Old Interview I Just Found

[Tammy]

I just found this old interview, I don't know if it has been posted before. I just think it comes across as making Sarah Michelle Gellar sound like...well you'll see when you read it!

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article503330.ece

 

[Chosen Enemy]

Sounds to me like the interviewer is jealous. Because Sarah is everything he's NOT! Famous, hot, beautiful, smart, successful, rich. He'll be stuck doing poor interviews that no one ever reads for the rest of his life.

Plus, I almost never see Sarah in heels, so I can almost be sure she's NOT going to the supermarket wearing heels. So, yeah, full of ridiculous jealousy talk.

 

[PrettyLilGirl]

That interviewer is an ARSE! how did he even get that published. IMO that is an awful interview. People need to stop trashing SMG, i feel sorry for her most the time as she is an amazing actress and people like that are clearly jealous and not even subtly!

 

[Tammy]

I couldn't believe it when i read it. I don't really know how you could not like her, shes never done anything wrong! I didn't like this guy much!

 

[Chosen Enemy]

One of the reasons I'm a fan of Sarah's is because who she is as a person. She is cute, so cool (I always find myself liking cool people, and Sarah is), funny, interesting, etc. This guy doesn't even know her at all!

 

[sisterofmercy]

To be honest, considering the source I'm not all that surprised. The Times is always a bit overly judgemental when it comes to those kind of articles. Plus The Times is generally aimed at those in the older age bracket, so the kind of tone he was invoking makes some sort of sense. To me though, he just comes off as a cynic who's obviously been in the job for a while and become a bit jaded by it all.

 

[Kean]

I'm going to be hung for this, but I don't think the interview was that bad. In fact, considering the time it was done (2004) I think it sounds about right, and certainly expresses an opinion of SMG's persona during interviews that I had for a long time.

I think he was a bit out of line with the clothes comments simply because the magazine shoots are work the same as the interview is, of course she is going to look well for both of them.

However, I absolutely agree about how she often seemed too prepared for each question. How she was a little too knowing of her own beauty and talent. Too eager to show herself to be witty, smart and almost "above it all".

A lack of humility perhaps? I don't know but I did understand where the interviewer was coming from. But I must say, SMG has softened a lot in the last few years. I find her interviews much more warm and enjoyable. They have lost that competitive edge her earlier ones had.

*Prepares for the flying rotten veg coming my way*

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But I must say, SMG has softened a lot in the last few years. I find her interviews much more warm and enjoyable. They have lost that competitive edge her earlier ones had.

I agree. I think once she found out she was not as hot a property as she thought she was, she found some humility.

 

[zobothehobo]

I just feel like if you're going to act that way and don't want to meet people dressed in nice clothes and high heels, don't become a reporter about celebrities. If you think acting on a TV show is "pretending" and that's all, don't be come a celebrity reporter.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I just feel like if you're going to act that way and don't want to meet people dressed in nice clothes and high heels, don't become a reporter about celebrities. If you think acting on a TV show is "pretending" and that's all, don't be come a celebrity reporter.

That wasn't the problem.. read the article again.. it was her "I am just the girl next door" comment. Unwashed hair, jeans and t-shit? That is a load of crap and he called her on it. You have seen enough of the 'candid' pictures of her, even with baby in tow, and you tell me she looks anything like that.

 

[Kean]

I agree. I think once she found out she was not as hot a property as she thought she was, she found some humility.

Perhaps, I think age might have played a part too. Once she hit her thirties I found her so much more likable.

 

[Goby]

I'm going to be hung for this, but I don't think the interview was that bad. In fact, considering the time it was done (2004) I think it sounds about right, and certainly expresses an opinion of SMG's persona during interviews that I had for a long time.

I think he was a bit out of line with the clothes comments simply because the magazine shoots are work the same as the interview is, of course she is going to look well for both of them.

However, I absolutely agree about how she often seemed too prepared for each question. How she was a little too knowing of her own beauty and talent. Too eager to show herself to be witty, smart and almost "above it all".

A lack of humility perhaps? I don't know but I did understand where the interviewer was coming from. But I must say, SMG has softened a lot in the last few years. I find her interviews much more warm and enjoyable. They have lost that competitive edge her earlier ones had.

*Prepares for the flying rotten veg coming my way*

It is a mean interview....but I suspect a lot of it is true.

She seems pretty private, but she is forced to do interviews to promote her movie. I bet she did 100 interviews to promote The Grudge. And I bet she hated every one of them. And I bet she was asked the same question 100 times.

So what did I learn about SMG from the interview? Absolutely nothing. Who do I blame for that? Hugo Rifkind, of course.

SMG was SMG.... and Hugo was a lame interviewer. He failed, and took it out on SMG. It's not her fault that he sucks. Every "canned" answer could have been followed up by another question to push SMG. Hugo didn't do that. Instead of another question, he makes a snippy remark about SMG.

BTW, Hugo wrote this:

Despite being ostensibly aimed at teenagers, the relentless physicality of the show "” along with that schoolgirl edge "” meant that Buffy was adopted as a lust figure by older, male viewers.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.... Buffy is smoking hot in Season 1, with smokin' hot clothes in Season 1. But by Season 2 she has changed.... I actually forget that she's smokin' hot for the rest of the series. The writers focus on her mind, not her appearance. It is her mind and her ethics that I "lust" over. If I wanted to lust over babes I would be watching Baywatch, not BtVS. And although I love Willow, it has nothing to do with "lust." (well, except maybe Vamp Willow 😉 ).

BtVS is deep, and it's not about "lust." It's about amazing writing and amazing acting. Its a story as old as life itself... the battle of good vs. evil.

To me, that shows that Hugo knows nothing about his subject. It is Hugo that failed, not SMG.

 

[zobothehobo]

That wasn't the problem.. read the article again.. it was her "I am just the girl next door" comment. Unwashed hair, jeans and t-shit? That is a load of crap and he called her on it. You have seen enough of the 'candid' pictures of her, even with baby in tow, and you tell me she looks anything like that.

I don't know, I've seen a lot of candid shots of her where her hair looks greasy and unwashed and she's in jeans and a t-shirt. Granted she's also wearing nice shoes... but in the article she says nothing about her shoes. I have noticed the hair though...

 

[Gum Gnome33]

Wow, this interviewer is infuriating.

1. Sarah is an actress. She's an artist. Yes, lots of celebrities revel in the attention and the fame and want to divulge everything about themselves just to get even more of it, but Sarah doesn't do that. Sorry. Go find some talentless "star" who has to rely on all of his/her personal life drama in order to garner more fame because his/her acting chops are sub-par and everyone knows it.

2. What would you say if you were being asked how you feel when you walk into a store with tons photos of you, everywhere? Would you try to downplay it--maybe be a bit humble--the way Sarah did, or would you relish the opportunity to talk even more about how beautiful and perfect you were? And more importantly, which would be more irritating? I vote for the latter. Jeez.

Also, who's this reporter to say that Sarah doesn't look kinda messy when she goes into grocery stores?? Sure, Sarah looks polished for the interview! That's because she's respectful. What does one scenario have to do with the other??
Anyway, I live in a place where I see celebrities all of the time and let me tell you, they don't always look well put together. For one thing, they don't want to be recognized constantly, and for another--they are human beings going out to buy toilet paper and tampons.

3. Kudos for Sarah for not sharing any political opinions. There's a time and place for that. I think celebrities can be very influential and that can be a good thing, (when they're well informed--as Sarah probably is), but this wasn't an appropriate time. Not everyone has to get up on a soapbox and let the world know what they think about the candidates. Actors shouldn't feel obligated to.

Seriously, let's judge her on her incredible talent and make the obvious observation about how down to Earth and pleasant she is, and call it a day! If she doesn't want to live her life under Hollywood's stupid microscope, who are we to insist that she should? I know gossip reporters get paid for divulging juicy information, and since Sarah wouldn't budge, this one was resentful. All I can say is: good for Sarah.

One thing I really liked, btw, was apt comparison of Sarah, (in this interview) to Buffy. Spot on. And that's a good thing. 🙂

 

[Kean]

It is a mean interview....but I suspect a lot of it is true.

She seems pretty private, but she is forced to do interviews to promote her movie. I bet she did 100 interviews to promote The Grudge. And I bet she hated every one of them. And I bet she was asked the same question 100 times.

So what did I learn about SMG from the interview? Absolutely nothing. Who do I blame for that? Hugo Rifkind, of course.

SMG was SMG.... and Hugo was a lame interviewer. He failed, and took it out on SMG. It's not her fault that he sucks. Every "canned" answer could have been followed up by another question to push SMG. Hugo didn't do that. Instead of another question, he makes a snippy remark about SMG.

I respectfully disagree 🙂

In doing those interviews SMG is doing her job. A job she gets paid very handsomely for. Is it tedious, repetitive and annoying? Absolutely. But so is my job and I don't have the perks she does.

And I must ask, what do you know about SMG as a person, anyway? I have read and seen pretty much every interview she has ever done and I cannot say I know anything about her as a person. She just does not share that. And quite frankly I am happy for that because I don't really have a desire to know what she thinks about anything apart from her work. So I wouldn't say it was the interviewer's fault.

As for the canned answers, well I can understand his frustrations, she answered every question either with another question or something non-committal. He has a job to do too. He has an article to write that requires something interesting that people will want to read.

Perhaps they both instantly took a disliking to each other but like I said earlier, I have seen her act like this in other interviews and it doesn't come off any better than the writer describes.

But as always, each to their own. We all see something different. 🙂

---------- Post added at 03:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:41 PM ----------

[MENTION=8252]Scobro[/MENTION] but it was all about the same time wasnt it? I have no idea how old she is, was or will be.. so I dont know.. how old was she when she was doing buffy?

She was 18 starting Buffy, 26 when it finished and 27 during the interview.

 

[WileyDairyGnome]

I think the interviewer is just jealous.

Of course SMG isn't going to get too personal with her answers. It's really no one's business who she voted for or how she and her husband got together. Jeez. How is that any of his business?

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Oh.. and now I will get fruit thrown at me.. but you cant really expect that much from a 27 year old actress that has been given a taste of success. So she was just a teen then when she was on that soap?

 

[Kean]

Oh.. and now I will get fruit thrown at me.. but you cant really expect that much from a 27 year old actress that has been given a taste of success. So she was just a teen then when she was on that soap?

Yeah, I have no idea how young but she was at least 16/17 doing it.

 

[Goby]

I respectfully disagree 🙂

Well I respectfully disagree with you!!! 😛

Let's take the first sentence:

"I HAD a bunch of covers in the States all one week," says Sarah Michelle Gellar, matter-of-factly. "Somebody said to me: "˜How do you go to the grocery store?' But I'm the girl who hasn't washed her hair, and is wearing jeans and a T-shirt. I don't look like I do in the magazines in the supermarket. That's not me at all."

Obviously, this is all very humble and refreshing and down-to-earth. But, to be honest, it's sheer nonsense.

So in real time (not really thinking about it--this is off the top of my head), I would have asked:

1. Did anyone notice you?
2. Do you do your own shopping?
3. Do people talk to you like you're a "regular person"
4. Do you get hit on by men who don't know you're SMG
5. Do you get hit on by women
6. Does your husband go shopping with you
7. Are you wearing $200+ pair of jeans'
8. How often do you wash your hair
9. Has anyone said you look like SMG


Now those may not be great questions, but they are better than Hugo being a bitca.


Throughout the interview There are lots of great questions to ask instead of being a bitca. These are just off the top of my head. BTW, I've only read one other SMG interview in my life.

1. Are you pretending to like me?
2. What does Freddy do at home when he sees your bra strap?
3. Have any reviews of your work hurt you emotionally... even if the fans loved your performance?
4. Are you a reluctant sex symbol?
5. Why did you endorse Cover Girl/Maybelline instead of Encyclopedia Britannica?
6. Better kisser: Angel or Spike?
7. Bra Strap Game--- Strong Feminine Hero vs. Sex Object. Why is the bra strap game funny and not offensive?


This is where Hugo fails. He writes:

"That was so cool," she crows. This is what makes interviewing Sarah Michelle Gellar difficult. Every answer seems prepared. You throw a pervy bra-strap question in her direction, expecting some kind of sob story about sexual objects and personal growth, and instead you get bright-eyed, impersonal enthusiasm.

Well Hugo... you don't follow up!!!! You stink!!! Instead of bitca comments when SMG is long gone, ask a followup question!! Put her in the hot seat!!!


He fails again:

I promise to leave it out. I lie. She doesn't enjoy the interview process very much, does she?

"Anybody who says they love doing this," admits Gellar, "is either lying or an egomaniac. It's not so bad when I'm in America, because I don't care about going outside. But here? I'm across the road from Harvey Nichols right now. I want to shop."


Why didn't Hugo ask "So Sarah, are you lying, an egomaniac, or do you hate this? If you hate this, why are you doing it? Why are you an actress?"

There is so much Hugo could of done... but he doesn't. Hugo failed. He really, really did.

 

[KellGreen]

Wow, what a loser. I like her even more now, seeing as how she has to actually speak to people like that.

Then again, I don't view her as conceited in the least. So, so very often being unsociable for whatever reason (shyness, a reserved personality, introversion, discomfort, etc.) is perceived as conceit. No one can deny that she is a very serious woman and a very hard worker, and I think she's just truly a no-nonsense kind of person in general.