Kristin Scott Thomas
Cindy Pearlman
She is not the ice princess. Kristin Scott Thomas is one hot mama. Perhaps it's because her 8-year-old son keeps pointing a blow dryer two inches from his mother's face. The kid turns it on hot. She yells, "This is not the way to get what you want when I'm calling journalists in America!" The star of the period romance Up at the Villa, shot in Italy and in its opening weekend in Chicago at the Landmark Century, only wishes she was back on the set.
Q. Thanks for calling us from Paris. But it's rather shocking to hear you raise your voice. You're so cool in movies.
A. Hold on a moment. I have to scold a child. (In a terse voice.) "Didn't I tell you to do your homework? These people are calling me from all over the world. Now scoot." (Returning to the phone.) My son is trying to make me reveal the place I hid his Game Boy. Since I won't tell him where it is, he is putting a hair dryer in my face.
Q. Otherwise, how are things in Paris?
A. Miserable! Raining. Really gray. See, I'm making everyone feel better because people are probably reading this thinking, "Oh, I wish I was there."
Q. They will certainly wish to be in those beautiful homes in Up at the Villa. Tell us a little bit about the movie.
A. It's about a woman during World War II who is in a terrible knot. She's facing poverty. She has a choice to marry a safe, rich older gentleman who bores her, or go off with this young rake played by Sean Penn. I loved the story because my character behaves in such different ways. A lot of us are like that in real life. You are one way with one person, completely a different way with another.
Q. Would you choose reason or passion?
A. I can't even imagine women having to marry to survive. But I have to admit, I'd probably go for the safe guy. I'm sorry, but it's true!
Q. Speaking of guts, did it take quite a few to work with Sean Penn?
A. We really work well together, which is exciting. Who would have thought that I would have chemistry with Sean? But we do. It's funny because when we started the movie, the rebellious male role was not cast. The director said, "We should find someone with a Sean Penn quality." I said, "Why doesn't someone actually ask Sean Penn to do it?"
Q. Did he scare you on the set?
A. (Laughing.) Yes! In an exciting way. When you're doing a scene with him, you haven't a clue what Sean Penn is going to do. I did know that whatever he did, it would be right for the movie. I've been very lucky with my male movie partners in that way.
Q. Such as Hugh Grant in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Memories?
A. We had to eat too much wedding cake!
Q. And Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient?
A. We loved when people asked us about "surviving" that huge sandstorm. It was all fake. People threw some dust into ventilators.
Q. How does your husband compare?
A. Oh, he's the best of all. Marrying him wasn't a choice. It was obvious. It wasn't thunderbolts and da-dum! It just seemed completely natural. We actually met in Paris years ago. He was a medical student and I was an acting student. He's very supportive of my career, although it's harder now with the children. The hours are long, the distance further. And right now I'm pregnant to boot!
