MADEFEATURE
MADEXXX
Rachelle had me over to their home the
first week, for dinner. Ed did a lot of the
cooking, and he is exceptional. They are
just two peas in a pod. The nicest people;
they finish each other's sentences. He is so
informative. You want to sit at his feet like
he is Yoda. Ed is sustainable, he's a mad
scientist, and he can teach you. We were
talking about farming and growing and
dirt and moisture and oxidization and
nutrients in the soil to create a great bed
for plants. We really enjoy that aspect of
our relationship.
Allison Kugel: Your career has done a
180. You're playing this quirky country
role in Bless This Mess, and this month
you are also in the film Poms with Diane
Keaton and Rhea Perlman where you are
poking fun at getting older. As some-
one who was an icon of sex appeal and
glamour, how did that play a role, not
just in your earlier career, but in your life?
And how are you now processing going
through the different stages of life?
Pam Grier: I've always controlled my
image for political, religious and spiritual
purposes, and I've embraced aging. When
I met Robert De Niro with his first wife,
Diahnne Abbott, he was gaining weight
in order to play Jake LaMotta in Raging
Bull. We were in his kitchen talking and
I said to him, "I would like to gain weight
for my roles." Because as a woman, society
responds differently to your weight and
to your appearance, and your sex appeal.
I guess in certain cultures if you are not a
standard size 4 or 6 you're not considered
attractive. There are psychological aspects
towards that. The younger, slimmer
and more youthful looking you are, the
better for child bearing and maybe you're
thought to be more sexual or whatever.
I love the fact that people do respond
differently when I am a size twelve than
when I am a size four; completely differ-
ent dynamic and really interesting to me.
Allison Kugel: People perceive that the
more attractive you are considered by
society, the easier that opportunities and
good things will come your way. Why
would you want to forfeit that?
Pam Grier: When I did the play Frankie
and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and I
gained weight to play that role, I wanted
to do that role and the producer said you
should see Kathy Bates play this role.
When I went to see her and I saw that she
had this beautiful weight on her, which
is very normal in certain cultures, while
in other cultures not as acceptable, I just
thought she was so stunningly beautiful.
It brought a certain element and richness
to her character. I don't know what it was,
but I just felt this couple in love [in the
show]. It was amazing. I thought, "If I can
just reach half the energy she portrayed, I
would be grateful. At the time I thought,
"I'm really skinny. I run seven miles a day.
How do I do this."
Allison Kugel: You were known and cele-
brated for being beautiful, fit and strong.
Pam Grier: Well, Robert De Niro had
said it would be different for me as a
woman. He said to me, "You'll lose your
attractiveness in society." I said, "You
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