Morgan Fairchild recently called us from her home in Los Angeles to talk about her upcoming performance as Ms. Robinson in "The Graduate" at the Fox Theatre.
Why did you decide to do “The Graduate”?
They first asked me to do “The Graduate” when it was in London, but the timing never really worked out. It’s a challenging part, and Ms. Robinson is such a complicated lady. They don’t write characters like that for women anymore. It’s not “Hamlet,” but it sure is a lot of fun.
You have to get naked on stage. Was it hard for you to prepare for that, or are you a natural exhibitionist?
Hah, no I’m not an exhibitionist. It was a bit of a challenge, but I’m an Aquarius and I like doing things that people wouldn’t expect me to do. When I was first starting out, the casting people thought I looked like a bitch and wanted to make me a bitch. I thought I looked like an ingénue. But I decided to challenge myself and play a bitch, and it all just sort of took off from there.
So you obviously like challenges.
Yes, and as I said I like doing things people wouldn’t expect. Like on “Cybill,” there was a food fight scene that called for me to get thrown over a wall. They wanted a stuntwoman to do it, but I said it would be funnier if Morgan Fairchild did it. I wanted the studio audience to see me do it myself. So when we rehearsed it, I didn’t tell anyone and I flung myself over the wall. They were like “Are you all right?” and I go “Honey please, I had four and half years of kung fu training when I lived in New York.” I had a very specific way I wanted my legs to fly up in the air, and it looked great. They left it in and never used the stuntwoman.
Have you been to Atlanta before?
I’ve been to Atlanta many times, and I have family there that I can’t wait to see. In 2000 I shot a movie in Atlanta called “Unshackled,” and in the 80s I toured with “Gentleman Prefer Blondes” which we rehearsed there also. I love the Fox, it’s so beautiful. And the people in Atlanta are always so nice.
Kathleen Turner played your husband on “Friends.” Is that the closest you’ve come to playing a gay character?
Oh no, in 1992 I played Sandra Bernhard’s love interest on “Roseanne.” Again, it’s something that most people didn’t expect me to do—playing a lesbian character on a major TV show. But I loved doing it, and walking out of that bedroom was such a great moment.
Don’t you feel like America loves watching television shows with gay characters, but when it comes to real-life issues they don’t support them?
I’ve never quite understood it. It does seem like they enjoy watching these characters from a distance, but when it gets too close to home like voting on gay marriage, they feel threatened. I’m not a psychologist, so I don’t know why that is. I grew up in the theater and have always been surrounded by gay guys. I’ve seen many gay relationships, both short term and long term. I just don’t get why people are so afraid of them.
Tell me about the work you do for AIDS research.
Well I’ve always been a science nerd interested in viruses and paleontology. Therefore I’ve felt a moral obligation to speak out about AIDS since I actually knew what I was talking about. I was following the virus before it even had a name. I started speaking about it long before Hollywood recognized it, even before Rock Hudson was diagnosed and before Elizabeth Taylor started her work. I’ve spoken on Nightline with Ted Koppel and testified before Congress for AIDS research, I’ve substituted for Dr. C. Everett Koop at many fundraising events and I even hosted two videos, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about AIDS” and “Safe Sex for Men and Women.” I was also in Washington for the unveiling of the first AIDS Quilt. What I’m most proud of is that I started talking about it before all of Hollywood did. My managers and agents wanted me to go hug animals or something; they told me it was too risky to get involved. Right now I’m an active member of the Entertainment Industry’s AIDS Task Force, I’m on the Board of Governors of AIDS Project Los Angeles and I’m also on the Board of Directors of amfAR.
You never seem to age. Any tips for us gay guys on how to stay looking young?
My gay friends ask me that all the time. I don’t really know what all is out there for men these days, but I do have a great skincare line that’s available on MorganFairchild.com. I have a great wrinkle cream that a lot of gay guys love.
Your resume is huge, and spans several generations from the 70s until now. What were some of your favorite roles?
I loved doing “Geniuses” Off Broadway. “Flamingo Road” was also one of my favorites and was my big break. I was nominated for a Golden Globe for that. I got to work with Natalie Wood in “The Memory Eva Ryker” and Bette Davis in “Hotel.” I got to go to Bosnia and Croatia and play a Nun, which is something they’d never let me do in this country! I was on “Mork and Mindy” the first year, which was such a groundbreaking show and was so fun because Robin Williams never stuck to the script. Ms. Robinson in “The Graduate” is such a strange and interesting character to play, and I’m having so much more fun than I thought I would. The cast and crew are just great.
Starring in the Old Navy ads was such a smart move. Do you still feel a lot of pressure to keep appealing to younger generations?
Ever since I started I’ve felt it was important to reintroduce myself every five years. I did that with “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,” which got me noticed by a lot of young kids who are now adults. Then I did it by agreeing to play Matthew Perry’s mom on “Friends” before everyone knew it would be such a big hit. And most recently I did it with the Old Navy ads. My girlfriends in Beverly Hills were all appalled—they thought I should be doing Sax or Neiman’s. But I wanted to get myself in front of that 13 year old demographic.
One last question: Are cargo pants still in?
[Laughs] People are still wearing cargo pants; they just keep updating them by making them shorter or with chains and accessories. When they first came out I didn’t think they would last very long, but they really have.
- For more on Morgan Fairchild visit MorganFairchild.com.
* Learn more in the new guidebook from OUT Magazine:
The Out Traveler: Atlanta now available at your local bookstore.
Comments