| Talk Show Appearances - 1990 | ||
| Late Night with David Letterman, Mar. 21 Today, April 5 This Morning (CBS), April 11 Clicking on the thumbnail images will cause larger versions of the images to open in a separate window. 1. Late Night with David Letterman, Mar. 21
Once again, Tracey is played to the set with "They Don't Know." This is a quick return visit for her, as she was on only 3 months ago. However, the show was preempted that night for news reports on the US invasion of Panama. She tells Dave he must not get along with the news division. She also takes him to task for failing to follow through on his promise to take her and Mabel to see the Rockettes. She shows off her shorter haircut, which shows her hair to be in very good condition. Before, it was "like an old carpet." Her 30th birthday was last Wednesday, shortly after Christmas, and her big present was a 1970 E-type Jaguar. Unfortunately, it broke down on the way there, so the dealer had to bring it via a tow truck. But when it's working, it's fabulous! The main reason for Tracey's appearance tonight is to plug her new movie I Love You To Death. But first, she mentions she's doing Shakespeare in the Park this summer with Morgan Freeman -- The Taming Of The Shrew. She's never done Shakespeare professionally, only in school, where it was extremely boring. She's apartment hunting, as she'll need a place to stay. Hm -- might Ivana Trump be persuaded to spare a few rooms? Probably not.... Back to the film -- she briefly describes the plot, saying that it's based on a true story.
Bryant Gumbel introduces Tracey by saying she's conquered TV. "Not in the ratings," she replies. Why did she pick I Love You To Death? Because it was better than the Bette Midler castoffs, the comedy cop rubbish she was being offered. It was based on a great true story, an incredible black comedy. She never met the woman upon whom her character is based, for the director didn't want her to. But she did see her on the Oprah Winfrey show. Anything gets turned into entertainment these days, she says. She describes her character as a straight, plain American housewife. She doesn't use any of her trademark wigs, teeth or other props to play her; she plays her absolutely straight. We then see a clip from the movie, after which Bryant comments that she bears a strong resemblance to Joan Plowright, who played her mother in the movie. She's heard that for several years, especially at home in Britain. She then recalls overhearing a critic's wife at a screening saying, look at this, she's playing both parts! 3. This Morning (CBS), April 11
The interview begins with a clip from I Love You To Death. Tracey says she likes to base her characters on specific people, but she didn't do that in this case. She spent a lot of time observing people in the shopping malls of Tacoma. She wasn't bothered very much by fans; typically, they say they have a friend just like her. It was tough for her to select her first American film, for she was receiving lots of offers for comedy cop rubbish and other unfulfilling roles. She talks about her TV show, how it's really hard work. The struggle to make it succeed is intense; during the week, it's not fun, but when it all comes together, it's very fulfilling. She'd like to do a great Broadway musical sometime, for deep down, she's still the little girl at home singing to the "Liza With A 'Z'" album. Prepared by Roger Reini |
