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Communism is just a red herring, she purrs during her confession.
Like all members of the oldest profession, Im a capitalist.
(The idea that its adapted from a board game, though, didnt seem to matter.)
But ultimately, we got our revenge.
So, its 1985, and a few years prior toClueyou had your most defining film role withVictor/Victoria.
I had doneVictor/Victoriaand was still enjoying the success that came with the role.
I wasnt wanting to do roles that emulated Norma inVictor/Victoria.
I was really being careful about what I did next and where that was.
So I got this call aboutCluewhen I was in Greece.
I wasnt familiar with the board game.
I saw in this role an opportunity for me to do something very, very different.
She was very materialistic and driven, but not terribly talented in what she did.
She was in control of her life as she saw it.
Those were some of the qualities that attracted me to her.
And, my god, the cast.
Those were, and are, some of the most iconic comic actors of all time.
And I say comic actors because they are all great actors who happen to have an extraordinary comedic bent.
It was thrilling, a joy, and an honor to be amongst those people.
I always say it was like herding a bunch of cats.
The setting seems perfect for group hangouts, too, since you were filming in one location.It really was.
Thats how it was on the set.
We were there together for three and a half months.
Its one of the highlights of my personal career.
Id be out of breath sometimes.
Which it never did, thankfully.
But when we started rehearsing, we found that I couldnt run in the dress.
I couldnt move other than a few poses.
So I was in a real corset the entire time, too.
At the end of each day, I felt like I hadnt taken a real breath for 12 hours.
But it gave me that divine shape and look, and it felt perfectly right for Miss Scarlet.
I was much younger, lets just keep it real.
Have you given much thought to how your portrayals wouldve been different?You know, no.
I can assume how wonderful she wouldve been, but in a very, very, very different way.
In this case, I made up a history and made up relationships for Miss Scarlet.
I had to fully commit to my own vision and version of it.
She knows how to utilize and manipulate people through her sexuality, but never gets used by anybody else.
I wanted to build on that in my mind and be truthful.
You were all blessed with working among such a wickedly charismatic and funny ensemble.
What was the behind-the-scenes culture like for those three months of filming?
How did you pass the time?It was such a riot.
Ill say that actors are all unique and they have different ways of being on a set.
People are always pairing us together, and we love that.
He makes me laugh more than anyone else.
I mean, no matter what were doing, he makes me laugh.
Hes one of the funniest people I know.
Madeline Kahnwas one of the people who sort of retreated to her space.Christopher Lloydwas game for anything.
He told me,People cant be funny after eight hours; theyre tired.
I love Martin, a man I exclusively refer to asGene Parmesan, so much.Hes so funny.
Now, during COVID, we converse by writing each other emails, and his emails are just hilarious.
I mean, hes just as brilliant of a writer as he is an actor.
What was the scene where it was most difficult not to break?Unsurprisingly, it was with Martin.
Its behind a bar.
We would crack up every time.
it’s possible for you to sort of see it in the film if you really look really carefully.
Its funny, because I watchedClueabout a month ago.
I turned on my television and it happened to be on at that very moment.
My husband and I sat down and watched it again.
I hadnt seen it in a couple of years.
I was laughing my head off watching it again.
Its truly for me one of the funniest, cleverest, joy-filled ensemble comedic works that Ive seen.
I did an event with Jonathan about five years ago, and we were talking about that.
Nobody, none of us, knew that this was going to happen.
Martin and I talk about it a lot too.
He writes to me and says,Are you receiving truckloads ofClueparaphernalia to be signed?And its true.
The fan mail that I get comes from 9-year-olds to 70-year-olds.
People come up to me on the street and recite my lines.
Its an amazing, wondrous outcome because, when it opened, we were all ravaged by disappointment.
But ultimately, we got our revenge.
Some quotes I even have trouble remembering, but they quote them back to me and Im thrilled.
I dont think I can answer that, because Ive been trying to understand that myself over the years.
I know that something can hit the Zeitgeist and take on its own phenomenon.
I dont know why, but Im blessed to have experienced it.
Hell, youd have to buy three tickets.
And I think youre right.
It eliminated the obstacle of having to watch it again.
That might be the reason why it accelerated in popularity.
It hit this zeitgeist moment where it just became everyones favorite popular comedy.
Each character is so defined and so colorfully created; they appeal to peoples creativity.
Its like Halloween, or getting dressed up and being in costume and being of a different era.
It swept culture in this very interesting way.
Is the Miss-Scarlet-is-the-culprit ending your personal favorite?Of course it is!
I got to really go to town on that one.
Im curious if you have any recollections about that.This is the first Ive heard of it.
This adds even more to the lore, then.Exactly.
I personally had never heard of that happening, so I dont have anything to say about it.
I couldnt wear heels!
They had to actually have somebody do the running for me because I couldnt do it.
I just couldnt do it.
But it was fun to do the witty moments that we were trying to recreate.
And did I say I just love spending time with Martin?
Thats just a given.
Youve answered my next question.Well, Im sort of saying that tongue in cheek.
Those two guys are hysterical and brilliant in their own right.
But I love our movie so much.
I feel like,Let it be.
Im just very proprietary about it.
But I feel likeClueis such a classic.
Ive worked for, god, more than five decades at this point.
I have plenty of work that I love and am proud of.
I hope that doesnt sound too egomaniacal.
But I think its true.
