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PEOPLE & ARTSSaturday 24 March 2018
Q&A: At 91, the droll Cloris Leachman isn't slowing down yet
By LINDSEY BAHR, AP Film
Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cloris
Leachman is 91-years-old
and still as busy as ever in
Hollywood.
The Oscar and multiple Em-
my-winner has a hit movie
out, the faith-based film "I
Can Only Imagine," about
the story behind the Mer-
cyMe song of the same
name. It has earned over
$22 million in just six days of
release on a $7 million bud-
get.
Leachman spoke to The
Associated Press Thursday
about the film, the unlikely
role she's most proud of
(it's not "The Last Picture
Show"), and her plans to
keep working.
Remarks have been edited
for clarity and brevity.
___
AP: Congratulations on
the success of "I Can Only
Imagine." Was that a sur-
prise for you this weekend?
LEACHMAN: The whole
thing is a surprise.
AP: Why did you want to do
this film?
LEACHMAN: Oh, it isn't like
that at all. You're given a
movie with the time of yours,
you know what you're do-
ing, and you can do it and
the time and money and
who's in it, blah, blah, blah. high up to your eyebrows.
And you say yes. You're
not sitting around in a living
room with a pile of scripts
AP: I was a little surprised,
knowing that you identify
as an atheist and this is a
Christian-themed movie.
LEACHMAN: I am an athe-
ist, absolutely. But I really
think it is wonderful that
there are gods for people
who need them. We all
believe in something. It's
something or nothing. If you
believe in nothing you be-
lieve in something. I think it's
wonderful that they build a
place where we can come
and be there together. It's
got a lot of good things
about it.
AP: You have such impres-
sive stamina, how do you
maintain your energy?
LEACHMAN: I've always
been sort of interested in
health since I was a little
girl. It's just what I reach for. LEACHMAN: Liberace. He
AP: What do you think of the
roles that come your way?
LEACHMAN: I'm quite ex-
cited about them, I think
they're wonderful.
AP: Anything you look for in
particular?
LEACHMAN: No, just what-
ever comes. I once played
a woman from North Eng-
land in World War I who
took her little baby from
the hospital two days af-
ter it was born because it
was going to die. Its eyes
had been removed, it
didn't have anything, any-
thing. She just looked at
that baby and summoned
God's love and said tell me
something to do. That little
boy, one night she went to
turn the television off ... and LEACHMAN: No, no.
she went down there and it
wasn't on and she eventu-
ally went to the room that
was right next to her little
boy's room and she had
gotten an old piano just to
tinker with. He was playing
Rachmaninov, or, no it was,
who was the pianist who is
very gay? Oh, you know.
AP: I'm not sure.
LEACHMAN: Oh, just tell me
who you think.
AP: I don't think I'll be able
to guess.
was playing his theme song
the way Liberace played
it. He had never played a
note in his life. And he be-
gan then playing on the
radio. Oh my god, that
was the most wonderful
thing I've ever done I think.
I knew what to do even be-
fore I did it. Even before the
director. I just knew. It was
one of those things that's
just human to me.
(Editor's Note: The film
Leachman is referring to
is a 1983 ABC afterschool
special "The Woman Who
Willed a Miracle" about Les-
lie Lemke.)
AP: Do you keep in touch
with some of your friends
from...
AP: You gave a very funny
toast to Betty White recent-
ly at the Publicist's Guild
Awards. Can you tell me
a little bit about what went
into that?
LEACHMAN: Well they put
her and me together for
some reason or another
(laughs). We're both in our
90s. We're not friends, we
don't even know each oth-
er.
AP: You don't? You don't
stay in touch?
LEACHMAN: No, never.
AP: What about people like
Mel Brooks and Peter Bog-
danovich?
LEACHMAN: We love each
other but we don't ever
talk. Unless we're together
for some reason or another.
AP: Do you wish that were
different?
LEACHMAN: No, it's fine, I
have a big family.
AP: What inspires you to
keep working?
LEACHMAN: This is what I
do. I love it. I just love it. It's
very exciting.
AP: Do you think good roles
exist for older actresses or
does it start to taper off at a
certain point?
LEACHMAN: Well, I think it's
tapering off now. I'm in my
90s and everybody knows
it.
AP: You've said before that
you didn't have plans to re-
tire, is that still the case?
LEACHMAN: Yes.
AP: What are some other
roles that you're most proud
of?
LEACHMAN: Well this one.
Not this one. I didn't even
know what this was about
really. They tell me about
it and I go oh yes, I guess
that's right. I had to go to
the church and act like I
was very moved by it.
AP: That's why you're a
good actress.
LEACHMAN: I would have
been better had I known!q