Marisa Tomei teams up with Billy Crystal and Bette Midler for new comedy Parental Guidance - which is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on Monday.
- Do you feel you are now able to do a wide range of movies?
I feel like I was probably put in a box after doing 'My Cousin Vinny' - whatever that box was I didn’t like it in there so I kind of screwed up my career for a while and then I grew up and I started to make different choices or the best you can make out of what you are offered.
- What do you prefer?
For me comedy - I am much happier. I like the rhythm. I think it’s as close to a musical as I will ever get because I can’t sing.
Musicals are what made me want to be an actress - I love the rhythm inside comedy - there is a lot of technical stuff to do and I like that challenge. You have to land it on comedy or it falls flat.
In drama if you don’t land it they can always cut around it and still make it look good. In comedy you have to nail it. It’s a real technique.
- What was it like working with Billy and Bette?
I loved it because it was like a three-way chemistry, like a juggling act - or like surfing.
- What about working with three kids on set?
There were a couple of times when they had too much sugar or they were tired and when they figured out filmmaking wasn’t as exciting as they thought it would be but their parents were with us all the time and our director Andy Fickman is really known for working with kids and he has done other films with kids. He is like the kid whisperer! He really knows what to do.
- Do you relate at all to your character?
I’m nothing like my character Alice. I don’t relate to her at all. I don’t understand it.
It was not how I was raised but it’s a new time with technology invading children’s lives and there is more danger around and there is more research and psychology around child rearing but for me it was a lot looser.
There was structure within it. It wasn’t a traditional household. We still had dinner every night at the same time.
I had to do my schoolwork - things were very traditional and the rest was go outside and play. We also got to travel a lot so I experienced a lot at an early age
- Your mother introduced you to Broadway?
She loved going to the theater and we have great family memories of seeing shows like 'A Chorus Line' and then seeing something serious like 'Night Mother.' They really inspired me.
- How are you feeling at this point in your career?
I’m feeling great - and this movie makes me feel really good. I don’t usually like doing interviews but I have really enjoyed getting to talk about my family which is a real bonus.
When you ask why did I choose this movie, it wasn’t because of family.
I wanted to do a comedy and these guys are icons and to see if I could keep up with these comedy legends and learn from them but the other bonus is being able to talk about my family. I don’t usually get asked those questions.
- Do you think this is a good family movie?
It’s uplifting and it shows the genius of Billy Crystal. He came up with 'City Slickers' or he is doing a Broadway show.
He has a way of knowing what is going on and convey it in a popular culture, in a funny way.
- What do you think he conveyed with this movie?
The cross between generations and family. He has put his hand into that Pandora ’s Box of family and emotion.
The bridge is not how much we don’t like each other it’s how much we really love each other and being that close can be painful.
Parental Guidance is on Blu-ray & DVD May 27 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Tagged in Marisa Tomei