A Few Minutes With Brooke Shields
Chit Chat Gal: My first question Brooke is how did the Project Runway episode come about and with that, I guess the outfit that won, what episode does that appear in?
Brooke Shields: We haven't' decided yet. We just got the outfit and now we're trying to decide what the designer – if he's okay if we separate the skirt and the top. Because the top goes really well with the jeans – well on Wendy. And the skirt would be cuter with like a t-shirt or a sweater.
Brooke Shields: Yeah, exactly. They also decided to send me the one that the model wore, which basically fits my pinky. So I was like, "Hey, he's not serious is he that I'm supposed to wear this one?" So I didn't know exactly how that works. And he's – we've been trading calls with him and sort of – we're going to buy the material and he's going to (design it) again in a human size.
Chit Chat Gal: Redesign it. Fabulous. And so did they come to you to do the show?
Brooke Shields: Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, they did. They just approached us and, you know, asked if I would do it. I had never – I mean I had been a fan of the show, but I never dreamt in a million years that they would ask me to – you know I'm used to people putting on my clothes for me. And then I take them off, give them back, and put on jeans.
You know it's sort of – that has been my relationship with fashion over the years – wearing fabulous clothes, but really never having them in my wardrobe. And so when they asked me I thought, "Oh, I'm going to have to fake it. I'm going to have to pretend like I know what I'm talking about." Then I realized when I started opening my mouth I was a lot more opinionated than (I thought I was). And then they couldn't shut me up.
Chit Chat Gal: Excellent. And then I guess what about this show drew you to the part and have you kind of made Wendy your own like parts of you? Or do you kind of just try to keep it as what was written on the page?
Brooke Shields: Well we – you know we started with the book. I mean I read the book when it first came out and I was instantly drawn to Wendy. I just – I loved her versatility and I loved all the different areas of her life that she grappled with. So I identified with her from the start.
After doing so many episodes and being in that character every day, there's something that happened that sort of – there's this crossover that constantly happens. I hear myself say things that Wendy would say. And then while I'm doing Wendy scenes I feel that that would be my natural response and even just the cadence in which we speak is becoming more sort of naturally appropriate for both.
I think that – what was the second half of the question? I'm sorry.
Chit Chat Gal: Have you kind of changed Wendy to be a little bit more like you or do you just really still keep her kind of as what the book was and what's on the page?
Brooke Shields: Oh, the book. Yeah, the idea that – see the book was only one. The book basically was the pilot. So right now, we have this sort of – we ended at the pilot and now we're just trying to keep true to the essence of the book, but with complete storylines. So I mean Candace is ever present, which is so wonderful because we always have our voice around us, which is great. And that kind of keeps bringing us back to it.
But we found the thread and the (through line) in all of these people and so now, it's – I think it's becoming much easier for all of us because we know who these people are and we're just getting deeper and deeper into who they are.
