Romeo
and Juliet as Booster
Berlin film coverage - Translated from a
German newspaper
Alicia Silverstone on her role in the
Shakespeare-adaptation "Loveīs Labourīs Lost"
and her next movie project. When Alicia Silverstone
conquered the big screen with Clueless in 1995, she
appeared to be a come-to-life Barbie doll. Meanwhile the
23-year-old has become a talented actress, who acted in
such different movies like Hideaway, Batman & Robin
and Blast from the Past (the German title was Eve and the
last gentleman). In the Shakespeare-adaptation Loveīs
Labourīs Lost directed by Kenneth Branagh she even had
to sing and dance.
Markus Tschiedert interviewed Alicia Silverstone.
Miss Silverstone, when was your first contact with
Shakespeare?
I was about 16 when I read my first Shakespeare book:
Romeo and Juliet. I was totally excited and couldnīt
believe that someone could write something so beautiful.
Back then I had the opinion that no one could make a film
of his dramas. Only when I watched Henry V and Much ado
about nothing by Kenneth Branagh I was sure that there
actually was someone who could do it.
Didnīt you think it was somehow weird that Branagh
wanted to make a musical out of Shakespeareīs LLL?
My first thought was "Oh, god! I canīt sing. I hope
he doesnīt recognize that. But I claimed nevertheless
that I could dance and sing. When I finally met Kenneth I
was sure that it wonīt work anyway. Four weeks later I
got the message that he wanted me for the role of the
princess. I was so happy!
And then you took dancing- and singing lessons?
Yes. Especially the singing was hard for me. I didnīt
feel like I could really do it. On the other hand singing
is so liberating. Itīs like crying. After youīve cried
for several hours, you feel better. But the greatest
challenge was to sing and dance in front of the camera at
the same time.
In LLL the men make fools out of themselves because they
are in love. What was the stupidest thing a man ever did
for you?
Nowadays men always try to be cool. They dress good,
throw money and believe that they can impress me by that.
But Iīm not into something like that. I like it when men
do crazy things and just cry out loud: I love you! But
that hasnīt happened to me so far.
In 1998 you founded your own production firm, First Kiss.
But up to now you only produced one movie, Excess
Baggage....
And I am very proud of that one movie. In Hollywood there
exist so many production firms who even could not do
that. I am young and have many plans. Next I want to
produce I romantic comedy.
Why have you called your firm First kiss?
Back then I sat with my boyfriend on the veranda and we
thought about the craziest names. First Kiss appealed to
me. The first kiss is always the most exciting one
because at that moment you donīt know what it is like.
Comments: There are other critics of the movie, all
sounded very good, they called the movie "sparkling
like champagne and "the perfect program for a bad
day: you go in, forget about the world, go out - go in
again. They called the LLL party the most elegant one but
regretted that Alicia left after only half an hour.
Translation
and comments by Dreamer
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