Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Roaring into role as feminist icon
‘Helen Reddy gave us powerful war cry,’ says star of new biopic ‘I Am Woman’
AUSSIE actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey savored every word of a certain feminist rock anthem that begins this way: “I am woman, hear me roar. / In numbers too big to ignore.”
Cobham-Hervey not only sang it in the mirror, but also in the shower and in her car while prepping to play music icon Helen Reddy in the new, critically acclaimed biopic “I Am Woman,” in theaters and on video on demand.
To find her inner Reddy, Cobham-Hervey also dug deeply into the history of the 1971 song, which proved … infuriating.
“Helen Reddy gave us a powerful war cry of ‘I Am Woman’ that has endured decades,” the actress says. “What I found out is Capitol Records executives at the time were horrified by the song. When Helen pitched it, she heard that it was ‘man hating,’ ‘husband bashing’ and that ‘no one would ever listen to it.’ ”
“She was truly ahead of her time,” says Cobham-Hervey (“Hotel Mumbai”), who plays the Aussie feminist. The film by the same name as her enduring song covers single mother Reddy coming to America and then dealing with poverty, dating, auditions, motherhood, fame, fans and a difficult marriage to her then-manager, Jeff Wald (Evan Peters), who had a cocaine addiction and lost almost all of her money.
Review-Journal: How are you coping with the pandemic? What is your average Sunday now? Tilda Cobham-Hervey:
I’m currently living with my family in Adelaide in Australia. I just came back here from two screenings in Sydney, so I’m in quarantine for 14 days. I’m not allowed to go outside and I’m basically stuck in my room for two weeks. I’m optimistic and remind myself that I’ll get out soon. It’s spring here, so it’s beautiful out there, but I’m making sure that everyone is safe. Netflix has become a good Sunday friend of mine while I’m stuck inside. I’ve also been writing. I’m adapting a book into a screenplay.
There was a worldwide search for an actress to play Helen Reddy. Tell us how you got the part.
Before I went in for my audition, I watched every one of Helen’s performances and read or listened to every interview. To be honest, I was so excited even to be considered for this part and I really wanted to know about Helen. It sounds crazy, but it never dawned on me that I might actually win the role. I was only 22 at the time and couldn’t even imagine taking on this international ’70s icon with two kids.
How did you bring the iconic songs “Angie Baby,” “Delta Dawn” and “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady” to life?
I spent hours in my house singing to myself and copying performances where I’d try to capture her physically. It was really important to find the touchstone of Helen, which is her music.
What was the most difficult part of capturing her essence?
She had an incredible stillness to her. There was a deep confidence there because she was actually telling an amazing story with each song. … The way we did the songs started with me singing live on the day, but my singing wasn’t in the film. My voice has a different tone. We had an amazing artist named Chelsea Cullen who performed the songs. I would do a track and she re-recorded it while watching my performance. There are other songs that are Helen’s voice.
Few know that Reddy had a tough marriage to her manager Jeff Ward. She called him No. 2 out of four husbands.
There was a lot of love there and they were a pretty amazing team for a while, but it wasn’t always an easy pairing. We look at Helen as this incredibly strong, powerful woman and feminist. She was a woman ahead of her time with her husband controlling all of her financing, which was normal at the time.
Did you speak to Helen Reddy, who is now 78 years old?
I didn’t speak to her while we made the film. It was a decision that the director made before we went into production. The director spent a lot of time with Helen and her family. The truth is, Helen is at a different point in her life now and we were just focusing on a slice of her life. The first time I met her was at an awards ceremony where she was being honored with a lifetime achievement award. I had to get up and do a speech about her. We met backstage and she was lovely. I met her daughter and granddaughter. It was such a moment.
How did you discover acting?
I was 9 and in a performing troupe, which was only part of it. My mum is a dancer and my dad is a lighting designer. I grew up in the back of a theater. There was never
any hope of me getting a real job. I did audition for acting jobs, including a part where I would have to play a 16-year-old who was sexually aware. I had never kissed a boy and,
again, thought I’d never get the part. I got the part and kissed a boy! Later, one of my early films got into Sundance and people were calling saying, “I want to be your agent.”
Before I went in for my audition, I watched every one of Helen’s performances and read or listened to every interview.