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BON APPETIT - CHEEKY JON BON JOVI INTERVIEW
TRAPPED IN A MOVIE TRAILER WITH THE WORLD'S SEXIEST ROCK GOD STRIPPED DOWN TO
HIS SMALLS, TV'S KITSCH KITTEN, KATIE PUCKRIK CAN'T BELIEVE SHE FORGOT HER
CHOCOLATE BODY PAINT...
'Is it him?'
Except today, Jon's not a rock star. He's a movie star making his fifth film
- Long Time, Nothing New by She's The One director Ed Burns. In it, Jon
plays a regular blue collar guy who gets left behind when his girlfriend
(played by Lauren Holly) tires of their two bit town and heads for the big
city. Today, we're on location for the two bit part of the film in a
ramshackle seaside suburb of New York City.
While Jon thrills the locals and pouts for photographers, I decide to stake
out his trailer. But first I had to get past Dr Steve, the strapping
personal trainer-come-chiropractor whose job it is to fondle JBJ's chakras
and chi-paths. Apparently, Jon's a sucker for acupressure. Dr. Steve tells
me that he's been hanging out all week with nothing to do - the star's too
busy for treatment.
By all accounts Jon's always busy. Before starting this movie he
transplanted his wife Dorothea and children to the London suburb of
Wandsworth for three months while he filmed The Leading Man (due for release
this August). At the same time, he wrote and recorded his second solo album,
Destination Anywhere, then it was straight back to his home town of New
Jersey to start work on Long Time.
Anyway, back to the trailer, which, like its present occupant is slightly
smaller than expected. There's no room to execute even the smallest
stadium-style split leap. The only personal items in the room are some black
wraparound sunglasses, a black digital watch and a pair of black pointy-toed
suede elf boots with three inch Cuban heels. Hey, it's a rock star starter
kit.
I'm interrupted in mid-snoop by the captain of the caravan himself. As Jon
extends a hand in formal greeting, I take in the full shopping list of his
attributes: well-built body, clean teeth, perfect tan and seriously perfect
hair. He's wearing his film character's clothes: snug grey sweatshirt, snug
green work trousers and tan construction boots. The boots are probably snug
too, but that isn't so important to me.
The New Jersey gentleman sits inches away from me and lights the first of
many Marlboro Lights.
KP: New Woman is a racy, pacy British women's magazine. They have sexy
articles about how to make your man your slave.
JBJ: I'm the wrong guy, then. Speaking about racy, Miss Pink Bra
Sticking Out of Her Shirt
(Jon's clearly taken with the sheer see-throughness of my brown lace blouse)
KP: I do what I can, ok?
JBJ: I like it.
KP: I'm just working the visible bra angle
JBJ: We can work that. I like that very much.
(Jon adjusts his snug green trousers to allow greater comfort.)
KP: Hey, I've brought you a present to remind you of Britain. This is for you.
(Handing him a jar of Marmite).
JBJ: (Horrified) I HATE that stuff! I HATE that stuff! That stuff is
garbage! Put it on your car. Grease the wheels with it - it's....yuck.
KP: (Placatingly) It's ok, Jon.....
JBJ: Gets up to examine photo session clothes hanging on wall) I might
try these on. These are nice trousers. I don't own clothes like
this, they just let me wear 'em for photo shoots.
KP: Are those suede trousers?
JBJ: Yes. They look good. They might have to walk home with me.
KP: What do you do to get in the mood when you're in the recording studio?
I have this idea that to get those sultry vocals you do something
like pour hot custard down your pants.
JBJ: Wouldn't YOU like to know.
(Disconcertingly, Jon starts stripping off his sweatshirt.)
KP: Well, you know the British are famous for being kinky and doing bizarre
things, like having sex blindfolded with oranges in their mouths.
JBJ: I have an oral fixation, so I know you can't do anything really tasty
with an orange in your mouth.
(Jon is now parading the full glory of his sculpted torso before me.)
KP: In that case, you might be able to enjoy the latest British sexual kick:
the erotic joy of chocolate body paint.
JBJ: Sounds interesting.
KP: Does that sound like anything you might be tempted to try?
JBJ: Yeah, I would check it out. You got any?
(I mentally kick myself for bringing Marmite instead of chocolate body paint.)
KP: Does the idea of novelty sex get a bit boring over the years?
JBJ: Novelty sex? No. I think if you can find a partner to participate,
it's exciting. I would be wide open to that kind of stuff. If I came home
and my wife wanted to try that stuff, I could check it out, actually.
(At this point, Jon slips into the lavatory to change into the suede
trousers.)
KP: So you're pretty adventurous sexually?
(I'm forced to shout this question through the toilet door which
makes me
feel like a pervert. I hear his belt buckle jangling open and
decide to press
my eye to the key hole.)
JBJ: I enjoy sex - very much so. As for adventure - I'm Christopher
Columbus.
(Suddenly the loo door flies open and Jon is wearing nought but is
new
suede togs. It's a commanding sight and I try not to
hyperventilate.
JBJ: What do you think?
KP: Looking good. They're a little baggy, though. Are you worried about
that?
JBJ: Nope. Gives me more room to check out the package.
KP: Or to pour some hot custard down.
JBJ: Or to pour hot custard down.
KP: How do you feel about nude scenes?
JBJ: I don't have a problem with them at all. They're not a big deal.
Anyway,
I'm hung like a second grader.
(I find this a bit hard to believe as Jon's suede-covered
'package' doesn't
look like anything I've ever seen on a seven-year-old.)
KP: Is it true that the people you work with call you Elvis?
JBJ: Yes.
KP: Why? Do you give away Cadillacs?
JBJ: Yes.
KP: Can I have one?
JBJ: Sure. I've bought many cars and houses and stuff for people over
the
years.
KP: My colour is pink.
(Gesturing towards my peep-thru-bra)
JBJ: I see that.
KP: That's right, I don't have to say it.
(Getting a foxy look in his eye)
JBJ: So, is it a matching outfit?
KP: No, I don't bother with down below. I don't like my hindquarters
being
lifted and separated.
(Jon bursts into slow applause).
KP: I get applause for that?
JBJ: I appreciate that. Your pantyhose, on the other hand, leave a
little to be
desired. Stockings are great, but pantyhose are very unsexy.
When
you take the skirt off and you still have the pantyhose on it's
just
unattractive....you know, they've got that little breathing
thing in the
middle?
(I'm hoping he means the gusset.)
KP: Well, it depends on who's doing the breathing.
JBJ: Nahh, it's just a little funky. I'm not a big pantyhose guy.
KP: OK. I'll try to bear that in mind the next time we meet.
(Struggling to get back to the Elvis question)
KP: Do you identify with Elvis?
JBJ: I identified a lot with Elvis, yeah. I love his style of singing,
he was a
very loyal guy - he was a little misled, but in the big picture
he was a
good guy. It's too bad....
KP: .....that he had to go the way we went...
JBJ: .....at 42
KP: What are you going to do when you're 42?
JBJ: The same thing I hope.
KP: What, keeling over on the toilet?
JBJ: No, not the same as Elvis, I mean the same thing I'm doing now -
making records and movies.
KP: How in touch are you with boring real-life stuff like paying
bills? Are we
likely to see you down at the chemist picking out your
favourite
deodorant?
JBJ: Sure. Don't think I don't wake up every day and run by the church and
say: 'Thank you - I don't know what I did to get here.' I don't go
to church
but I run by the church. Of course I go to the chemist,
absolutely.
KP: You were confusing the local neighbourhood mothers earlier with your
new-look short hair. Could you foresee a skinhead look in the
future?
JBJ: I'm not afraid of it. (For this film) they said: 'Cut your hair,
lose weight.'
I said: 'Fine'.
KP: Why did you cut it originally? Did it get caught in the video's
wind
machine?
JBJ: (Impatiently) No no. It was time for a change so I did it.
KP: If it wasn't your job to look perfect for your music and film
career,
would you be a total slob?
JBJ: I'm not on any kind of macrobiotic diet. I've got Snickers bars
in there.
I do enjoy working out and I'm an avid runner. It's my
relief, to tell you
the truth - I don't do it for any other reason. I did a film
where I had to
put on 10lbs and get a crew cut and that was a lot of fun.
Drinking
every day and eating greasy food is good fun. I'm actually
sweating
out a bottle of wine from last night as we speak.
KP: Do you have any hot hangover tips for us?
JBJ: Acupuncture can cure a hangover.
KP: Where do you stick the needle?
JBJ: In your toe, believe it or not. You stick a little pin in
there and your
liver goes on fire.
(Jon picks up an apple from the basket and starts
absentmindedly
rubbing it on his taut, muscled thigh in long, deliberate
strokes. Up
the thigh, down the thigh...up...down...lucky apple!)
KP: So let's talk about your movie, Long Time, Nothing New. How
did you
get this part?
JBJ: Eddie (Ed Burns, the director) sent me the script. It was
originally
based in Asbury Park, New Jersey, so I jumped at the idea
of doing a
film where I could sleep in my own bed. But then we moved
here to
Far Rockaway.
KP: Are you doing the kind of acting roles that you're genuinely
interested
in?
JBJ: Well, I'm not doing them for the money or for the luxurious
accommodation. I look for things that are dialogue-driven
and not just
more bang for the buck. I'm much more interested in a hip
script than
a hit script.
KP: When you first started taking acting classes in 1991, did you
ever
think you'd appear in big Hollywood movies?
JBJ: No, not at all. I had no intention of ever getting into the
movies, but I
was driven by the music I wrote for Young Guns. The next
thing I
know, I win a Golden Globe, I'm nominated for an Oscar and
performing
at the Academy Awards. I'm looking out at the audience and
I go: '
'This doesn't suck'. So I wanted to do it again. The bug
had bitten me.
(Jon finally finishes polishing his apple and takes a
bite.)
KP: You must feel like a total rock god when you get out on that
concert
stage, but when you show up on a film set do you feel like
the dorky
new kid?
JBJ: To an extent, yeah. Destination Anywhere is my ninth album,
so even
though it's always exciting to settle down and write a new
batch of
songs, I know the process. I know how to write a song, I
know how to
make a record, and I know how to tour. But the problem
was that
those things were all I knew how to do. So it was the
whole idea of
starting over in a new medium that really appealed to me.
KP: Your first single off the album is Midnight In Chelsea. What
exactly
were you doing at midnight in Chelsea? Avoiding drunken It
Girls and
trying to find a bar that was still open?
JBJ: Yeah, something like that. Actually living in London
changed
everything in my life. I was really excited by living
there - it made
me feel like a young kid again. I loved London and got a
place in New
York after all these years of living in New Jersey simply
because I
wanted to recapture the same electricity.
KP: Talking about home, why don't you ever get around to
personalising
your trailer?
JBJ: This is personalised!
KP: You need a little pot pourri.
JBJ: Do I look like a pot pourri kind of guy?
KP: What kind of guy are you?
JBJ: I've got chocolates there and weights in the closet and a
stereo...
KP: What do you listen to? Barbra Streisand
(Wardrobe women enters with clothes for the next scene).
JBJ: (Sarcastically) Yeah, Streisand, you know, meditation
music,
cabaret....being the cultured bastard that I am.
KP: Well I've enjoyed you taking your clothes off in front of
me, Jon.
JBJ: I'd be happy to do a show for you anytime.
KP: Thanks, but you already have.
-------------------------
July's issue of "New Woman" magazine, sent by Wendy
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