|
Dry County Archives: Chats, Articles & Interviews
Barbara Walters’s Interview With Jon Bon Jovi On “20/20-6 to Watch (ABC)"
Contributed by Karolyne Marcil (Karom908@geocities.com)
B.W. Narrating: [Wanted Dead Or Alive] In the ‘80s, Bon Jovi rocked and ruled. And if ever a band had a face or a hairstyle, it was Jon Bon Jovi’s. His tight pants and voice aching with passion, the stage was his world... [extract of “The Leading Man” 1998. J.B.: “Music’s my way of winding down.”]... But 78 millions record sales was just chapter 1.Chapter 2 — A new acting career.[Extract continued: “You know, basically, I just see this as doing a favor to a friend”] For behind all this hair was a quiet actor. And critics say he’s got it! [No Looking Back, 1998: “Why can’t you just be honest with me?”][Livin’ On A Prayer] He is a New Jersey boy to the core who always preferred playing music to getting good grades. At 21, he formed the band that bore his name. As rock stars go, he broke the mold - no drugs or trashed hotel rooms and as for girls, Dorothea Hurley stole his heart in High School and never let it go. They married 1989 and now have 2 children.[Blaze Of Glory video] He wrote the theme song for the movie “Young Guns II”, it won him an Oscar nomination and inspired him to cut his hair and his losses. He was battling depression, fearful of becoming one more aging rocker. So he took a break from the band, [Moonlight & Valentino, 1995: “Well try, just make it up.”] got an acting coach and found his subtler self. [No Looking Back, 1998: “Have I ever not paid you back? C’mon, loan me 20 bucks!] In 3 movies this year, he has shown a masterful ability to all but disappear into his roles. [Continued extract: “That’s right, don’t forget it!” “- Don’t worry, man, I won’t!”] [Jon dubbing: “I didn’t talk ‘cause you’re my brother.”] [Wanted Dead Or Alive] The week we met him, he had been working on 2 jobs - recording some new song material and dubbing a film called “Row Your Boat”. He’s enjoying the challenge of making another name to himself.
[Interview begins]
- Jon, you’re a big star in the music world.You are a beginning star in films. Isn’t that tough?
It’s tough but it’s good. Humility serves a great purpose in my life. It helps me staying grounded in the music business too. Because in all honesty, you know, you’re used to play in stadium and the private plane and the best of everything...
- And the people cheering...
Sure!... And then you make an independent movie where the budget’s as big as what you spent on catering,...you know... [he laughs]
-But it is interesting that you started with the small roles. It was very wise. You didn’t say “Look who I am, give me anything!”
No, I’ve seen other people make those mistakes. And you only get one shot at the first time. And for me, it was about baby steps to get my confidence up, and feeling comfortable in front of the cameras.
-There are not many rock stars that make the transition from music to films. And you don’t sing in these films?
No!
-Do you have any role models?
Frank Sinatra [without hesitation]
-Frank Sinatra...Yeah, but for a long time he sang..
“Here To Eternity”, right? The guy wins an academy award, you know. I mean, the guy toured until he was 80!!! I’m 36, you know! I don’t, I don’t know about 80...[ he laughs]
-Let’s talk about your hair.
[he grins]...Okay...
- Do you feel that the hair gets more attention than the music and the acting?
It did! But I don’t think it’s such a big deal anymore. I do remember, though, six years ago when I cut it short it was on CNN. I couldn’t believe it!!!
-Yeah, it was big news “Jon Bon Jovi has cut his hair!” You still got a good head of hair.
Fortunately, it’s mine...it’s mine...
- There are a lot of bald men that still hate you!
[he laughs] It’s mine!
-In the early 1990's, with all of your success, you went through a period of depression. Why?
That’s a good question!
-Yeah, you know, you say “why” , but you had it all!
Yeah, and I wanted to give it back!
-Why?
I had done 4 albums back to back to back. We lived on the road for a 250-shows tour at a clip and we were burned out on it. And because, boy, all the romance was gone. It wasn’t what i thought it was gonna be, it became a machine.
-The band?
Yeah. And we were supporting a hundred people; and agents and managers and lawyers were doing their jobs, you know! But they were booking us and booking us, and no one was giving us a break to stop!
-What happened?
I fired everybody, you know. I just went home, caught my breath, did the “Young Guns” record, did a lot of things to start to develop a second chapter to my life.
-Is this when you decided you wanted to try acting?
Yeah!
-Did you seriously study acting?
Oh, yeah! And continue to, hum, now.
-You didn’t just say “I can do it”.
No, no, not at all! I had too much respect for the medium to even think that because I was a singer, that I think that I could act. Even Robert DeNiro couldn’t go and make a record tomorrow, you know, he’d have to learn the craft!
-What would your dream film be?
Something opposite DeNiro, Sean Penn, Pacino [laughs] and Paul Newman...
-Could you hold up your own?
I’d hold cables, I would hold whatever it took to hold!
-What does acting give you that music doesn’t?
I think that it takes all the experience that I have and allows me to be a beginner again. I have confidence, I have the luxury of knowing that I have a great job to fall back on if i get the rejections from a producer or a director.
-The day job is the recording job, and that’s going to go on?
Absolutely, it’s in my blood, I’ve got to do it!
-So what can we expect from Jon Bon Jovi, the musician, in the next 10 years, and the same guy, the actor, in the next 10 years ?
Hum... A lot of it! [laughs] I’m gonna make records, I’m gonna make movies, I’m gonna have fun, I’m gonna enjoy it. This is the time to really take the blinders off and really take it in!"********
|
