Gina Gershon As Donatella Versace

Published by Interrobang Staff at October 4, 2013

Actress Gina Gershon has been memorable in just about every role she has every played. “Bound”, “The Insider”, “Palmetto”, “Cocktail”, and “Killer Joe” are just a few. And she also records her own music, and tours. Gershon stopped by the SiriusXM studios to talk with Ron Bennington about her new movie, “House of Versace” in which she plays Donatella Versace. Excerpts from the interview appear below. You can hear the interview in its entirety exclusively on SiriusXM satellite radio.

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Ron Bennington: “House of Versace”, Saturday, October 5th. This is one, Gina, you turn it up to ten. You go all out, for this one.

Gina Gershon: You gotta.

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Gina Gershon Talks About Why She Was Nervous To Play Donatella Versace

Ron Bennington: Well, you’re in every scene in this movie and it’s a really…it’s got to be the kind of characters that actors dream of because in real life, Donatella Versace is bigger than life.

Gina Gershon: Yeah, except, that was the thing that made me nervous about playing her, because we all have such an image about who she is – “bigger than life” and this fabulous, extravagant, which, she is all of that. But when you’re doing a movie, especially this movie, which is really kind of a family drama and a redemption story, of her finding her own voice, she goes through so much stuff, that you have to find the real person and play it. You can’t go for the funny caricature stuff.

Ron Bennington: I never really gave that much thought, at the time, but it’s an extremely strange thing to happen to a family business when you lose the creative person suddenly, there was nothing set up to do this, and then what happens to that life? What happens to that family?

Gina Gershon: Yeah and when everyone all of a sudden turns to Donatella, saying, “What are you going to do? You’ve got to take care of this.” Because if they gave it to someone else, it would become someone else’s company. They are so family oriented, you have Santo who was taking care of…it’s really the three of them who put this business together and made it thrive. So of course, Donatella took it on, because what else is she going to do? But she wasn’t really completely equipped to do that.

Ron Bennington: This would be like saying, Paul McCartney’s brother can now start writing and recording songs because he’s been there the whole time. You’re asking her to design on a level of one of the greatest designers in the fashion business.

Gina Gershon: Right. And hey, listen, she had certainly her own style and he definitely looked to her for inspiration and she would do her own bits, here and there. She was doing accessories and she was styling and she had her own thing. But, it wasn’t exactly his thing. Like no one knows how to cut like he does. Then all of a sudden, she’s expected to fill those shoes.

Ron Bennington: In kind of a cruel business, too. In a business where they just love to take each other down. This year you’re in, and the next year you’re out or whatever.

Gina Gershon: Right, it’s a tricky thing. But, then the cool thing about it is that eventually she found her own voice. She said, “You know what? This is what I’m going to do.” She got herself together, found her own voice and now the company is doing great.

Ron Bennington: Isn’t that amazing, though?

Gina Gershon: Yeah, I have huge respect for her. Really, she’s kind of amazing.

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Gina Gershon Talks About The Pressures Of The Fashion Industry

Ron Bennington: The Versaces they lived everywhere. They had houses in Europe, New York, Miami, that lifestyle is really the top of the pyramid. But they are also working around the clock.

Gina Gershon: Listen, Gianni from what I hear from all the people that knew him, and certainly the research that I did, he was nonstop, hardcore, three to four hours of sleep a night guy. I think when you are that level, especially in this business – I’m friends with Tom Ford, Pam and Gela, the Juicy Couture girls, and Zac Posen – these guys and gals work their butts off. It’s almost like the hardest business because it’s nonstop. As soon as you finish one collection, you have to start the other collection and unless you are really driven and really brilliant, I don’t know – it’s insane to do.

Ron Bennington: And then how are you ever really totally sure? It seems to me, that a lot of times you can come up with some kind of art, where you’re like, “ok, this song is great,” or “this screenplay is great,” but to say, “This jacket, does it work today as opposed to three years ago, or three years from now…” I mean it’s a really strange business.

Gina Gershon: I don’t think you can think that way. I think each collection is like making a new piece of art, or making a new song.

Ron Bennington: But, then they have to sell, right? Things have to really sell big.

Gina Gershon: Yeah, but same with a movie, or same as a song, or same as an art piece. I think the designer or the artist, they do what is in their psyche and they put it out there. What makes them great is that usually people are like, “oh, that’s fantastic.”

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Gina Gershon Talks About Her Friend Tom Ford

Ron Bennington: Now, Tom Ford, you say you are friends with him, he seems to be the most confident person, in the world.

Gina Gershon: He is amazing. He is the hardest working person I know, for sure.

Ron Bennington: He’s one of those 24-hour-a-day guys?

Gina Gershon: He’s 24-hour-a-day guy, but at the same time, he’s a really brilliant director, he’s really great. I would love to work with him as a director. But, he’s also…now he’s a father, he runs these companies. He’s living in Europe now, so I don’t get to see him as much, but he’d always have time. He’s the guy who never forgets my birthday.

Ron Bennington: Is that right?

Gina Gershon: Yeah, like never. Not once. And I’m always like, “that’s so sweet.” And you can say, “Oh, they have this written down,” but, it’s still taking that extra step.

Ron Bennington: To live with that kind of detail, just constant detail in your life.

Gina Gershon: Yeah, and with grace. He still goes out to dinner with his friends, it’s just a drive that he has, and he’s definitely in control and very confident. He’s amazing.

Ron Bennington: He was able to move over into the film business, do you see a lot of similarities between fashion and film? Do you think that most people could do that?

Gina Gershon: No. Listen, Tom started off, I believe he wanted to be an actor, so he’s done acting, architecture. I think as a director, it’s a natural progression because he’s seeing – especially his line, his shows and how he does things, he’s very detail oriented, and obviously a smart guy. So, I feel like for him it’s such a natural progression. It’s also very theatrical, his stuff, you make up a story. Not everyone could do it, but he has such a passion for it, it’s easy.

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Gina Gershon Talks About How She Chooses Different Projects

Ron Bennington: You move in and out. You’re rock and roll, and then you’re writing, and acting. Was that ever a plan, or do you just let these interests come out?

Gina Gershon: No. I have no plans. (laughing) I’m not a planning person, obviously. The rock and roll thing kind of fell into my lap because I was doing a movie, then all of a sudden, I had to take the movie on tour. As I started doing music, I realized, “Oh God, I’m really loving this.” I had done it before and I went back to it. I just loved the freedom and I just had music in my head that I had to start writing. It kind of dictated me, a little bit more. Then people were offering me money to go and play certain places, and I thought, “this is fantastic.” Every now and then, I kind of get annoyed with acting and my business and the parts available and what you get and what you go through. So, I was just like, “Oh forget it, this is much more fun.” Then, of course, I’ll miss acting, so I come back. Then the book presented itself, so I went on that writing binge. Then I thought, “Oh, I’d like to create my own shows.” So, I’m really into my writing now, but then that made me not be able to write music because I think in prose now, instead of that…I move around, I don’t know, I get bored easily.

Ron Bennington: That’s kind of interesting, though, so if you turn on one switch, the other one kind of goes off?

Gina Gershon: They are totally different processes. It’s all different sides to the same prism, I guess. But, if I’m writing music, I have to do it at night. It’s a hard thing for me, even if it’s 3 o’clock in the morning, I’ll start thinking about music. If I’m writing a book, or really writing, I have to wake up in the morning and just start early. It’s a different function and I can’t talk to people. Then, when I’m acting I have to do something else, it’s just different processes.

Ron Bennington: Every one of them, you just kind of feel it out, you don’t necessarily think that it’s that way for everyone.

Gina Gershon: Oh no, the one thing I’ve learned is that it’s different for everyone in every single field.

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Gina Gershon Talks About Music And Elvis Costello

Ron Bennington: I’m always amazed at people who can treat something like song writing as a business. Where they are like, “Oh, now I have to write a song about this… ” You know the kind of Broadway writers where they are told, “Look here is the story, so you need to write these kind of songs.” Then there is even like Elvis Costello who had an office for awhile and he would just go in and write like it was a job.

Gina Gershon: Yeah, but Elvis Costello is a different…I think those Broadway writers, when you’re like, “Here, write a song about this…” that’s such a specific craft. And they are actually usually writing for someone else. I mean, Elvis Costello is so prolific, he’s like the Stephen King of music. (laughs) He just writes and writes and writes and he’s so great. I mean, he’s always been one of my favorites.

Ron Bennington: Oh, me too. But the other stunning thing is, he changes styles so many times. He’s one of those guys, a lot of times, I’m two or three albums behind. I’m like, “Ohhh, I don’t know, I like the old stuff. Why are you doing this? I like the old stuff.” And then a couple of years goes by and I’m like, “You know what? I really did like that thing from two years ago, I hope you write more…” BOOM! He’s off with The Roots, now.

Gina Gershon: He’s incredible. I remember when I was writing songs and writing music, I would listen to his songs and I thought, “Why am I doing this?” I just felt bad, like “Okay, this is stupid, I’m never going to be like that.” But, his voice has just gotten better and better. As an artist he is just always stretching himself – which the great artists do that.

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Gina Gershon Talks About Trying To Plan A Career

Ron Bennington: Yeah, and he’s another guy, who like I say, doesn’t write for his audience or any audience. He seems to write stuff, present it, put it out, and move on. I think a lot of people get caught up when they try to guess the business of that type of thing.

Gina Gershon: I think that is the dangerous thing to do. I don’t know, I’ve never been successful at that, and I haven’t really attempted it. Some would say, “Oh you should do a commercial film. Oh you should plot this out…” I don’t know how to operate that way. God bless people who say, “I’m going to do this, because this is going to get me that, and this will take me to this level…” it’s just a different mindset. It’s a great mindset, I wish I had a little bit more of that.

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Gina Gershon Talks About Playing Donatella Versace And Giving The Character Depth

Ron Bennington: But I think what always works, well this, where I thought I knew one

thing about Donatella Versace, but after watching that film, I was able to go, “Oh yeah, I have kept that as a two-dimensional thing that exists, when really it’s a human story.” It’s really, so many times we screw up and forget that we’re really just trying, no matter what the art form is, to get back to humanity all of the time. Hollywood certainly is forgetting that, lately.

Gina Gershon: Well, yeah. I mean, listen, it’s good if you watched the movie and you felt that, then I feel like I did a good job, in that way. People aren’t the way they are, just because they are the way they are, there are steps that got them there.

Ron Bennington: Yeah, that is true. And the family stories are always fascinating to me. These are the people you can’t shake. You can’t run away from, as much as you may even try to.

Gina Gershon: Especially if you come from a southern Italian family, that’s hardcore bonded family. Serious. Really much more than we know about in the states. It’s a different commitment to the family, which is kind of great.

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Gina Gershon Talks About The Relationship Between Gianni And Donatella Versace

Ron Bennington: I’m always curious, too, that there are different ethnic groups that family seems to mean more to. Those type of people in this film, you’ll see it, they would have fights that would maybe break up other families. They’ll fight worse than maybe American families will, but then five minutes later, everything is great.

Gina Gershon: Well, that’s Donatella and Gianni. They were famous for just screaming at each other, just fighting like cats and dogs and everyone would freak out. Then two seconds later, “oh, let’s do this, later…” and they would just switch back and forth, that was just their way with each other. Which, I guess, freaks some people out, but once you get used to it, that was just how they dealt with each other.

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Gina Gershon Talks About Family Fights And Their Consequences

Ron Bennington: It’s so interesting, and a lot times that would stop families in this country. One argument like that and, “Oh, there was a screaming match twenty years ago, and now they refuse…”

Gina Gershon: “They changed the spelling of his last name…”

Ron Bennington: “…they won’t be in the same room together at the same time.”

Gina Gershon: Yeah, that’s always so sad.

Ron Bennington: I saw that in my family, people I grew up with, they would never be together at the same time. So one would be leaving, and the other one coming in and they both lived to be in their nineties. And they went like that for I think, sixty years.

Gina Gershon: That’s crazy.

Ron Bennington: Sixty years of never being alone, in the same room.

Gina Gershon: Oh, man.

Ron Bennington: Isn’t that crazy?

Gina Gershon: It is crazy. We have that in my family, too. Like weird stuff where all of a sudden five brothers – there was a fight and literally they all went separate ways and changed the way they spelled their names. So, that’s why it gets really confusing with family history and stuff.

Ron Bennington: Particularly when you grew up as a kid, and you’re like, “Well, is this normal? Do other people act this way?” And no one will really explain to you what it is.

Gina Gershon: Yeah, it’s like, “What do you mean I have family in Cheyenne? Who’s my family in Cheyenne?”

Ron Bennington: “Why don’t we call them?” Oh no. No, no, that will never happen.

Gina Gershon: “Oh, but what happened?” “Oh no, it’s a long story.” “Yeah, I want to hear, I want to know the story.”

Gina Gershon Talks About Enjoying Her Career And Her New Project With Lorne Michaels

Ron Bennington: Well, we were talking about Elvis going in one direction and then another, but you do the same exact thing. It’s really, really cool to see. I hope that you are enjoying this ride. Are you still having fun with it, as you always have?

Gina Gershon: I’m having fun, now. I think that sometimes it’s good when I go away from acting, and then I come back. Although, it’s kind of stupid, too, because you realize it’s not as easy to get back. But, I think I am so happy that I did the Donatella thing. I just finished a movie last night and I had so much fun. It’s the first time I had that much fun on a movie in a long time.

Ron Bennington: What’s this?

Gina Gershon: Lorne Michaels is producing it, it’s a comedy. There is a lot of the Saturday Night Live cast and writers, the director is from there. It’s just a great group of people. I really love that energy of collaborative energy. It’s like working with great musicians where you just go in and have fun and everyone is good at what they do. So, I had a blast. So, yeah, I’m enjoying it. At this second, I’m a little tired, but I’m enjoying it and I enjoyed the last one. Hopefully it will keep going, I have no idea.

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Gina Gershon Talks About Raquel Welch

Ron Bennington: Here’s another thing in this movie, you’ve got Raquel Welch with you.

Gina Gershon: I know! How great is that?

Ron Bennington: You and her… I don’t know, the eyes, you and her match up so much in the eyes. That it’s, I don’t know where that comes from, but…

Gina Gershon: It kind of bummed me out because my whole life growing up, her daughter went to my school, I guess she was a couple of years ahead. Then I started this school and everyone would come up to me and say, “So, I guess Raquel is your mother?” and I’m like, “No, Raquel is not my mother.” But, I always heard comparisons, that you guys look this way, which I always found very flattering. But, then I thought, finally when we get to be in a movie together, I’m totally changing my face so I don’t get to look “Raquel-y like.” She’s so gorgeous, and so sweet. I had a great time with her, it was really fun to meet her. I really dig her.

Ron Bennington: Yeah, but talk about an icon. That’s bigger than life.

Gina Gershon: Yeah, and she’s cool.

Ron Bennington: For fifty years, she’s one of those people that walks in the room and everybody stops still.

Gina Gershon: She still – she’s stunning.

Ron Bennington: “House of Versace” premieres Saturday, October 5th, 8pm – 7pm central on Lifetime, mylifetime.com. Gina, always great to see you stop in, and congratulations on everything, too. I’ll see you next time coming through.

Gina Gershon: Thank you very much, see you next time.

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