Christina Aguilera:
The Bombshell of “Burlesque”
We get the scoop on music, romance and Christina’s first film role!
by Lynn Barker
 We’ve always thought that gorgeous, blonde, blue-eyed songstress Christina Aguilera was so photogenic that she should be in films. We were right! After seeing her in the feisty movie musical Burlesque, there is no doubt that the tiny girl with the huge voice was destined to also be a movie siren. [Note: the film has a PG-13 rating]
In the film, Christina plays Ali, a small town waitress with a big voice and big dreams. She escapes to L.A. where she is entranced and determined to be up on stage and a headliner in a colorful burlesque club that ownerperformer Tess (Cher) is about to lose. Needless to say, these two divas team up to save the club and become great friends in the process. And of course there is gorgeous bartendersongwriter Jack (Cam Gigandet) for Ali to fall for on the way.
AGW is with Christina relaxing in Beverly Hills to talk about her film, her music, her hot scenes with Twilight’s buff bod Cam, meeting and working with her idol Cher and life after her divorce.
Picture the star wearing bright make-up, her blonde hair down and that killer bod housed in a sleek, silk Dolce and Gabbana dress. She’s eating a bowl of veggie soup, cuddling a furry mini-blanket and she’s brought her cute Papillion doggie Stinky who is wandering around as we talk.
AGW: After having such a spectacular career in music, how hard was it for you to decide to do this as your first movie?
Christina Aguilera: There have been a lot of attempts at making movies like this that haven’t turned out so well, and I definitely had to think it over to do Burlesque. They had to rewrite the character because I was just like, ‘This girl doesn’t have a lot of drive. She doesn’t have enough meat. I think you should give it to someone else. I want someone with more bite and more passion for what she wants in life.’ And so, they rewrote it. I also had to have a balance of starting out very vulnerable and wide-eyed and naive. I put that energy into how I really was feeling, approaching acting for the first time, which was wide-eyed and as a newcomer who was open and vulnerable to everyone’s opinions and ideas, and ready to learn.
AGW: How did making your first film and singing in it differ from being on tour? Was it a big challenge?
Christina: It is different. Even though I was a performer first and did music first and foremost, and my first love is my singing, doing this movie was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was so much work, and I knew it would be, going into it. I knew there would be a lot of challenges that would rise up. I had to wear so many different hats.
AGW: You wrote songs for the film as well?
Christina: Yeah. When I went in to write the music, I wasn’t just writing it from  my own point of view. I had to look at the scene and look at what the motivation was behind the scene. I had to look at Ali and see what makes her tick and what makes her feel this way, in the moment. I had to look at all those bullet points and write it from her perspective. Then, I had to record the songs and figure out where I wanted to come from in my vocal approach. , I wrote “Express,” “Bound to You,” the big ballad of the movie, and “Burlesque,” the finale.
AGW: And, although you have some moves on stage when on tour, there was some serious dancing in this movie. Were you ready for that?
Christina: There were intense dance rehearsals. I never danced in my life before Burlesque. [In my stage show] I’m vocals first, so I’m very much about my mic and working everything around my vocals. But here, everything was pre-recorded, so I fully had to solely concentrate on the dancing, and I really haven’t ever danced before so much, in my life. The technique I learned, the different styles I learned, and referencing certain things from Cabaret and Liza Minnelli for this film was a different style for me, but it felt really good in my body, and that’s what you walk away with. As a female, watching and living in this movie, you feel very empowered.
AGW: Did you get any injuries with all the dancing?
Christina: Oh, I had so many bruises every day, especially when I was whipping that long strand of diamonds around for “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” I smacked my leg so many times in rehearsal before I got it right. Getting down on my knees for some of the movements bruised me. I bruise easily, but I looked like I got in a car accident on some of the days after rehearsals.
AGW: Your character Ali goes through some serious changes. Did you hope that the audience would always like her?
Christina: I definitely wanted to portray Ali in a very likeable sense. In some of the scenes, I have to yell at Cher and there are moments that are explosive, and I never wanted to come across bitchy, but rather believable. I was very fearful of that. I put forth my best effort in making Ali someone that every girl could relate to and every girl wants to be, in the sense that she starts out really vulnerable, scared and afraid. She wonders, ‘Is this going to work? Should I really leave my small town?’ And then, she ends up conquering what she goes for, kicks her foot in the door, takes risks and ends up taking over the club and changing it for the better.
AGW: Did you have that moment in your own life where you knew that you wanted to be up on a stage performing?
 Christina: Yeah. I remember watching the Grammys and looking at the performances and crying to my mom, saying how much I wanted to be there. Thank god, cut to years later, I won Best New Artist at the Grammys and performed there, and now made a movie with one of my idols, Cher. It was easy for me to get into character in that way.
AGW: What was your biggest misconception about making a film that was proven wrong?
Christina: Probably learning lines. It was so overwhelming looking at this entire script. I said, ‘Oh, my god, how am I going to memorize all of this at once?’, but you don’t. Some days, you’d have no dialogue and it was just about a walk or a look. Each day, I would take it as it came. I would do more or less studying the night before or the morning of, running lines. That actually was a little bit less strenuous than I thought it was going to be.
AGW: Cam Gigandet looks way buff in this movie. Did you two have fun together? It sure looks like it.
Christina: [laughs] Yeah, we had a blast. We teased each other a lot. There was a lot of cat-and-mouse stuff.
AGW: Were you the cat or the mouse?
Christina: [sly, hot grin] I’m a cat!
AGW: Did you have any input with the costume designer, as far as what you wore in the film? All your costumes are amazing.
Christina: Yes, I did. We worked closely together on a lot of the costumes because you need to feel comfortable. We also needed to know, from my standpoint, what the dancing was going to do whenever certain materials stretched or didn’t stretch, so we were definitely collaborating on ideas constantly.
AGW: What was your favorite costume?
Christina: The one for “I’m A Good Girl” with the feather bustle in the back and the crystallized bra.
AGW: That was hot! I loved the green dress. We hear you and Cher became buddies. What was the best bit of advice you got from her that you’ll remember the most? Did she give you any good relationship advice?
Christina: Well, do I tell? Okay, in her case, she was like, ‘Husbands come and go, but you’ll always be Cher’ [or Christina]. I learned priceless information and valuable stories for days. We would talk about love and relationships a lot. She’s been there and done everything. How could you not learn from Cher with her work ethic and the way she commands attention when she walks into a room, but exudes such peaceful tranquility and love for everyone. She just makes you feel warm and welcome and more inspired to do a better job because you want to step up to the plate.
AGW: You had your first professional setback this year with your album, “Bionic”, not doing so well. Did that make you re-evaluate what you want to do, as a musician?
Christina: No, I was really proud of that record. I started recording it before I went in to make the movie and, by the time I ended the movie and came out of it, I had to jump right back into that record. By the time I was done with the movie, I was just a completely different person, and I had new things to say and new points of view. Now, I’m in a place where I’m very much in an introspective state of mind, have a lot to say, and have grown leaps and bounds from that film. I’m a changed woman. So, I’m very much ready to actually make a new record. Nothing is ever a setback. If anything, it just motivates you for what’s next.
AGW: Would you say that about what’s happened with your marriage [She is recently divorced]?
Christina: I’m looking forward to the next chapter. I’m a smart girl. There are decisions that I make for reasons, and the most important thing is that my son Max is happy and he always will be. He’s surrounded by love.
AGW: With Christmas and New Year’s Eve coming up, do you have any plans to celebrate the holidays?
Christina: My actual birthday is December 18th but, because I’m working so much on the movie, I’m postponing my birthday party, so New Year’s Eve will be my big birthday party. And, I’m looking forward to spending the holidays with my son and I just can’t wait to be home with him, playing Santa Claus.
AGW: What do you conquer next? Do you have any ambitions to direct one day?
Christina: One thing at a time! The sky is the limit. I’m just following where life takes me. It’s been an incredible journey, thus far, and I know that this next chapter in my life, and doing this movie, opens up a whole new world of opportunity for me. I’m just excited to see where it goes.
photos copyright Screen Gems, 2010 |
