OUR LATEST ISSUE
The best of The Big Interview 2008
Alan Carr
From Christina to Celine and Liza to Leona... itââ¬â¢s the best of The Big Interview
"'I believe that my gay audience understands me better than anyone else. I think that a lot of people are born gay and suffer terribly until they finally come to terms with it. And I know that my gay audience knows exactly what I'm talking about with all these songs where it's about we're going to make it, we're going to come through.' Liza Minnelli"
We’ve met the cream of the crop of the world’s musicians, writers, actors, comedians and even the odd politician for Pride Life’s weekly Big Interview, and here is a quick look at the best bits...
Christina Aguilera - Is it true that you like looking at photos of women?
I do! I think that women are really beautiful beings and I think that sometimes the sight of a naked female can be more arousing than a man. Sexuality is sexuality. I think we should all be free to enjoy what we enjoy. We like what we like.
Liza Minnelli - You hang out with a nice gay posse; Madonna, Liz Taylor, Barbra Streisand...
There's a lot of us. But I believe, seriously, no joking, that my gay audience understands me better than anyone else. I think that a lot of people are born gay and suffer terribly until they finally come to terms with it. And I know that my gay audience knows exactly what I'm talking about with all these songs where it's about we're going to make it, we're going to come through.
John Barrowman - Would it be difficult to adopt an older child into a gay household because they would already have their prejudices?
See I don’t look at it as going into a gay household; I look at it as going into a household. And if the child comes into the household there are going to be things maybe that it’s not used to and that’s part of being a family: explaining things and opening up their outlook and mind to that kind of stuff. But I would think that if you’re giving a child love, a roof over its head, support, a life, they would not be judgmental at all. Children are the least judgmental. It’s the adults who are the judgmental ones.
Donna Summer - You once said in an interview that your first boyfriend was gay…
Oh definitely! I’ve had gay friends all my life since I was a young girl. Of all the people in my neighbourhood who didn’t shun them, it was me and yes, one of my boyfriends was gay. We were extremely close and we used to kiss and make out, then obviously at some point, as he began to know himself, we weren’t so close! (laughs)… but we became best friends and he went to live in Sweden when I went to Germany. That’s why when people say to me I’m homophobic or whatever, it’s really offensive on a lot of levels. I just thought people knew me better than that.
Alan Carr - You’ve done stand-up for years, what’s the worst heckle you’ve ever had?
I was comparing in Birmingham and did the usual, “What do you do?” and he was like, “I’m an ambulance man,” and so I say, “Oh, what’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen?” and he goes, “You!”
Bette Midler - And what about crazy sex? Because the 70s were a time for crazy sex?
Oh, crazy, crazy, crazy sex. We did a lot of our crazy sex. Oh, the memories. Memories like the corners of my mind. Crazy sex. Yeah, what about it?
Dawn French - Do you feel you sold out doing the Chocolate Orange ads?
No, I was delighted to do them! The point is I love Terry’s Chocolate Orange, always have and I would have paid them to do that job. And if I didn’t have that job, I wouldn’t be able to do theatre where you don’t get paid for six months. I’m proud of those adverts. And what I’m especially proud about is that they’ve got a fat bird advertising chocolate because you get fat if you eat chocolate and they’ve had the courage to do that. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
Joan Rivers - With all your bitching, do you worry about bad karma?!
Truthful is not rude. I don’t think anybody’s ever been hurt by anything said, truly, truly. Tell me something I’ve said that hurt somebody? When I was doing all the great Elizabeth Taylor jokes I called her up and said, ‘If anything I’m saying hurts you, I’ll stop.’ She said, ‘You don’t hurt me where I live.’ We’re very good friends. We did the first AIDS benefit together in LA so she’s fine.
Brian Friedman - Have you ever been bullied for being gay?
I got ‘faggot’ all the time at school and I was mortified because I wasn’t out, I was just a little boy who liked wearing pink. I used to get made fun of for shaving my legs because I just didn’t have any hair on my legs. And I had rosy cheeks so I got teased for wearing make-up and I never did. Now I do. But I just used it to make me what I am. It was like, ‘If you’re going to call me gay, I’ll be gay!’ I didn’t come out till I was 17 though. I was extremely virginal as a kid but once I came out all hell broke loose! I only came out to my parents when I was 26.
Adele - You already have a reputation for your voice – are you precious with it?
God no, I smoke 30 a day! It’s good for my voice, but bad for my lungs. I find myself having to sit down the whole time. You know, after dancing along to really slow songs!
Celine Dion - How would you feel if your six-year-old son came to you at some stage and said, "Mum, I've got something to tell you..."?
That he's gay? He's my son and I love him! I'm not against that. I mean, it's not "Mum, I want to be gay", it's "Mum, I am gay". This is his soul, this is his heart, this is his sex and his way of living and who he sleeps with. This is his happiness. That's all I want. I want him to be happy. I want him to be successful as a human being. It's not a mistake and it's not a disappointment. I want my son to be able to talk to me. I'm with him. I wanted that son. If he's a gay person, he's not any less of my son or any less happy for that. I want him to be able to achieve as much happiness as possible as a human being.
Brian Paddick - What would you advise to a young person struggling with the idea of ‘coming out’?
If you try and be something that you’re not, people pick that up. Being able to be yourself, completely yourself, including your sexuality, is very liberating. People feel comfortable in your company because they know you are being yourself. Second, there is a difficulty with parents. My dad reacted very badly, not in an angry way, more in a devastated way. And yet, after a few months if I came round without my partner he would want to know where he was.
Gloria Estefan - At 51, have you ever been tempted to do a Madonna and strip off to promote an album?
For God’s sake! I didn’t when I could have. Why would I do it now? Are you crazy? It’s just not me. I’m not exhibitionist and I don’t have to share every private aspect of myself with the world. I don’t have that need. It just wasn’t me.
Jane McDonald - Do you think there’s still a market for your kind of cabaret act in 21st century?
Definitely. Variety’s coming back and because I’ve never changed who I was: diva, big orchestra, dresses, glitz, mirror balls, the lot. I think camp is what I’m trying to say. And that’s now deemed to be trendy so now my concerts are bigger than they were. And everyone comes. I get a lot of teenagers come, a lot of women my age because they’ve been through everything I have and it’s a giggle and disco and then I’ve got my boys. It’s all about big dresses and big songs. I’ve always given audiences what they want. I’ve never tried to be clever about it or be hip.
Josh Groban - You grew up loving musicals, didn’t you?
I did. My parents were really big on getting me introduced to many different styles. You could have something like The Who’s Tommy which was a rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar and Chess which were pretty much pop musicals and then you could have something like Fiddler On The Roof or Sweeney Todd that were huge, big voice, orchestral operas and it was inspiring to me. I like to act and I like to sing. I had a passion for it.
Julie Walters - There have been a number of film stars doing the nude thing on stage recently - like your very own Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, would you get your kit off on stage?
Take my clothes off! I couldn’t let anyone see that [pinching stomach fat]. Noooo! You have no idea what you’re saying my darling. The idea is to draw people into the theatre not scare them away!
Kylie Minogue - Are you starting to feel too old for all this?
A couple of times I have when you’re doing shows and you suddenly realise that some of these people are 17 years old. I think kids these days aren’t like we were. I was like a bumbling fool at 17 compared to the 17-year-olds you meet now, they’re so confident.
Rupert Everett - You’re one of very few ‘out’ movie stars – does homophobia ever affect you?
Homophobia is a thing that looks like it doesn’t exist. First of all because of political correctness and second of all because round here, in Soho, there’s this little bubble ghetto so we can have the illusion that we’re free and can now snog in the street and hold hands in Soho and we can get some kinds of jobs without anyone doing anything, but don’t try and be the CEO of a company and go for a corporate dinner with your boyfriend or don’t try and join a football team and don’t try and be a movie star.
Matthew Todd - What’s after Blowing Whistles? Are you already writing your next play?
I want to write a one-man show called An Inconvenient Poof, based on the column I write in Attitude [where he’s editor]. I’m much more interested in politics myself. It would be like a stand-up show that I would do. I did a really great stand-up show in Brighton last year and I thought, “I want to get back into this.” But it’s been an intense year what with taking on Attitude and all that. I’m also trying to write a play about climate change that makes everyone fall asleep. Everyone I’ve mentioned it to eyes shut in front of me.
Leona Lewis - You work in a glamorous industry though and people are bound to wear fur, does that bother you?
It’s very glamorous in America and very extravagant, but I don’t force my opinion on anyone. Everyone has the right to do what they want but I do think people should be informed of where stuff comes from, but I would never force anything on anyone.
Pink - You once said you’re ‘trisexual’. Explain yourself...
I’ll try anything once! And there’s plenty left to try. I’m totally open to new experiences. Although compared to how I used to be, I’m pretty mellow these days.
Pussycat Dolls - Do straight men love Pussycat Dolls as much as gay men?
Nicole: I think they do but probably more for the visual factor. If they do buy the CD it’ll be like they’re buying it for their girlfriends. I think gay men appreciate us more because we’re about fashion and glamour and exuding sexuality about woman. It’s about self expression so that makes it fabulous.
