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"This huge
life-changing moment of going from zero to ninety in two seconds!"
(Catherine on her reaction to getting a lead role on JAG)
It was strange, because I was showing my butt all day and all these guys
(on the set) were hitting on me. It was like, "you're showing your butt
on camera, why don't you show me?", and they were so sleazy and gross...
On being a "body double" for Isabella Rossellini (in Death Becomes her)
"Almost every Marine I've met says I portray a Marine dead-on, which is
really, really flattering."
"Women in the military thank me for portraying a character who's
feminine and attractive and sexual and yet still strong and intelligent
and in the military. I think people have this perception that to be
strong and a military woman you have to look a certain way or not be
feminine."
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People were showing you how
to throw up. You’re taking diet pills. Everyone’s partying, so you start
drinking a lot, and drugs. A couple of years messed me up for a while”.
(On her modeling career - before embarking on acting.)
"I don't mind nudity when it's done tasteful and not just gratuitous T
and A. They showed my butt! It was fine, though. I think the female body
is beautiful."
My husband and I were sitting at our dining room table looking at a
stack of bills trying to work out a way we could pay them. We'd already
borrowed money and I was thinking we'd have to borrow more. I'd been
working two jobs and my husband had taken on another while I did acting
classes. I got the call and my agent said, "You're not supposed to know
this yet, but you've got the part..." I started crying and we went out
and brought the cheapest bottle of champagne we could find.
"I love beer. There's nothing like having an ice-cold beer. Wine is
good, too. My wild partying days of college are behind me, I think. Now
if I get wild I seem to remember everything in the morning. It can be
scary. For sure."
Almost every Marine I've met says I portray a Marine dead-on, which is
really, really flattering.
But I think it's cool now It's fun to be a woman and be sexy and
feminine but also have that rad background, you know? But, yeah, I was
definitely a tomboy.
But, people are recognizing me more. Sometimes fans just approach me on
the street and say how much they love the show. It's great to get that
kind of feedback.
CBS is amazing! I've only been on CBS but... knowing what other people
go through on other networks, I just love them.
I did go down to Camp Pendleton for some training. I got to sit in on a
few JAG trials and courts-martial, and did a little mini boot training.
I didn't figure out the makeup or cute hair or clothes until oh, maybe
my junior year of high school.
I get letters from kids, teenagers and young girls who just want to be
Mac. I've had quite a few people actually say that they're going to
become a Marine or a JAG lawyer because of me... the character. I think
that's pretty cool!
I had to wear a bikini for the JAG episode we filmed in Australia, but
that was okay because it was fun, and practically straight after I was
approached by Playboy.
I like all the adventure sports but I like to do them in a safe way.
I love cold, rainy weather.
I love England though; I've been back a few times and just love it. My
favorite thing to do there is going to museums and all the castles. Oh,
and my husband and I went mountain biking across England on our
honeymoon!
I love to go bungee jumping, jump out of planes, ride motorbikes, do
kickboxing. I love all that stuff.
I started acting when I was about 18. I was a model for a couple of
years before that.
I started when I was in college because I was shy and thought it would
be a good way to break out of that.
I think it's great that she's not perfect and wasn't perfect. I think
that's maybe why so many young girls and different people look up to Mac
and respect her even more.
I think my uncle was probably the biggest influence in my life. We grew
up in the same house, and he was just a really great, hard-working,
honest, ethical person.
I try to discipline myself to spend 15 minutes working out each day as a
minimum.
I understand men much better than most women I know.
I was probably 10 to 15 lbs. thinner than I am now and I was always
being told I had to lose another 10 lbs. And all the models there were
rail-thin.
I'm a firm believer in doing things that scare you.
I'm kind of pushing for Mac to get a motorbike so she can pull up to JAG
on a motorbike one day. But that's just my plan.
I'm still one of the guys and I always will be.
I've always been like that. I was a tomboy when I was a kid, so I was
always playing baseball and basketball and football and stuff as a kid
with the boys.
It was kind of flattering but the shots I did for FHM were without doubt
the sexist I have done and, I think, far sexier than anything Playboy
could do.
It's a boy's world on JAG.
It's changing a bit, but the thing in LA is everyone is either in the
industry, or knows someone who is in the industry. So, they don't let on
that they recognize you, that's what I've found out.
JAG is an acronym for the Judge Advocate General, which is the judicial
system of the military.
Not a Tomcat, but I did go up in a F-16 Thunderbird. I got up to nine
Gs'! I got a pin for that, and the pilot was nice enough to slow it down
a bit for me, ha ha.
Not as much as I used to, but I use the Internet for everything. I use
it for information. Like if I'm planning a trip or something, I'll check
out the place I'm going to.
People hear about my action-packed stuff and they think that I only have
one mode. They have trouble believing that my other mode is
cross-stitching on the recliner in the cabin!
People think I'm crazy and reckless but I'm absolutely not... I'm soooo
safe and soooo careful and I won't do anything that feels like I could
break something.
Probably right at the end of JAG, I would love to have a child or two. I
ultimately want to have two kids.
Sometimes you work all the way through to 5am, then get a few hours and
you're back on set again.
The best part? Probably being able to portray such a respectable,
ethical, intelligent, strong woman. That's still pretty rare in our
business, unfortunately.
The main prank that we play with props is for people's birthdays. The
special effects people will put a little explosive in the cake so it
blows up in their face - that's always fun to play on a guest star, or
one of the trainees or someone who's new.
This huge life-changing moment of going from zero to ninety in two
seconds!
We usually work 14-hour days, and sometimes 16 to 18 days, which doesn't
leave much time for anything else - most Sundays are spent recovering.
We're just into toys, whether it's motorcycles or race cars or
computers. I've got the Palm Pilot right here with me, I've got the
world's smallest phone Maybe it's just because I'm still a big little
kid and I just love toys, you know?
When all the girls were getting all made up and getting into all that
girl stuff in junior high I was out playing softball or touch football
with the guys.
When I do get time, I like to hike and I take lots of vitamins and
powders to keep healthy.
Women in the military thank me for portraying a character who's feminine
and attractive and sexual and yet still strong and intelligent and in
the military. I think people have this perception that to be strong and
a military woman you have to look a certain way or not be feminine.
Yes, I originally wanted to be an artist, and my Mom wanted me to go to
UCLA and be a doctor or something. But once I made the decision to be an
actress, she and the rest of my family have always been very supportive
of me. |