Busy as ever, Sorvino will always be Romy
Mira Sorvino graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, won an Oscar and is now a U.N. goodwill ambassador to combat human trafficking. Yet she may be most recognizable as half of the titular party-girl duo (with Lisa Kudrow) of “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” now out on Bluray.
The 44-year-old actress shoehorned an interview between shooting “Space Warriors” in Vancouver, scheduled to be her 10th release in three years, and caring for her 4-month-old daughter (her fourth child in eight years). Q: Where did Romy’s voice come from? A: I modeled it a little bit on my sister, who, although she was raised in New Jersey, had kind of a Valley Girl accent. But then I made it lower. Q: You said you learned a lot from Lisa Kudrow. Such as?
A: I think it was through osmosis more than anything. She has a lot of funny in her, you know? I just watched her do her thing and was very impressed. She’s also really, really smart in real life. She was almost a doctor, she comes from a family of doctors; she was a premed student and then decided to switch to acting. It really puts the lie to the idea that (actors playing) dumb blondes are dumb. You have to be smart to play a dumb blonde. Q: Do you see her much? The fans probably would love it if
you were besties. A: We’re friends, we’re definitely friends. We saw each other at that reunion photo shoot for Entertainment Weekly this year, and we had such a great time, it made me kick myself that we don’t see each other more often. This year, I’ve been so massively busy with having my fourth baby, I basically don’t see my own family very much — with the exception of my nuclear family. So I have it as an intention, definitely, to spend more time with Lisa in this coming year because I just adore her, she’s just the greatest. Q: Do you have any favorite lines from that script? A: There are so many. I was approached by a young girl at the Louvre in Paris one year when I was visiting as a tourist and she said, “I’m the Mary.” “What?’’ “I’m the Mary!” “Ohhh, you’re doing
‘Romy and Michele’ lines!” I couldn’t believe it. That was so nice for me because, growing up, people did “Animal House” lines. Or “Goodfellas” (starring her father, Paul Sorvino). And all of a sudden, here’s somebody doing one of my movies. I was thrilled. Ha ha. Q: What has been the movie’s legacy, do you think?
A: It’s a fan favorite, for sure. I think it struck a chord because most people in high school were not the homecoming king or queen. Most people felt a little bit nervous and a little bit of a loner or an outcast or that they just didn’t fit in somehow. And this film is for all of those people, because I was one of those people. High school was a very negative experience for me. Even though academically, it was interesting, socially, it was miserable. I’ve never been to one of my own high school reunions.
Q: Has there been any talk of a sequel?
A: There has been lots of talk of a sequel. Unfortunately, it has never been something the studio wants to do. All the creative powers — Robin Schiff, who wrote the original, she would like to write another one; Lisa and I would like to do it; everyone’s on board except for the Mouse (Disney). So if your readers want to start a letterwriting campaign, go ahead. Q: Among your 10 releases slated from 2011 to 2013, are there any you’d like to call attention to?
A: I have a film coming out in September called “Trade of Innocents” with Dermot Mulroney, about the trafficking of children in Southeast Asia for sexual exploitation, which is something — I am now the United Nations goodwill ambassador to combat human trafficking, so that’s become a huge part of my life and it’s something I’m very proud of and I think it will be relevant to all people, that children are being sold for sex, which is horrendous. But not only there — here, as well, it’s a big deal. I’ve just had this movie, “Union Square,” open, which I think is one of my finest pieces of work in a long time. I just love that movie. It’s kind of a crazy character who is funny and sad in equal parts and I really loved playing her. So those are just two that are coming out right around now, and there are more to come. Michael Ordoña is a freelance writer. E-mail: sadolphson@sfchronicle.com