Polanski; I'm sorry to all the people who are detractors of his personal life, but I really love his films. Jeffrey Tambor told me to write him a letter. What would I say? "Dear Roman, I would love to play in one of your big movies. I am an actress. Sometimes I am quite good. Goodbye!"

Back Stage: Do you still audition for roles?

Blair: Oh, absolutely. I'm really not trying to be self-deprecating, because, as my mother tells me, there are enough people that will take me down a notch, I don't need to. But I don't audition amazingly well. A lot of it is based on confidence, and if I have the confidence, I can really flourish and do it. Audition rooms can be very critical, and it can shut you down. You have your page and it's kind of rattling and you turn the page and you lose momentum—it's like an intermission every time you go to look at the next page. I don't know if I've ever gotten a job from an audition, except for Cruel Intentions.

Back Stage: I understand that was sort of an unusual audition.

Blair: Well, I'd come to L.A. from New York and I auditioned for a bunch of things and got some really silly stuff. And by the time Cruel Intentions came along, I was so used to not getting stuff and callous to criticism. So I went in there, and the director, Roger Kumble, said, "Okay, so how old are you?" He wanted to make sure I was 18 to play the part. But I thought, "Oh, he must think I look 26." So I said, "Fuck off, how old are you?" And he just kind of sat up in his chair. Any other director would have said, "That's rude and I'm not paying attention to her audition." But it was just a case of meeting someone you get along with and was amused by my audacity.

Back Stage: Roger also directed some episodes of Kath & Kim. Did you enjoy doing television?

Blair: I'd done TV years ago, playing Zoe Bean [in the WB show Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane], and it was so much fun. I was terrified because it was a live studio audience, but I loved the people and the experience. But I didn't think TV was for me. There's just too many opinions, and it's hard on the creative process—unless it's cable, where they let you do what you want. I'm glad I did it, and I loved the cast and the producers. And at times, it was really freeing to get to play this sloppy girl who thought she was all that. Someone who's so confident was so fun. I could do anything and not have to worry: I could make any ugly face, and she thought she was the shit. But I think that show should have been on cable. It should have gone further and slightly darker. It was the brightest, most Technicolor show. TV is a hard process; my hat's off to people who do it.

Back Stage: Was there ever a time when you thought about leaving the business?

Blair: Not since I came out to L.A. There are times when I wish I could change some qualities about myself so I could be more successful or get to choose things or to get off my duff and write something. It'll probably come; I think I may just be a late bloomer. But when I was in New York and trying for a few years, I was dirt poor and living in the Salvation Army and I had a moment before bed one night. I was sleeping on this little cot and I thought, "I'm going to give it two more days." Sure enough, an agent called the next day who had seen me in a class. I think she thought I was horrible, but she saw something in me. So she called me in and had me read, and I signed with her. It took another 75 auditions for me to even book a commercial, but I was on my way.

Back Stage: Anything else you want to add?

Blair: Everything I've said in this interview is a lie. [Laughs.]

By Jenelle Riley

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[[MEDIA-VIDEO]] Selma talking about The Poker House

Actress-turned-director Lori Petty makes her feature directorial debut with Poker House, a period drama set in 1976 that explores a typical day in the life of a decidedly atypical teen named Agnes (Jennifer Lawrence). Some folks have the luxury of living each day to the fullest, but for Agnes every day is a grueling struggle for survival; her mother (Selma Blair) is strung-out on drugs, her home has been overrun by degenerates, and her only father figure is a pimp. For Agnes and her two younger sisters this particular day will be marked by both tragedy and triumph, but which will resonate most in the days and weeks to follow? We recently met up with Petty, as well as her two leading ladies Selma Blair and Jennifer Lawrence, to chat

about the making of this coming of age drama. To watch our exclusive interviews, click on the video below:

[[INTERVIEWS]] Blair Talks 'Poker House,' 'Cruel' Kiss

Actress Says Infamous 'Cruel Intentions' Kiss Was 'A Cultural Moment'

Ever since she burst onto the scene in 1999's 'Cruel Intentions,' Selma Blair has taken roles of all shapes and sizes, though generally, she plays characters much younger than her actual age thanks to her "little pudgy face," as she calls it. Now, she's taking on a much more mature role -- that of a strung-out junkie mother in Lori Petty's semi-autobiographical film 'The Poker House.' PopEater chatted with Selma about her new role, her racy 'Cruel Intentions role (and yes, the lesbian kiss between her and Sarah Michelle Gellar) and how she enjoys a good chat with the paparazzi.

Read It All Below:

How do you go about preparing for a role like yours, being a junkie?

I find the ones that are darker to be more truthful. My experience as a person goes that way more than the energetic stuff I play. Even though my part isn't too huge, I think Lori did a brilliant job with the writing. I spoke to her about her mother, and just really got honest with myself about moments where I've encountered people like this.

How true to form is the story?

I'm not sure. Lori kept telling me 'bigger, uglier.' The moments you're with people that are really screwing up in life and are still trying to get attention, those are big, ugly moments. After somebody saw the screening, they said 'Oh, a big over-the-top performance from Selma Blair,' and I was like 'No, that's contained for what we're dealing with.' People forget how big and ugly things can be.

Is there a performance from the past you studied that played the junkie role?

I don't think I did because I'm such a mimic I'd just wind up copying them. It's just something where I wanted to be there in the moment ... and not really see her. Look at her through drug-stained eyes. I loved that challenge.

You were born in 1972... that was very surprising given how young you look.

Oh, thank you. I've kind of made my career off of playing much younger people, but I think those days are probably gone. I think this year it caught up with me. It's such a gift because it allowed me to get into this business. When I was playing 14-year-old Cecile Caldwell in 'Cruel Intentions' I was 26 years old. I would have never been able to get a job in Hollywood without much professional experience without that teen craze that hit. I'm so grateful I got to play these immature characters and that my little pudgy face worked for youth. It's difficult though, because there's roles I want now of accomplished, stronger women, and they're like 'What? You're like a woman-child.' So, things need to shift.

Do you think this role will receive the 'attractive actress goes ugly for a role' label?

I don't know if anyone ever considered me to be such a great beauty to begin with, so I don't think they'd think I uglied it down. [laughs] It is fun to play a character where you can rough yourself up a bit, but I haven't thought at all about people's reactions.

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How did you manage to not go off the rails early on in your career like many people do?

Well, there's still time for that. We're not out of the woods until the fat lady sings. But, I was a grown-up. I went to college, I was a triple major. I considered myself really, really lucky to get to work. It happens that people mess up, and then they get back on track. I'm not going to judge anyone.

What's the most interesting or irritating paparazzi incident you've had?

I don't get the barrage of them, but it's such a major business that every actress does now and then. I've had some really sweet paparazzi. There's been days where I've been feeling lonely, walking my dog and someone takes my picture and I strike up a conversation. I think 'Oh, that's a very nice guy' ... I wish I had more makeup on and did my hair, but still nice.

Do you think the 'Cruel Intentions' kiss between you and Sarah Michelle Gellar was a culturally significant moment, and the catalyst for all of the recent obsession with same-sex kisses on TV and in Hollywood?

I think that whole movie is a cultural moment. Besides the John Hughes movies of the '80s, this was the first wave of movies where teens are telling explicit stories and being the stars of movies again. It started this huge wave of it, and this kissing scene which I didn't think at the time was a big deal, it opened the door for a lot of ... even though my character wasn't a lesbian, it opened the door for a lot of same sex relationships to be on TV and in movies.

Do you think the movie paved the way for shows like 'Gossip Girl'?

It absolutely paved the way for shows like that. Youth is beautiful. Even ugly young people are beautiful. The stories are so dramatic, and I think people were really excited and were like 'Why aren't we doing more of this?' And now, of course, they are. And it's so much, and I'm not a teenager any more.

[[INTERVIEWS]] The Pocker House

By :Billy Gil

bgil@questex.com,

I’ll come out and say it: Selma Blair is one of my favorite modern actresses. She doesn’t act as much as emote, using her whole body and curling her mouth into a pout that hides a thousand dirty secrets. She seems off and weird in everything she’s in, and it’s completely affecting in a bizarre way.

Blair’s distinctive persona is on at full force in The Poker House, Lori Petty’s directorial debut, coming to DVD ($29.99) Aug. 18 (prebook July 21) from Phase 4 Films. In the film Blair plays a fictionalized version of Petty’s mother, Sarah, a boozy, drug-addicted woman with three children who runs a “house of ill repute,” with prostitutes and gambling, in small-town Iowa. Blair sways and slurs her way through the film, showing hardly a shred of concern for her daughters, even in the face of sexual abuse.

Selma Blair in The Poker House

I spoke to Blair about her tough role and what inspires her.

IndieFile: From where did you draw inspiration to play this role?

Blair: Not to be too simplistic, but I thought it was written in a really good, poetic and hateful way. We all have some horrific sides. And I am not saying this is my mother, but you draw things from people, or I do as an actress. Some of the mannerisms did come from my mother. I did copy some of her mannerisms to play an adult because I never do it! I’ve cultivated this weird world of adolescence in my career.

IndieFile: What was the hardest scene to film?

Blair: It was all super easy, except there’s a moment where I go into the bathroom after [the rape scene]. You feel so much for Jennifer (Lawrence, who plays Agnes, the fictionalized version of Petty) and she extends her arms to me and … I’m going on about what a pain in my ass she was. That was one of my more painful moments. I had to hold back from crying. She’s sitting in the tub, naked, crying to me … and I don’t think my character would be as effective [if she broke down], as she didn’t want to feel that.

IndieFile: What’s it like going back and forth between characters such as this and your role as Vi in Storytelling versus films such as the Hellboy movies?

Blair: I love it. I love both experiences. I love the scope and the expectation of big studio films, but the independent films you really kind of get left alone. … Most of these films are made out-of-pocket and there’s a lot of love and sacrifice that goes into it.

IndieFile: Speaking of which, are you working with Guillermo del Toro again soon on Hellboy or another project?

Blair: I wish I could say differently, but no, he is busy on The Hobbit and I am not in that, as much as I would love to work with Guillermo in any capacity again – I love that man and I love what he creates. I loved being in his vision for Hellboy, but for now it is completely on the backburner.

IndieFile: Do you think you’re a different actress on TV (“Kath & Kim,” “Zoe”) versus movies?

Blair: Yes. I think if maybe it were cable and there were a tone you were allowed to have, it would have the same kind of, I don’t know, spirit that comes through. … But I love the immediacy of TV. I don’t watch it much, but I appreciate it. It’s really hard work to make things look that phony in technicolor. That’s a real game that is really fascinating to me. Kim was a really sloppy, confident girl that was fun to play.

IndieFile: Did you do anything special for the “Kath & Kim” DVD?

Blair: I did a commentary for a few episodes. I hope that that show lives on, on home video, and that people enjoy it because there were some outrageous, silly moments, and when I tuned in, I really enjoyed it. I will not listen to myself on the commentary though.

IndieFile: Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I feel like you do a lot of difficult projects and a lot of difficult acting. In a film like Cruel Intentions, which is more on the Hollywood side of things, your role is smaller but still unforgettable. And I keep coming back to Storytelling and how awkward that must have been to play. Do you think you’re drawn to difficult roles?

Blair: I think I definitely am. I don’t know if it’s because no one else wants those roles. I love Storytelling. I love Todd Solondz’s rhythm and these silent awkward moments in the film. I am drawn to that. Parts of me wish I could be this really vibrant leading lady that can make something out of a really boring role. I’m sure I could do it, I’m not saying I suck, but I think my strength is in playing awkward, uncomfortable people who are really kind of ugly, who have real obvious weaknesses.

IndieFile: There are also a lot of difficult sexual issues at play in your roles. Is that also something that intrigues you as an actress?

Blair: I guess so. I guess I’m just drawn to the awkward moments. I think I just view it as part of life. I don’t view them as difficult roles. Those are the ones that are easier for me. It’s when I have to sit at a dinner scene and make a toast and be charming I think, how do people do this? I’m pretty in touch with the things that make people lie awake at night.

[[MEDIA-VIDEO]] Craig Ferguson, Late Late Show

[[ARTICLES]] Beau Bridges joins Selma Blair thriller 'Columbus Circle'

by Mandi Bierly
Categories: Film, News

Beau Bridges has been added to the cast of Columbus Circle, an independent thriller starring Selma Blair as a woman who hasn't left her Manhattan apartment building in nearly two years when a detective (Giovanni Ribisi) knocks on her door to investigate a neighbor's murder. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bridges will play a doctor who's also a family friend and her longtime confidant. Kevin Pollack costars as her building's concierge. Amy Smart and Jason Lee round out the principals as the couple who moves into that newly vacated apartment next door. Pollack cowrote the film, now shooting in Los Angeles, with director George Gallo.

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