More to safeguard their safe conduct than out of discretion, journalists who share the magical spaces of the great titans of celluloid have an obligation to see, hear, and remain silent. It is an unwritten rule. If Hollywood studios don't like the questions, they veto them. If some stars feel uncomfortable, they veto them.
"A German friend and colleague was canceled by the studio and banned by Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones' publicists for years," says María Estévez, who has just published Esto es Hollywood. Luces, cámara y verdad: todo lo que se esconde tras el glamour de Los Ángeles (Roca Editorial).
Although her first big interview had nothing to do with cinema, but rather with the movie-like life of Marta Chávarri, at that time one of the queens of the beautiful people, over the last three decades the Madrid-based journalist has become a witness to the adventures of some Olympians who, in some cases, have feet of clay.
Why does the press fear Julia Roberts? Who are the nicest stars? Does Leonardo DiCaprio always cover his face with his cap? Who left her speechless? María answers these and other questions in an interview with LOC a few days before her return to Hollywood for the Oscars.
Who is hiding behind Julia Roberts' $20 million smile?
She is one of the highest-grossing actresses, but we all fear her in Hollywood. It seems unbelievable, but she is unfriendly and distant. Surely, when the camera is not rolling, her family and friends see her smile, but if you are a journalist, you will struggle to see it. If you ask her uncomfortable questions, she can't hide who she is; her reaction is reflected on camera. She attacks the weakest.
Is it cowardice?
It's a way of marking her territory. She's a lioness. It's a way of saying, "You see what I do to him? Well, imagine what I can do to you." I imagine it's insecurity or that she has taken her failures very badly.
Who are her best friends in the industry?
George Clooney.
No one else?
She has no other friends.
How unlike Jennifer Aniston!
YES, she has a gang made up of Jason Bateman, Sandra Bullock, Courteney Cox... you can make a list of fifty people and they all speak well of her. As for Angelina Jolie, if they don't speak well of her, they don't speak badly of her, but they respect her.
The one who doesn't seem to be deceiving anyone is George Clooney.
He's divine. He's very nice. He's wonderful because he's a person who knows how to bring out the best in everyone. He's charming with journalists, he's quick-witted, and if you say something, he picks up on it. He asks you, "What did you do today?" "What did you eat?" Despite his star status, he's human, isn't he?
You've been lucky enough to interview two of the most famous Toms in cinema. How do Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks differ?
Tom Cruise is strange, consumed by his character, obsessed with saving cinema, never relaxing. He is the industry; he is the only one who has been a star for four decades and is aware that without him, the industry would not exist. He's melodramatic in everything he does, he's intense. While I was interviewing him alongside Bryan Singer (director), he abruptly got up and disappeared for five minutes, leaving me mid-sentence, and then came back and sat down smiling. He obviously knows the power of his smile. Tom Hanks isn't like that. He knows you're going to write about him and he behaves normally. I remember once when we were leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel, it was raining, and Tom Hanks lent me his umbrella.
In most videos of Leonardo DiCaprio outside of red carpet events, he always appears camouflaged behind a cap. Sometimes you might think he's a clone. Why does he behave this way?
That's his look. He doesn't want to give photographers and social media more than what he is. I've been to many dinners with him, and he doesn't wear his cap if people don't take out their phones. In Cannes, he's always in a corner, but he's always there, always supporting cinema. I admire him a lot because he's very generous with people. He's one of the few actors who is always there when a colleague gives him a line, because normally they give it to someone else. Leonardo is always there for you. He gives you his voice, he gives you his performance so that you can bring out the best in yourself. If you look closely, many of the actors...If you think about it, many of the actors who have worked with him have won awards. Take Brad Pitt, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood thanks to Leonardo's generosity.
Brad Pitt is another A-list actor who has a very particular way of understanding cinema, right?
Of course! He's not like Tom Cruise because he produces what he does. Brad produces a lot of auteur films with his production company Plan B Entertainment, so he approaches the industry from what interests him; it's his way of being curious. Each one is number one in their own way. In my opinion, Brad was always a poster boy, and I think he's the one who finds it hardest to be a great actor.
Among the legendary stars of classic Hollywood, you had the opportunity to talk to Lauren Bacall. What memories do you have of her?
It was brutal. She was a legend! I remember when I called her on the phone, I messed up big time because she had a very deep voice, but what I didn't know was that she softened it in the movies. When I heard her on the phone, I thought I was talking to an 80-year-old man. I thought he was her butler, and I asked him four times if I could speak to Mrs. Bacall. In the end, my tone was a little... But then she answered, "This is she." That 'she' is the kind of phrase you should write down, memorize, tattoo on your skin. I fell silent, and then she said to me, "Now you're the one who's fallen silent." But he said it in a very friendly way.
How was the conversation?
It was brutal. He answered me like no actor had ever answered me before. Naturally, honestly, without fear of being asked questions, he got excited about Humphrey Bogart, spoke badly of actresses, but told the truth, and insisted on working with Pedro Almodóvar, even if it was in a very small role.
We haven't talked about the Spanish actors yet. What do you think of Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz?
Wherever you go in Los Angeles, everyone will tell you that Antonio Banderas is the nicest guy. He's very popular in the industry because he's very generous, he likes to give opportunities to newcomers, he talks about everything... unlike Penélope, who is reluctant to talk about her private life. She's not as accessible as she might seem, but if you don't bring up personal topics, she makes it easy for you. She's the one who sets the tone of the conversation; she controls the narrative very well.
Are actors scared of the rise of AI?
Yes, of course, because they're aware that they could be replaced. There might be one or two leading actors, but the supporting actors and extras could disappear.
And has the Actors' Union gotten its act together?
They don't know how to do it. No matter how much they get their act together, how are they going to stop someone from wanting to make a movie with artificial intelligence, and if they don't let it be released in theaters, it's going to be released on some platform.
It's like putting up fences in the countryside.
I imagine they will eventually reach an agreement. But I don't know. Everyone is trying to figure out the way forward and see how this will be accepted. In the past, cinema has already had to adapt to other major changes such as the arrival of sound, the emergence of television and the internet... Entertainment has to adapt, just like all industries.