Vanity Fair - Access Interviews

Kate Winslet

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Two years ago, at 31, Kate Winslet became the youngest actress ever to earn five Oscar nominations. This go-round, either of her two new movies—Revolutionary Road, which re-unites her with Leonardo DiCaprio, or The Reader—could put a statue in her hands. Winslet talks about having been a fat girl, getting checked out by the moms at her kids’ school, and going one-on-one with DiCaprio for her husband, director Sam Mendes. Casually dressed in a gray T-shirt, black pants, and flats, Kate Winslet has just descended from the rooftop deck of the downtown-Manhattan loft that she shares with her husband, film and theater director Sam Mendes, and their two children. The family set up house in a formerly rough neighborhood several years ago, long after the trannies and sex shops had been replaced by art galleries and high-end clothing boutiques. She admits she has just been upstairs indulging in her only known vice—smoking. Winslet, 33, rolls her own cigarettes; she picked up the habit on the set of Sense and Sensibility when she was 19. “I don’t smoke around my kids,” she’s quick to point out. “Like that makes it any better that I smoke at all, because obviously it doesn’t. But I don’t smoke in the house. I mean, I had a cigarette this morning, which is because I hadn’t been. Coffee and a cigarette: bingo!” She pauses. “I’m not sure if I want you to print that,” she says. Then she laughs. For someone whose résumé includes five Oscar nominations—at 31, she became the youngest actress to have achieved that milestone—Winslet exhibits a refreshing lack of pretension. Hang around her for five days or only five minutes and you get the same woman: unfiltered, frank, sometimes blunt, though her British accent and her musical intonation make her speech, even the way she uses the word “fuck”—and she does use the word a lot, for comma, period, and exclamation point—sound like poetry. ... For the full interview follow the A.I link beklow

Cherie Blair

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Capping her tenure as the most controversial prime minister’s wife in recent memory, Cherie Blair has written a best-selling memoir, Speaking for Myself, due out in the U.S. this month, which adds racy fuel to the fire. Far from backing down, she’s up for the next fight. Impeccably turned out in a formfitting navy Armani suit and matching pumps, an exquisitely tailored outfit marred by none of the heinous froufrou that sometimes blights her public appearances, Cherie Blair launched into her testimony before an unsmiling phalanx of members of Parliament with the easy confidence she earned the hard way, via a decade-long witch hunt. As co-chair of a commission investigating street crime, Blair delivered its findings at hearings in Portcullis House, the faux-Victorian building containing parliamentary offices across the street from the Palace of Westminster. When one M.P. addressed her as “Cherie,” the chairman of the Home Affairs Committee reprimanded him for the unseemly familiarity—“That’s Ms. Booth,” he said sternly—but she just smiled and continued.... The big grin opens up ... further... if you can believe it...

Tomas Maier

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

'Less Is Maier' Bottega Veneta was hovering on the brink of bankruptcy when Tomas Maier took the helm as creative director. In six years he has pulled off a stunning $575 million turnaround at the venerable Italian luxury-goods firm, without sacrificing its no-logo, anti-bling aesthetic, his own eponymous label, or the Florida lifestyle he craved. In Milan and Palm Beach, the author discovers the interplay of passion and understatement, precision and freedom, that has made Maier a new kind of design star.

Carla Bruni

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

'Paris Match'. Just months after his May 2007 election, French president Nicolas Sarkozy faced growing criticism over his stalled reforms, flashy style, and stormy divorce. The last straw should have been his whirlwind remarriage, to an Italian heiress, ex-model, and singer who had past liaisons with Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, among others, and nude photos all over the Internet. But the lady in question, Carla Bruni, is proving an unexpected asset. At the Élysée Palace, Maureen Orth encounters a pair of romantic predators who appear to have met their matches. From the September issue

Matthew Freud

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Murdoch's so gullible, says future son-in-law. RUPERT MURDOCH is sexist and gullible, claims Matthew Freud, the public relations consultant who is engaged to the media tycoon's daughter. In a candid interview which is unlikely to heal the apparent rift between the pair, Mr Freud claims Mr Murdoch treats his children inconsistently and is more indulgent of his sons than his daughters. He also expresses surprise at the Murdoch family's credulity. He says they have a "weird" habit of believing what they read in the newspapers. Mr Freud became engaged to Mr Murdoch's daughter, Elisabeth, last month. The couple, who have had a turbulent three-year relationship, are to marry in August. But the interview with Judith Newman, published in the latest issue of Vanity Fair, suggests that Mr Murdoch does not fully endorse his daughter's choice of husband.

John Cusack

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: John Cusack. He may be sewn into memory holding a boom box above his head, but John Cusack, 41, will display his gravity in War, Inc., a political satire he also wrote and produced, which is featured at the Tribeca Film Festival this month. Here, the romantic-comedy veteran shows his pensive side.

David Mamet

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: David Mamet. During his three-decade career, David Mamet, 60, has been an anomaly in Hollywood: a dramaturge whose scripts are the main attraction. With the release of his latest film, Redbelt, this month, the writer, producer, and director reflects on critics, a recent move, and being a fireman.

Julie Andrews

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: Julie Andrews. Born in interwar Britain, Julie Andrews became a cinematic icon as Mary Poppins and, later, Maria von Trapp. With the forthcoming publication of her memoir, Home, the Oscar winner reflects on family, meadowlarks, and her nose.

Joan Fontaine

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: Joan Fontaine. Seven decades after she began her Hollywood and stage career, Academy Award–winning actress Joan Fontaine, 90, leads a quiet life at her California home, Villa Fontana. Here, the former screen darling ruminates on her beloved dogs, chastity, and doing it all over again.

Karl Rove

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: Karl Rove. A principal architect of the disastrous presidency of George W. Bush, Karl Rove, 57, has charted a long course from the internship he landed with the Republican Party in Utah almost four decades ago. Here, the president’s former deputy chief of staff reflects on his fear of going broke, his impatience, and his voracious reading habit.

Mia Farrow

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: Mia Farrow. From her early days on Peyton Place and her haunting performance in Rosemary’s Baby, Mia Farrow has lived a life not unfamiliar with romance and horror. The famous lover, mother of 14, and humanitarian returns to the screen this month in Be Kind Rewind. Here she ruminates on responsibility and chocolate.

John P. Murtha

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: John P. Murtha. Last year, Representative John P. Murtha, of Pennsylvania, was lauded for his break with the president over the Iraq war. He announced his bid to become the next House Democratic leader amid criticism and concern over his congressional deal-making, which has often helped the Republican Party. Here, the Vietnam veteran takes a moment to discuss Tip O'Neill, incompetence, and the American troops.

Jerry Lee Lewis

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Jerry Lee Lewis. The title of his much-anticipated studio album, Last Man Standing, couldn't be more fitting as Jerry Lee Lewis reinforces his status as one of rock 'n' roll's founding fathers. Nearly 50 years after his raucous debut on Sun Records, he pairs up with a roster of music icons, from Little Richard to Keith Richards. Here, the piano pioneer reflects on God, Gunsmoke, and his left hand.

Margaret Atwood

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Margaret Atwood. At once an activist, a writer, and a mother, Margaret Atwood is irrefutably one of the foremost female authors of our time. She has written more than 40 works, including her latest, Moral Disorder. Here, the Canadian talks about her daughter, polluters, and good news.

Howard Schultz

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Howard Schultz. In 1971, the first Starbucks opened at the illustrious Pike Place Market, on Seattle’s waterfront. A New Yorker humbly raised in a Brooklyn housing project, Howard Schultz went on to create a multi-billion-dollar company with nearly 11,000 stores worldwide. Prior to celebrating the coffee chain’s 35th anniversary, next month, he reflects on his father, the perfect shot of espresso, and the working people of America.

Sherry Lansing

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Sherry Lansing. For more than 12 years, she acted as chairman and C.E.O. of Paramount Pictures, but Sherry Lansing has left the Hollywood high life behind to embark on a career in philanthropy, establishing her foundation for cancer research and education. As she launches her latest venture, Primetime—a movement that offers retired seniors the opportunity to give back by volunteering—Lansing reflects on self-esteem, NetJets, and great dish.

Art Buchwald

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Art Buchwald. For half a century, Art Buchwald has captured the ironies of American life. Now 80, the seasoned satirist reflects on Paris, laughter, and his growing battle with kidney failure.

Ron Howard

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Ron Howard. His aw-shucks, affable nature as a child actor won over audiences, but it is his undeniable talent as a director and producer that has made Ron Howard a mainstay in Hollywood. With a career that spans from American Graffiti to Arrested Development, the Oscar winner pauses before releasing The Da Vinci Code this month to reflect on his father, Santa Claus, and The Daily Show.

Edward M. Kennedy

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

Proust Questionnaire: Edward M. Kennedy. In 1962, Ted Kennedy replaced his brother John in the Senate. Over the past 44 years, he has been re-elected seven times, prevailing as the lion of the Democratic Party. This month he releases America Back on Track, challenging the country with a modern test of its oldest principles. Here, Senator Kennedy reflects on poverty, James Bond, and Republican control.

Robert Altman

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:16:54 +0000

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Robert Altman. When M*A*S*H opened, in 1970, Robert Altman established himself as an independent, irreverent force in Hollywood. At this year’s Academy Awards, the maverick of moviemaking received an honorary Oscar for his work as a director, producer, and writer. Before releasing his 39th film, A Prairie Home Companion, he speaks out about frugality, foolish risks, and Buffalo Bill.