Rise to the occasion
You need to have thick skin to survive in show business, says Kelly Clarkson.
WHEN Kelly Clarkson won the inaugural season of American Idol in 2002, her contract entitled her to both a record deal and a role in a studio film. The only problem? She hated acting.
“I cried,” the singer, now 37, said. “I talked to many lawyers and could not get out of the movie.”
The movie was From Justin To Kelly, a Fox musical co-starring Clarkson and her Idol runner-up, Justin Guarini, as two 20-somethings who fall in love on spring break. The 2003 release grossed an embarrassing US$4.9mil in theatres, scored just 10% on Rotten Tomatoes and, according to Wikipedia, “is often regarded as one of the worst movies ever made.”
Even though the movie bombed, Clarkson continued to receive offers to star in films. She turned them all down – save for a “seven-line” cameo in the 2017 animated film The
Star – to focus on her real passion, singing. But when the filmmakers behind UglyDolls
(now showing at GSC cinemas nationwide) approached her about playing the lead character in a movie based on the popular misshapen kids’ toys, she decided to reverse her no-acting stance.
In the film, Clarkson voices Moxy, an UglyDoll who’s told she’s too unattractive to be given to kids who prefer more perfect-looking toys.
“This role could not be more me,” the performer said. “I get really nervous acting, so I don’t generally do it. I don’t like it. I tend to stay in my comfort zone. But this was kind of awesome, because I thought, I’m not going to have to act ... this is basically my character in life.”
After a morning of shooting The
Voice – where she serves as a coach alongside Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and John Legend – Clarkson discussed her quasi-return to the big screen, her upcoming talk show and her
thick skin.
OK, was doing From Justin To Kelly honestly that bad?
I just didn’t believe in it, first of all. I’m not a beach blanket-movie kind of girl. And I didn’t want it to deter or ruin any chance of me being able to go down the path I actually auditioned for on Idol.
They did give me this: I begged them – since I had to do it contractually – I wanted my single to be released before the movie came out, and I think that literally saved my career.
It was Miss Independent. The fact that that was successful, I think that overcame what the movie was.
You don’t have any positive memories from being on set?
It was a very miserable time of my life. I feel like it’s one of those things where “There are plenty of people that would love to do this – why don’t you ask one of them?”
There were plenty of people on that show. I think I might have been the only one that didn’t want to do it. But the winner had to, so ... I can get over the fact that it’s silly and cute – that’s not embarrassing to me at all.
I just don’t find it very cool that somebody makes you do something that is not your passion and you don’t want to do.
Did that experience sour you on acting, or was your heart just never in it?
I feel like if you’re in the limelight, people think you have to do all these things. If it’s something I want to do – I appear on TV shows where I feel like it’s fun.
Idid The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams because I grew up watching him and I love him.
But I don’t really want to commit to some big kind of role because I respect that art tremendously. All actors shouldn’t be singers, and all singers shouldn’t be actors.
Back in the day, Judy Garland and Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney – women did all things, they sang, they danced, they acted because they all came from stage.
I find stage very different. Like musical theatre? One hundred percent I would do. It’s live, and you don’t stop me.
You get to tell the story, nothing’s interrupting, and you don’t have to redo anything. I like the excitement of that. I don’t get nervous doing that.
Before this interview, I Googled you, and all of the recent stories mentioned your weight loss. Does it bother you that since
Idol your looks have been so publicly scrutinised?
I am from a very small town and ever since I can remember, especially in the South, they say something about what you’re wearing, what you’re believing, what you’re thinking, how you should be. Honestly, the industry isn’t any different than a very small Southern town . ...
Maybe that’s the universe – God – setting me up or preparing me. It doesn’t bother me.
What does bother me is when people say stuff – not all people in the limelight come with the same armour or thick skin or same amount of confidence.
It’s not easy for some people I know in the industry to take that heavy criticism that’s not constructive, it’s just mean. Not everybody can blow that off, that’s the bummer.
You’ve clapped back at some commenters on your Instagram before who made rude remarks about you.
It’s just a highly filtered world. I always make fun of my friends because I’m like, “Girl, they’re gonna see you in person at some point. And you don’t look like that.”
Aesthetics are important ... because it’s fun, it’s art. But I don’t think you should be held to that standard. I enjoy it for work, but I really enjoy not wearing makeup and just being me outside of work.
People will push things on me – magazine covers of other artistes like, “This is what we’re competing against,” and I’m like, “I’m not competing against that. I’m not even anywhere near like that.”
It’s happened my whole career where people try to force-feed you. The whole Clive (Davis) era. I always put it down in a respectful manner . ... Don’t try to make Oreos chocolate chip cookies. It’s fine how it is. There’s room for everyone.
You’ll be hosting a talk show on NBC starting in September. Were you looking for this kind of gig for a while?
Girl, I wasn’t. (NBC Entertainment co-chairman) Paul Telegdy came to me and was like, “Dude, I think you would be such an amazing talk show host.”
And I literally laughed. I was like, “Paul, did you run out of people to ask?” And he was like, “No, on The Voice it’s so evident, you’re so comfortable with people and I think it’s very relatable.”
He kind of convinced me ... but I was still a little bit hesitant. But I was like, as long as I can involve music. So every show is kind of how I tour.
I cover other artistes that I love during the intro instead of a big, huge monologue thing.
On tour, the thing that goes the most viral is the covers – and it’s how I started. It’s me highlighting people I love. And we let people from the audience pick the song we’re doing. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service