Dear Christopher,

If a script is written very badly, or it has too much gratuitous violence or sex, I am not interested. I did do a film called “Diary of a Sex Addict” in which a lot of sex was depicted, but I felt that it was part of the story so I didn’t mind (that was actually a very interesting script, but the film ended up being terrible). My first manager, Bob Lemond, told me that there are 4 reasons to do a part: I like the role; I believe in the script; I want to work with the director, producer, director of photography or the actors that are associated with the film; I need the money; . If I cant find at least one of those in a movie offer, then don’t do it. I have followed that advice for over 20 years now. In Kuffs and 12 Bucks, I had very small parts, but I knew the producers on both projects and wanted to work with them. The role in 12 Bucks was a huge departure from what I normally do, which was a bonus.

Best, Alexandra

I actually have never tried any illegal drugs and I have only had 2 glasses of wine in my life. I don’t have strong feelings against marijuana (I think it should be legalized, actually) but I don’t see myself ever trying it, and I don’t plan on ever drinking alcohol again. I have gone skydiving and I scuba dive, but I don’t think I will ever bungee jump. My biggest fear is being a quadriplegic. I am also (ironically, since my brother is and my sister was a firefighter) afraid of fires, being burned.

Thank you for writing!
Alexandra

I am currently reading “The Party’s Over – war, oil and the fate of industrial societies”, by Richard Heinberg. It is about how we are going to completely run out of fuel in this century, and how we have handle it if we are to survive. Very, very interesting. And of course, very scary. The world is going to reach Peak Oil around 2010, and after that we will be extracting less and less oil from the earth, at a time when the world will be demanding more and more fuel. The real question is, will humans have the foresight to adapt renewable energy sources in time, because it will take a lot of energy to – for example – build wind machines and solar panels. This book is very readable – it is a heavy subject, but it is written for the layperson (I don’t like books that are laborious to read).

The next book on my reading list is Thom Hartmann’s “The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight” about the fate of the world and what we can do before it’s too late. I have read a lot of Thom Hartmann’s articles in the last 3 years, and he is a thoughtful, insightful journalist.

I am in a reading group, and the book we are reading is The Kite Runner, a novel by Khaled Hosseini. I have just started it, so I cant tell you yet how it is or what it is about, but it has gotten terrific reviews.

Reading is a joy for me. Please let me know what books you have enjoyed, so I may read them also!

Alexandra