Kate Hudson: You Me and Dupree (Q & A)

Here's a transcript from a roundtable with Kate Hudson for the You Me and Dupree press junket over at the Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica a couple of weeks ago...this wasn't a 1:1 or a roundtable, it was more of a press conference, but at least the vittles were good...I'll post Owen Wilson and Matt Dillon's shite later (they got some good copy)....




Q: Kate you had one of those risque moments during the fantasy scene on the boat -- when you look at yourself in sequences like that, when you're scantily clad, what do you think?

Kate Hudson: Ow!(she cat calls) Let me tell you a funny story about that. the guys (directors Anthony & Joe Russo) had me try on four different outfits, four different types of bathing suits, so it was the Russo brothers and, like, Owen and they were all like 'maybe you should put on the other one again'...'no, try on the other one'...we were all laughing so hard. That whole experience was so much fun. Because we were all just [kidding around all the time] it was ridiculous, so it was pretty fun. Oh wait! I have a great story I haven't told this whole time! We were shooting in San Pedro by an Army Reserve [base], on a marina, when all of a sudden this chopper [swoops in] and there's all of this crazy noise and I've got the diamond collar on and the heels and everything. And all of a sudden we hear this huge crash and I'm like 'holy shit!' -- I walk outside, in that skimpy outfit. It turns out that my car, out of all the cars and all of the trailers that were there -- the chopper came so low that this huge piece of plywood fell on my car from a rooftop. And I walk out and the cops are there, the Marines are there and I'm in my outfit and they're like 'Hi Ms. Hudson, uhh...' and I'm like 'what happened?' then all of a sudden I realize [the outfit] and I'm like 'oh my God - could somebody get me a robe?' It was really funny and it was one of those stories on a movie [set] where everyone's like 'oh God, it had to happen on that day,' you know?

Q: You think the chopper came down to get a closer look at you?

KH: I don't know what they were doing -- it definitely caused an issue. But [whispers timidly] and the government still hasn't paid me back.

Q: You ever have any body issues about performing in scenes like that?

KH: -- I've never had body issues, I never had that...as long as it's not totally exploitative. As long as I feel like it could either be funny or fun or is appropriate [for the character] I really don't have a problem with it.

Q: Did you ever ask for a stand-in, like maybe in the bathtub scene or something?

KH:No, no -- that was good enough for me. Plus licking at Owen's face all day was really salty and weird... [laughs]

Q: You were substantially clothed more than Owen was in this picture.

KH: Oh yeah, there's a lot of nakedness in this movie, isn't there?

Q: -- not enough!

KH: [laughs] I remember, when I read the script for the first time, I was like 'God, I'm half naked for the whole movie.' So, I wasn't too surprised -- I didn't, like, come on the set and Joe and Anthony were like 'you're going to be in your underwear for the next scene -- it was actually written in the scene. Actually, I think Owen had it a lot worse than I did.

Q: You've been married to Chris Robinson for a few years, what were some of the things that you had to get over as a newlywed? Any Oscar Madison an Felix Unger "Odd Couple" moments like with you and Matt Dillon in this YMD?

KH: No, I knew what I was getting into with Chris - I knew the first week...One of the first things I said to him was 'tell me everything that you think I'm not going to like about you' -- and he went on for about an hour and a half. And I still married him! [laughs] He was always totally up front with all of that. As far as the vagabond musician friends that are in and out of our house all the time, there are two in particular. They're twins, believe it or not, whose genitalia I've seen while they're watching TV -- it's very harmless. It's actually more just that they're comfortable with themselves but I can deal with it.

Q: Does Robinson have any annoying little habits that have caused the discussion to escalate like in the film?

KH: No, but there is one that he has of me, that's actually pretty funny, which is that I can sip on a coffee all day long. I could have a coffee that's cold and I'll take a sip of it and it just drives him nuts. And so does my dad Kurt [Russell], it drives him nuts too because my mom [Goldie Hawn] does the same thing. They're both like I don't know how you and Goldie can sip on cold coffee all day, just one coffee.

Q: Did Kurt ever give Chris a hard time at first?

KH: No, 'Paw' was actually pretty good, I think. Somebody asked me a similar question earlier, they asked if people found him intimidating -- I'd never thought about the fact that my dad was actually Snake Pliskin [from Escape from New York films] -- I'm like 'oh my God, it must've been really difficult for certain guys to come in and go 'oh jeez, that's her dad...and he's going to kick my ass. [laughs] I remember he was doing a press junket right after I'd married Chris and he said that he gotten asked a lot about [whether] he was nervous or worried that I got married to the guy. And Paw says "I'm never worried about Kate, I'm more worried about the guy that marries Kate." Which I love because that shows that he's got confidence in his daughter. So, he's always been pretty good -- my parents let us make our mistakes.

Q: You and Chris ever have a male or female "Dupree" in your lives that you just can't seem to get rid of?

KH: I've had some female Duprees but I've been lucky, for now...with my girlfriends, I've had two Duprees. One of them just started squatting in my house for over a year. You know, I liked it because I could just go into the guest room and [hang out] -- Chris was the one who was like 'when is she getting out of our house?' And then I have another Dupree who would light the house on fire with a stick of butter -- [speaking slowly into microphone] and if you're out there, you know who you are. [laughs]

Q: Are you still friends?

KH: -- oh, yeah! I love Duprees! I'm not like Molly at all, I'm totally available for weird, interesting and bizarre characters...it's hysterical, these guys were living with us in Paris and I would go to work at 5:30 in the morning and I'd be literally stepping over them -- they'd be passed out. I guess that's a part of what I enjoy about life, there's [living characters] that you can write stories about. I must say that, I might sound crazy but, for what we do as actors -- and anybody who works in the movie industry -- I always think that understanding human behavior, no matter what kind of human behavior, is the best lesson and the best acting class that you could possibly have; I've always been very open with people's 'stuff.'

Q: Any advice for young couples in dealing with the art of compromise?

KH: For me, I feel that love is everything. Marriage, relationships -- no matter if you're married or not -- are never, ever easy. And I think that there is a -- you know, my mom and my dad are a really good template for how to keep a relationship, through everything, good -- they just have a blast together. No matter what, through everything, they play and they play really hard and they have a great time. And that always keeps them passionate and enjoying each other as these two playful people -- they're off in Amsterdam right now and you go, 'you guys have been been together for twenty four years and they're calling me and stuff: [quoting her mother breathlessly] 'we just took a bike ride in Amsterdam today and it was so much fun, what are you guys doing?' And I'm like 'I'm at a press junket.' [laughs] I mean, they just know how to do it! I think, where people go wrong in relationships is when they start to get really comfortable -- it happens all the time -- and you know each other so well. I mean you don't have to say anything to each other to know what the other person's thinking. It's when you stop saying it that you have to start re-evaluating the relationship. God man, relationships are just so hard, it's crazy but you just have to make sure that you respect the love and have a good one. You know, I feel really lucky, I got a good one -- I got one that keeps me on my toes.

Q: This film is being sold as a light comedy, so how do you approach this film as an actress to get those more subtle serious points that you were just talking about across?

KH: Actually, it's funny because I saw the movie, I mean we shot so much and you never know how it's going to come out -- obviously, we leave the set and the product is in everybody else's hands -- and when I first saw the movie, not only was I laughing I was really impressed that the Russo brothers really made a point to maintain some kind of ground and a sensibility to how the comedy is and actually tried to have some point of view on when your best friend has a new best friend. When your marriage isn't necessarily what you thought it would be. I got kind of emotional while we were shooting it, the one thing for me is I had to be very conscious [of the mood of a scene] because I love to laugh and man, it was for me to get through some a lot of those scenes -- even when I had to cry. You know, I had that scene where I go 'sometimes love just isn't enough' and I'd really be focused and try to be emotional and the second I saw Owen's face I [crack up] -- I couldn't help it, he had that neck brace on...I was just like this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But the Russo borthers were really very adamant about keeping it grounded -- I think the movie wouldn't be as good if it wasn't. For me, I just had to play straight. Everything just had to be totally straight and that was very challenging for me because I'm used to having the [theatircal] cover of being able to be so energetic and not grounded -- just completely spontaneous -- whereas [in YMD] it was the opposite. I had to watch Owen do what is spontaneous and go for it and I had to stay rooted and, my God, it was such a challenge. And then working with Matt [Dillon] was -- it was the first time I'd played a married woman, it was the first time I had to be somewhat intimate and feel close to somebody like that. Matt made it very easy...he's a very different style of actor than Owen and it was like working with two completely different kind of people -- it was really amazing how it all just came together and we all enjoyed it.

Q: You've worked with two of the Wilson brothers now, could you compare and contrast between the two ?

KH: I wonder if they hate this -- you know what I mean? [laughs] First of all, I'd gotten to know all of the brothers now, Andrew included, and I would say that -- well, they're all hilarious and their humor is not wacky as much as it is based in intelligence-referenced humor. Owen's a beautiful writer -- a great writer , he's always thinking in terms of writing. Andy and Luke write as well, so I think that their similarities are at the core of them, obviously coming from the same parents, their sense of humor are similar but to me they're all different -- I should ask Owen what he thinks. But to me, I would say that Owen's the weirdest...I don't know, Luke is the baby and he is definitely the baby; I mean you could tell that he's the youngest brother and I think that he's sensitive. Aww, they're so cute [laughs] and Owen, I think, is more quiet. Owen is definitely more quiet than Luke -- which, I know, sounds weird but that would be my [assessment].

Q: How was it being the only female who's face was actually show?

KH: I'm so flattered. Okay, first of all, it was a "boy's club" movie. I was the girl [on set], I was like the little sister but I'm pretty comfortable [hanging out] with boys. You know I have all brothers and there was four boys and me and my mom; I've been surrounded by boys my whole life. I didn't really think of it [until] I saw the movie and I was like 'poor Molly, she's literally the only girl and there's all these dudes' -- it kind of felt a little bit like [shooting] Almost Famous. You know, in Almost Famous even though there were girls, the other band-aids, I was alway with just me and all of the boys every day -- but it was fun.

Q: Michael Douglas looked kind of scary, what was it like working with him?

KH: Michael is the first person that I've worked with that I've known since I was a baby, the first time that I've worked with a friend of my parents. I think it was one of those experiences, maybe for both of us, where it was one of those 'wow' things. It was very cool, very great -- how great is that? To me, opportunity to work with somebody like Mike is always joy. And it was just the fact that he was playing my dad...In terms of the moral of the story, I actually feel like it hit on a couple of things. I loved that Dupree is just such a free spirit and has this idea of I am who I am, I'm proud to be who I am and, eventually, [life] will work out for you -- I don't know if I agree with it. But I do like the concept of people bing okay with who it is that they are. And I do love the idea that in marriage, no matter what, through everything; even when it just feels so bad, for so long that you do work at it. The Russo brothers are both married and they have these amazing women in their lives and I think that [the film's message] is a wonderful ode to their wives because I think it shows that their women are their grounds -- you know, it's what keeps them going. And I think it also shows that their women are strong and they stick though it and that they're demanding of them to stick with it, I do love that idea of that. All in all, we're not talking about an Academy Award film, we're talking about a summer comedy that a lot of fun and, actually, there's a very great, sweet emotional undertone to it that made me feel really good when I walked out of it which is really, for me at least -- I'm such a cynic when it comes to watching myself on screen, I really have a hard time, I never have a good time watching me the first time. I've seen this movie once and it wasn't even done and I really had a great time. I walked out and said 'I want to see it fully done!'

You, Me and Dupree opens in theaters on July 14th