THE INSIDER: FERGIE

Talking with the pop star about her new movie, Nine.

The last time you saw Fergie, it was probably on SNL, where the singer was performing her umpteenth hit song “I Got a Feeling” with her band mates in The Black Eyed Peas.  But starting December 18th, you’ll see the California native in a new light – as a bonafide actress. 

In the Rob Marshall movie musical Nine, she stars alongside Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, and Sofia Loren as Saraghina, a witchy seaside prostitute who initiates young Guido (Daniel Day Lewis) into manhood.  But she does get to sing, performing a show-stopping number called "Be Italian" with crimped hair, a dozen backup dancers, and two tons of sand that were shipped to a London soundstage.

We met Fergie in New York City – the morning after her SNL appearance – to discuss her new role.

So last night you were singing "I Got a Feeling" on NBC.  Now you’re in a movie with tunes.  Is there a huge difference in how you perform?  Yes, because when you’re in a musical, you’re not really a singer – you’re an actress, too.  But actually, I would love to perform my song ["Be Italian," from NINE] live. I feel very blessed to have this song, because I really get to belt it out, and everything inside comes out, that fire you have. It’s all about letting it out, and it’s a very animalistic energy. Very raw and physical. And she’s trying to teach him about how being Italian is a love for life, and food, dancing, drinking, sex, fighting!

But you’re not Italian, are you?  No, I’m actually not Italian! I do have a bump on my nose, which I was very excited about because I thought it would help me get the role, and I added makeup to make my nose look wider for the audition. I’m serious.  I put on all this makeup and did crazy things to my hair, and honestly I was afraid the paparazzi would photograph me as I left my hotel room to audition, and print one of those “What was she thinking?” captions.  But with Rob Marshall as a director, its not just about singing and performing, but really becoming the character.

You’re working with four Oscar winners in one movie – was that intimidating?  Yes and no.  The cast was so welcoming and wonderful, but obviously, I knew I had to be dedicated to working in that [environment].  But when I was 24, I had this thespian boyfriend and I was in love with him, and he took this class with Arthur Mendoza in Los Angeles, taken directly from Stella Adler. I’d go to these classes and I’d watch.

But you’d been on TV since you were a child.  But it was great, because I’d been a child actor for all those years, but I never knew what I was doing. I never knew about the process, so the class gave me a whole new outlook on acting. It was incredible. So for this audition I researched it, I did back story, I did everything. And I think they saw that, it was like, “This girl can sing, but she’s doing the work as an actor as well.” And I got to finally use the skills from being in class, and studying for this role.  I mean really, it’s just studying human behavior, and its therapeutic, very interesting. 

Rob Marshall says they shipped tons of sand into the studio for your musical number.  I’m guessing you’re still washing it out of your hair?  Ha!  It was not just in the hair. The thing about the sand is that every take, it’s going to fall differently; it just goes everywhere – in your hair, on your body, in your mouth.  I will never look at sand the same way again.

When we first meet your character, you’re basically doing a striptease in front of a bunch of little boys.  How was that?  Oh, during the scene where I’m doing a bit of a tease, showing some shoulders and cleavage and stuff?  It was really great the way Rob filmed it, because he didn’t tell the kids what I was going to do! They were having a natural reaction!  I mean, I knew that I was not going to show them everything, but these boys did not know that. They were having nervous reactions!

They must have worshiped you.  They were adorable.  We would have little pretend fighting scenes in between the takes.  They were such little boys.

One of the first lines in Nine is “What’s your favorite pasta?”  That’s easy! My mom’s lasagna. We aren’t Italian at all, but she still makes it so well.  I grew up on a lot of fast food because I was always in dance lessons, gymnastics lessons, going to auditions. So once in a while, she’d have her signature dishes for a family meal, and that was one of them. She makes it every Christmas, and its my comfort food. Reminds me of home. There’s nothing like it.
--FARAN KRENTCIL

Listen to Fergie sing Be Italian on YouTube



This story was published on November 24, 2009.