Exclusive picture of Lynn during my interview 11/1/03
I met her at the October 2003 Chiller Theater show and she was incredibly nice and generous with her time for what I believe was her first ever Cat People only related interview. She played the prostitute in the hotel who falls down the stairs to get away from Paul who was a cat.
Q: Did you have to audition to get the part?
A: I did. I auditioned and I think the reason I got the part was because I asked Paul Schrader (the director) if he wanted me to do the audition full out. I don't think he had any idea how powerful I could be. So he said 'yeah, sure.' So I did the whole thing right there in his office. I pretended the cat got me and I was screaming and growling trying to get to their office door trying to get it open and got out. Everybody in the outer office started to applaud. I think that's why I got the part.
Q: Did you get to meet the main cast?
A: I was all by myself. My scene was all alone. I met everyone. I met Malcolm in the dressing room. It was funny because I was getting made up and he walked in, took off his robe and was absolutely, totally naked. He sat down in the chair next to me and said, 'Hello, I'm Malcolm McDowell. So nice to meet you.' I was like, 'Oh, my god!' He was so charming and nice.
Q: They did keep you away from the cat right?
A: Oh, yeah. No, I was never anywhere near the cats. They started out with an electric paw to get me and that didn't work. So finally they ended up with a paw where they had a crewman with his hand inside. He was under the bed and got in my way. Of course that was before I had to fall on my knee several times before they realized that wasn't going to work.
Q: Did you have a stunt double when you went down the stairs?
A: No. One of the things they asked me when they hired me was if I bruised easily. Of course I do bruise easily, but no actor is ever going to say it. So I said, 'no, I don't.' The thing is they wanted the real actress coming down the stairs and the camera at the bottom so they could see her face coming down, so I did all that the stunt work. I had to fall down the stairs I think probably 20 times. The first time they forgot to take the tacks out so I got all cut. After 20 times I was literally black and blue and rugburned. It was not pretty. If I looked like I was in a lot of pain coming down the stairs, it was because I really was.
Q: How was Paul Schrader?
A: Paul was very good, very demanding. He was kind of impatient sometimes. He wanted to get the shot, he wanted to get it right now. He would get mad at make-up and costume people who would keep me and I'd end up coming to the set late and he'd be furious because I was late to the set. It really wasn't my fault because they wouldn't let me go because I wasn't ready. You couldn't really explain that to him. He was a little difficult, but very creative. He was open to changes in the script. Some of the lines that are in that scene I actually wrote myself. I asked if I could kind of improvise the scene and he said 'sure'. He was open to that which I thought was nice.
Q: Were you aware that Paul was having an affair with Nastassia at the time?
A: I never knew anything about that. I was never around Nastassia. I met her in New Orleans when I was there, but I never knew anything about an affair.
Q: He admitted on the DVD to the affair and all he would say was it complicated his life beyond imagination at the time.
A: I would imagine.
Q: I know it wasn't long of a shot for you. Do you have any other stories?
A: When I went to New Orleans it was very funny because they were going to shoot me walking across the street. They lit the whole street, put me in complete body make-up, hair, everything. It took hours and hours to do it. And all he shot was from here down (points to her legs). Number one it could've been anyone's legs. Number two they didn't have to light the whole street. I thought it was funny that they did all that. One time they put the application where the cat gets my leg on the wrong leg. It was my second day and I was thinking, 'I think it's the wrong leg', but I didn't want to say anything. These are people who are paid to know what they are doing. They are going to think I'm crazy if I say something. So finally I got up the nerve to say something and I said, 'I hate to say this, but I think it is the wrong leg.' Then they were furious with me because I didn't say anything sooner!
Q: It was your fault!
A: Right. It was all my fault.
Q: How long were you on the set?
A: I think the stair scene took about three days. Where I leave was one night. So four days total.
Q: Did you ever see Malcolm besides in the trailer?
A: No. I used to see him around, but I never got the chance to really talk to him again. I was such a big fan from A Clockwork Orange so I was really shy.
Q: Did you stay around and watch any of the other filming?
A: No, because the set I was in was built just for that. Then they moved everything somewhere else and I didn't know where they went so I just went home.
Q: So the entire hotel was just a set?
A: Yeah, it was all a set. It was good.
This page © 2003-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net