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Hangin' With Archives
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“Walkin’”withJessica Simpsonby Lynn B.
As far as that Nancy Sinatra original “Boots” song, according to “Dukes”’ director Jay Chandrasekhar, Jessica first heard the classic 1960’s song in a club in New Orleans at a cast party and piped up with “That song is great! I’ve gotta record this”. Then she got Brett Ratner to direct her music video. We found Jessica to be savvy, intelligent (yes, that’s what we said), friendly, open and happy to be in her first feature film. She was also charming and able to make fun of herself when she stumbled over a few words after talking to press all day. We didn’t ask one question that Jessica wasn’t willing to answer on everything from her new album to her appeal and her marriage and the roles she hopes to play in future after her hot debut in The Dukes of Hazzard. Without further nonsense, meet Jessica Simpson…. AGW: We hear that you were pretty shy at your audition for this film. Didn’t a lot of people think you already had the role? Jessica: I was very shy. They wanted to screen test me anyway because it was already in the press that I had the role. That put pressure on me. It was something that I wanted really bad, but I should have never said it to the press. I should have never said I wanted the role. But [having done that], I told myself, ‘You have to get this. When you walk in to do that screen test, you have to walk in as Daisy Duke.’ So I went and worked one time with acting coach Larry Moss. He was basically just saying, ‘Just do what you’re doing.’ I was confident that he’s trained a lot of amazing women like Hilary Swank for Million Dollar Baby. AGW: Why did you want the part so badly? Jessica: It was the perfect time for me to do a movie and I thought playing up the whole Southern belle thing would be great to kind of show strength because a lot of people haven’t really seen that from me. They’ve seen my ditzy side and my fun and dorky side, my obsession with clothes and all those things that are a part of me, but they haven’t seen a lot of strength as a woman. I thought that Daisy Duke would be a great way to show it. She was the brains behind getting everybody out of trouble all the time. She would always undo everything that was all wound up. AGW: After your first acting role in an ensemble film, do you now think you can carry the lead in a movie? Jessica: I think that I could. I hope I could but it was a conscious decision. I wanted to do an ensemble thing. Because I didn't want the pressure of carrying a movie. I think Daisy's strong enough and she was a great first role for me. Do I think I can carry a movie? I really do hope so. I believe in myself. I think I can. AGW: How much are you like Daisy. Like could you use your [good looks] like she does? Jessica: Well, I would be way too shy to drop a jacket and have a bikini underneath (laughs). Honestly, Jessica Simpson, that's just not her. I don’t even walk on the beach in a bikini. I lay down. I’m really shy but I wanted to carry that [Daisy Duke] attitude to the music video as well. There are a lot of lines I won’t cross but I really did have fun playing up the appeal of Daisy because she’s a smart woman and definitely knows how to [show herself off]. AGW: The TV show had a ton of fans. Were you concerned about pleasing them? Jessica: We generally wanted to keep the spirit of the TV show because that was what was so amazing about it, but the jokes and the characters, and how all of us played our characters, it was important to modernize it and kind of update it. it's re-introducing it in a way, but at least the General Lee is the same. AGW: Did you have anyone in mind while creating the character? Jessica: Certain southern women I know that I definitely would think of in the back of my mind. But it really wasn't that hard. I think anything sounds good with a southern accent. I always said I'd be interested to see myself do a movie without a southern accent. You can make anything sound good with extra syllables. AGW: Don’t a lot of people have misconceptions about the South? Jessica: Everybody thinks everybody’s riding horses and wearing cowboy hats. I wanted to do The Dukes of Hazzard because what I love so much about the South is how tight the family bonds are. Families always have each other’s back. I loved that everybody’s so friendly, everybody knows each other, everybody roots each other on. Maybe I grew up watching way too much “Dukes of Hazzard”, but I also grew up in a small town like McGregor, Texas where my grandparents had a ranch and everything. AGW: How did you deal with all the tabloid rumors of romances on set and all that when you are making a film trying to focus on your character? How distracting is it? Jessica: You know, I don't read it. I know a lot of people will read it. I don't think a lot of people believe it even when they do read it. Unfortunately, people want to see people fail, and my marriage is rock solid. AGW: So you don’t have to explain things to Nick and vice-versa? Jessica: No. Not at all. Because I know where Nick is and what he's doing and what he's doing tonight. He's my husband. You know, we talk on the phone all the time we're apart. So I'd never question him. I'd not have married him if I did not trust him. AGW: Were you ever prepared for all this concentration on your life? Jessica: I was pretty prepared. I was prepared at a young age. I was a preacher's daughter. I lived in a glass fishbowl, and I had to deal with gossip and rumors and mean girls at a very young age. So I was prepared. That was just getting me ready for now (laughs). AGW: What’s your relationship with the press now? Jessica: I don’t even really know. I just do what I do. I go where people tell me to go and I just speak my heart, speak my mind. I don’t really even think about it. I try not to. A lot of people are out to get you and bring you down but I think that through it all, when you persevere through stuff like that, you really can’t complain about it. I can’t complain about people wanting to write about me. That would be stupid. I can go back and complain about the actual article, but the fact that I’m in the magazines and that there’s paparazzi, it’s just a part of it. AGW: How comfortable are you that we know so much about you? Jessica: Me being open with my marriage and as an individual and letting people in on my privacy, that’s what made me succeed. That’s what put me here right now and I absolutely do not regret that. But I do think that it is time to make some things more private and sacred and you always feel like now people are out to get something out of you. But I can’t look at life that way. The decisions I make in my life and my career from here on out are decisions that have been brewing for a very long time. But being open with my privacy is what made it happen. AGW: But how cool is it to not have cameras following you around at home anymore? Jessica: It's wonderful! (laughs). It's definitely great. I love not having cameras in our house. AGW: Back to “Dukes”. Was it fun or crazy working with Seann [William Scott] and Johnny [Knoxville]? Jessica: All the time. I mean these are the funniest guys. I couldn't have had better costars. Everyone from Lynda Carter who was Wonder Woman and had to be in a bathing suit for half of her life, she was always encouraging me. Johnny and Seann are so good at improv. Half the things they say in the movie are not even scripted. AGW: Could you keep up with them?
AGW: Was filming “Dukes” kind of liberating for you? Jessica: Well, I wasn’t with my family every day. I’m used to- - my dad’s my manager and my mom would always dress me. It’s a family business. They didn’t come on set but twice. So I had those three months. I was living with all my girlfriends and we just had fun. My husband was there for a month and a half, but it was like girls night out all the time. It was so fun. AGW: A lot of people remember Burt Reynolds (who plays Boss Hogg) as his Smokey and the Bandit character. Did he give you any acting tips for a film like this? Jessica: Burt made me so comfortable my first day on set. He welcomed me into the movie business by giving me a sapphire Daisy ring. It was so nice. Burt Reynolds! I can't imagine how many movie sets he's been on — and to think about me ‘this is her first movie, I want to make her feel comfortable her first day’. It was great. AGW: What is up with your new album? Jessica: I've executive produced my first record that I'm very proud of. It's everything from Patsy Cline-type songs to Benny Goodman swing to Fleetwood Mac. I've done all kinds of stuff. It's called “And the Band Played On” because through generations, that music continues to play. It’s going to be out in November. AGW: What about this religious group that’s giving you a hard time over the “Boots” video? Jessica: You know, I've had to deal with that. I couldn't even find a gospel deal at 14 because people thought I was too [hot]. So this is not new. Trust me. You know what? This is not really a Christian-like thing to do, to go into the press and say that about somebody. [I say] turn it right back on them. AGW: And more trouble. What was up with that girl in New Jersey who pretended to be your assistant? [note: a woman posed as Jessica’s assistant and scammed a ton of freebie stuff in her name. She’s been charged with fraud]. Jessica: It's strange to be used like that and not even know about it. This had been going on for such a long time and when the FBI arrested her, [they found] $12,000 of merchandising. Yeah, and I felt bad because I didn't want all these companies thinking I was greedy and wanting all this free stuff. My assistant was so upset, because she's from the south and she has great relationships with so many different companies. AGW: How did you catch the girl? Jessica: The way we found out about it is through my product line, Dessert. This girl called and she didn't know there's one product called Lip Fusion that I was a part of as well. I get a percentage of that. She called and asked for boxes and boxes of Lip Fusion. For me! The girl's in jail. AGW: What pitfalls do you want to avoid in your movie career? Jessica: A bad script. That’s another thing. There’s a lot of movie projects that I’m looking at, but there’s this one called Major Movie Star and it’s like a Goldie Hawn/Private Benjamin type of role. It's not a remake of Private Benjamin but it has the same feel. I'm a huge movie star who does all these romantic comedies — all-American girl, and shed can't ever get any drama roles. She ends up getting drunk and enlisting. My mentors are Goldie Hawn, Dolly Parton- - Dolly Parton is my absolute favorite because she’s an amazing blonde, she’s an amazing woman, great southern lady, amazing songwriter/singer, all of it. She has her own theme park. She’s a legacy and I hope to be doing the same thing as her. Dolly Parton in Nine to Five. There are so many amazing roles. AGW: What do you Tivo on TV if you miss it? Jessica: Well, “Desperate Housewives”, we’re waiting for next season, and “Lost”. I don’t really have time, but I do know how to work it. I know how to work the Tivo. That’s a step. AGW: What’s the first movie you remember seeing that made a big impression on you? Jessica: Goonies. I loved Goonies. I liked Sloth. I really did. He was one of my favorite characters. I don’t know why, but always had a heart for him. AGW: Are you getting to explore New York on this trip? Jessica: Not much. I’ve gone to a couple great dinners, but other than that, it’s been all work. I had like 60 interviews yesterday. AGW: Is your whole family here in NY? Jessica: Well, my mom and I had a meeting on my clothing line last night, so she’s running that whole thing, so I went to dinner with my mom last night, but we’re all over the place. My dad has so much going on, I don’t even know how he goes to sleep at night. AGW: With all this going on, what are your priorities now? Jessica: It’s all a priority. I’m trying to balance everything and I have a workout video that’s about to come out, I have a clothing line called Princie, a shoe line that’s about to come out. I’m a little busy. I try to make everything a priority. I put my hands in everything and I make sure that nothing comes out that I don’t approve or am creatively involved in. |
 
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Her
boots may be made for “walkin’” but the now ultra-stylish
singer/actress Jessica Simpson walked into our New York City interview
in bright red, high heel pumps, a Dolce and Gabanna floral print, figure-hugging
dress, huge silver hoop earrings and a very sophisticated hairdo. “Daisy
Duke” was the anti-thesis of the star’s look on this hot summer
day..no short shorts here, no Yeeee Haws, just glam. However, she admits
she had to try on over 100 pairs of “Daisy Duke” shorts and
have pics taken of her backside until she got just the right pair. According
to Jessica, “the girls had to like them and the guys had to like
them”. 
Jessica:
No, no, no, no, no. I stood off in a corner and I would kind of watch
them because they're so good. But they would tell me like, ‘hey,
say this’. ‘Alright, I'll play along with you guys’.
But they were so professional. They worked really really hard.