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I met the director the night of our wrap partyId literally just finished.
It was such a sweet story, and I couldnt get it out of my head.
Lisa was nice, and the girls were nice.
There was nothing sordid.
They were all doing the best they could and working hard.
I didnt know how many people he was meeting with.
Did you audition or just sit down and talk?
Why do you think he ended up seeing you as Lisa?We just sat down and talked.
We didnt talk much about the movie, actually.
I do remember that.
I was like, Come to the wrap party [forGirls Trip]!
We just had a general life conversation.
It was while I was shooting a film in South Carolina.
I was like, Its so crazy, I was just there.
I think I had a psychic moment, too.
I said, Ooh, Im feeling psychic!
I called my agent after and I said, Andrew might think Im crazy.
I dont know that hes gonna hire me.
Hes like, Regina…why?
And I said, I dont know, I felt a psychic premonition and I couldnt keep it down!
What was the premonition?I dont know!
I was like, Ooh, Im feeling something.
It was a feeling.
I was like, I have to express this!
Which Ive done before.
My agents always like Regina… And Im like, I cant help it!
Do you think youre a little bit psychic?I think everyone is, you know what I mean?
I think everyone has intuition.
Wait a minute, wait a minute!
And it has to come out.
Its always unsolicited, thus far.
And a lot of times, its on point.
Youve accurately predicted things before?Well, Ive felt things.
It would be very matter-of-fact.
Youd ask me a question and I say, Oh, its such and such.
Its only when Im not thinking about it.
And then itll just hit me.
Because it comes at moments when it shouldnt like a meeting with a director.[Laughs.]
What did he say?He was so great.
He was like, Oh, yeah?
What was memorable about that Hooters visit to you?
We were actually shooting next to a Twin Peaks as well.
Our server was great and friendly.
I did discover theyre very popular.
I remember being like, Oh, its packed in here!
It was quite a familial environment.
I was really surprised.
But at Twin Peaks Iloooovedtheir food.
And I got it, you know?
It wasnt the focal point.
They were all really friendly.
And the food was GOOD.
Of course, thats my takeaway from anything.[Laughs.
]I just love the food at Twin Peaks
Ill have to try it.
It was creating that familial, protective environment.
She identified that place as her sense of work and purpose; her identity was wrapped up in it.
Your life doesnt necessarily go the way you plan it.
The things that would lead her to have a personality that created these dynamics in her relationships.
Do you think thats how you are in real life, and that carries over?
For every character, I do take a stab at find humanity.
But the truth is, she does love Cindy.
Shes just incredibly selfish and rotten.
Its a parody, but you know people where both exist.
Whats your crying process?
Do you think about your own life?
What the characters going through?Both.
Sometimes I think about a parallel of those feelings that Ive experienced.
Because tears can come from joy.
And what would be the equivalent of that circumstance.
Sometimes its so close [to real life], though.
]And Id be traumatized.
Id never want to do a phoner ever again.
So Id think of, what would that scenario be like?
And then Id just daydream about that.
Is crying easy for you?No, I have to do the homework.
Some people are natural criers, and Im jealous.
I have to literally get in this space.
Why wont you water, eyes?!
Im always seeing people who are like, I can just cry!
and Im like, Dang!
I have to do all the work to get there.
I want to hear about your offscreen relationships with your younger co-stars.
Did you mirror that mothering dynamic off screen?Probably, yeah.
The thing is, theyre so cute.
And theyre babies, to me, clearly.
But they also made me laugh.
Like, they made me laugh alot.They were so funny.
Haley Lu, all of them.
I felt so happy to meet them.
We were in that restaurant pretty much all day.
And they had such joy and fun and enthusiasm.
I was definitely mothering, Im sure.
If you ask them, theyd probably say yes.
But they were so great, and I didnt know any of them before.
Just so warm and embracing.
It made my job almost not a job.
They were so easy to like and care about.
Did you all go to Twin Peaks?
]We watched a boxing match, always watching a boxing match at Twin Peaks.
They probably hung out more than I did.
I had my dog with me, and he was having surgery.
Is your dog okay now?No, he passed away.
His surgery was successful in that regard, but he did pass.
Im sorry.But all the girls were so great with Zeus.
And so was the crew.
You love those little things.
I cant even watch the last scene of this movie, even by itself, without crying.
Its so cathartic, all of you screaming on the roof.
That was actually our last day of filming.
And that night was our wrap party.
That had a lot of different levels of emotion to it, as well.
Screaming, on the top of that building, I remember so specifically.
We did it from so many angles.
And I just thought of the girls going and getting another job [at Mancave].
Lisa felt a little dated and stuck.
Hows she gonna work in a new environment?
It felt like her place was at Double Whammies, but it wasnt her place anymore.
Her marriage is gone, her job is gone.
I hoped she would be rotten and bad.[Laughs.
]But shes talented and great.
I was like, damn you!
And I didnt know if Lisa was going to get that job.
So the scream had a lot of emotion in it.
I think for all three of us.
Hollywood is not an easy place.
I always felt blessed to work.
But I didnt walk around feeling like, Oh, I deserve this.
But its always wonderful to get applause or gratitude for your work.
Its always nice when critics enjoy things that you do.
I didnt know what would happen withSupport the Girls, but it was a nice bonus treat.
I dont know that I consciously think about it, though.
I was always working.
If youre working, its another way of people saying they like what you do.
But the added layer was pretty great.
I was very happy with my Critics Choice.
Instead of thinking, Im never gonna get those two hours back.
Where are you at on that?Yes!
Well, were at the next level of working on it.
Can you tell me anything about it?Not yet![Laughs.
Its kind of based on real things.
I cant wait to talk about it, actually, probably in the next couple of months.
My last question for you is about your 50th birthday video.
I need to know the story behind it.[Laughs.
I was only thinking of my support system and fans.
I used to always talk about my birthday coming and Id be like, A bitch is old!
A bitch is getting old!
And I was taking a shower, and that song came in my head.
I got my phone and did a voice note.
I think I was maybe 48 or 49.
Will you shoot it?
to all my co-stars, who are so lovely.
I didnt think it was gonna translate the way it did.
And then I was like, More people know my age now, because of this video!
People were like, Oh, I didnt know you were 50!
I was like, Jesus!
But it was fun.
It was to celebrate the natural progression of life.
But its also incredible.
So we were celebrating both.
The melody, too.
I dont know why!
[Sings]A bitch is old!
My brain doesnt have enough to do, so it wrote a song.
I dont even know why it came.
[Laughs]
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
