iEDROPPERS
get to feel something ofthat in the film.
‘Having said that. A Rage In Harlem has something that you haven‘t seen before. in that you never hear anyone talking about being black. Blackness is not an issue here. I think Bill has managed to put over a message about human-ness. because. although it is a crime story. a comedy. he did fight to get a lot oftruth in there too. I think that our experiences are not all that dissimilar whether you‘re black. white. Asian or whatever. That‘s simple reality we just haven‘t arrived at yet. And that‘s what I don‘t understand.‘
While she‘s in universal brotherhood mode. and with time running out. the
‘Julia Roberts just played a prostitute, so why can‘t I play a prostitute?’
moment seems right to wonder whether she feels she‘s learned anything— as a human being. you understand — through the experience of having her private life exposed to all and sundry.
At which point we get the ‘I basically don‘t like the press‘ answer. After a moment. hoever. as if to acknowledge that we‘ve been a nice little press conference and haven‘t mentioned you~know-who even once. she mellows just a little ‘l‘m also getting to meet journalists on a different level now. Initially. people were more interested in my private life. They didn‘t want to know that l was in a network TV comedy Top Of The Class. they didn‘t want to know about the work that was
very important to me. That was very upsetting.
‘lt‘s interesting even now promoting Rage. getting to meet a lot of people but still being in a sweat when I go into a room with some journalist or other. because my experiences to date have not been good ones. The press were just ridiculous. They didn‘t care about the truth. They just wanted to sell papers. Now I‘m getting to meet people who really care about movies. I mean. The Washington Post didn’t care who I was seeing. That‘s really nice.‘
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The List 27 September -» l(l()etober NW 7