At a packed press conference yesterday, a surprisingly charming but totally glammed up Mariah Carey talked about how hard it was de-glamourize herself for her role in Precious.
As the dowdy social worker, she’s right up their with Michael Douglas’s “I look like crap” role in Solitary Man.
It was hard for her.
“Overhead lighting is so bad for me,” she said with a laugh. And, turning to director Lee Daniels, she said it was as if he knew every single one of her beauty no no’s – mousy hair colour, crappy hair cut with bangs, dark makeup under the eyes. “You knew,” she said, drawing out the last word as if she were having a tantrum.
Gotta say I was a bit of a hero at the press conference, which included executive producers Tyler Perry and, of course, Oprah Winfrey.
Director Daniels was trying to remember the opening quote in Push, the book on which Precious is based. But even author Sapphire couldn’t remember it. Guess who had the book in her bag and, being an early bird – we’re talkin’ 8:15 am – was sitting in the third row? Yes, yours truly, so I went up there and handed my copy to Sapphire, receiving an appreciative nod from Ms. Winfrey herself.
Winfrey, by the way, has terrific energy – she’s grounded and very real.
Today’s Precious round tables got off to a late start – star, newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, was a little slow getting going this morning. Saw her partying at the Whip It party last night which might explain it. Sidibe was completely charming as she talked about going from first year psych student to TIFF press conference sitting beside Mariah Carey.
Daniels, too, had an energizing intensity and a healthy ego.
“This is my movie, my story,” he said, emphatically, recalling how he stalked Sapphire to get her to agree to let him make the film. “There were no egos on that set,” he said, “except my own.”
Noticeably absent from the TIFF eventsd was Mo’nique, whose groundbreaking performance is getting serious Oscar buzz. According to Daniels, she was at home eating potato chips with her kids.[rssbreak]
