Gina Gershon: as bold as she is free, she's coming out swinging and singing in two brand-new cult-perfect movies

Interview, Oct, 2003 by Don Was

Gina Gershon, who's long provided a blueprint for actresses eager to gain acclaim while Indulging their taste for the unexpected, is about to deliver another whammy--two, in fact. In the just-released drama Demonlover, Gershon delivers a hilarious turn as a cutthroat business executive, revealing her rarely seen funny bone. She also stars as s singer-songwriter In this month's Prey for Rock and Roll, where she steps in front of the mike and sings the film's numbers herself (she also co-produced the movie, her first such credit). Scheduled to headline a caries of concerti through this month In a number of cities, filmgoers and clubgoers alike have an opportunity to look and listen as Gershon unleashes her inner rock star.

DON WAS: Gina!

GINA GERSHON: Don! Hey, I just got a new chandelier. It looks great. I wish you could see it.

DW: [laughs] If I could pick a spot to vacation, I'd take your aprtment for three weeks. Are you ever anywhere for three weeks?

GG: If everything works out, I'll be in New York for around three weeks. We're going to do a mini-tour to promote Prey For Rock and Roll and we'll rehearse there.

DW: That'll be amazing. You know, the road is strewn with the remains of actors who've attempted to carve out a musical career for themselves. But you, I think, are an actor who could pull the thing off.

GG: Wow. That's a big statement.

DW: Well, there's a strange clause in the agreement between artists and the audience. We reward an actor who transforms into a character that's completely disconnected from their actual sell But music's different. It's about the essence of who you are. People are serious about their music. After all, Bob Dylan isn't joking. Keith Richards isn't kidding around. And as an actor your instincts have been more like a musician's. Your choices of roles have established a connection between your characters and Your real life. You are believable. For example, that drive you took to Florida ...

GG: You're obsessed with my drive to Florida! I don't understand why.

DW: Well, describe what you did, and we'll let the people decide.

GG: Okay. I've been obsessed with the circus and freak shows, and rye always wanted to go to this town in Florida where a lot of circus and freak show people live, so I drove there. It was this strange journey. When I got there everyone kept saying "You've got to find Little Petal You need to meet Little Pete!" And I'm like, "How am I going to find this guy?" But I kind of put my antennae up, and within half an hour, I found him.

DW: See? I think that's bold. Very few people would muster up the courage to get in the car and do that alone.

GG: But that's one of my favorite things to do. I like going on trips by myself. One time I drove through Ohio and I didn't talk to anyone for six weeks. I like to travel and sort my brain out.

DW: See? There's a tremendous amount of fearlessness in that.

GG: If something really makes me nervous or fearful, I must do it.

DW: "It's a bewildering thing in human life that the thing that causes the greatest fear is the source of the greatest wisdom. One's greatest foolishness is one's biggest stepping stone. No one can become a wise man without being a terrible fool."

GG: What are you reading--[Carl] Jung?

DW: Yeah, this is Jung.

GG: Wow. That's so true. That's amazing. Anything that gives you encouragement to fall on your face is always great. If you make a fool of yourself, so what? At least you'll learn from it.

DW: Yeah. It gives you permission to be fearless, which is your appeal, I think. Like immersing yourself so deeply in a film like Prey for Rock and Roll--your portrayal of a singer on the ropes is captivating, and you're a better singer than some of the people releasing records. That's why I think you will be accepted in music.

GG: Listen, if I can make music and people like it, that's great. I think if you're in something in a genuine way, and you're there for the right reasons, and you're in the moment, you'll be okay.

DW: You've certainly been there in acting, but have you experienced that in music as well, where you're playing in the moment?

GG: Well, in the movie there are three [concert] performances, and in the first two my character was trying to be kind of cool and it was a little bit posey. But by the end, when she's just doing it for herself, there's so much more freedom. So, yeah, I experienced that with music then, although I was acting. And I also experienced that when I got the chance to play with Camp Freddy [a band with Dave Navarro, Donovan Leitch, Matt Sorum, and Billy Morrison].

DW: I want to tell you, that first night you and I played together, you were great.

GG: Thank you. You were so encouraging. You made it safe to sound like an asshole.

DW: Thank you. Now, can I offer one piece of advice? The boxer Leon Spinks rose to some prominence by knocking out Muhammad Ali, but he didn't really achieve fame or respect. So knocking out Bob Dylan is not the way to replace him in the pantheon of great songwriters.

GG: [laughs] It's not?