Geena Davis, the way to go

This article is published in number 37 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until September 14, 2021

“Come closer, closer, even closer. There. If you told me now that my skin is beautiful, I would say to you: do you know why? I eat wholesome food, I play sports and then I help to wash it gently with a simple soap, like Monsavon ». I don’t believe my ears when, during the chat with Geena Davis in connection from Los Angeles, the actress at one point switch from English to perfect Italian and recites the words of the audition for an advertisement faced by an aspiring model in Milan, over forty years ago, before taking off for a career that saw her performer in unforgettable films such as Thelma & Louise, Winning Girls, The fly, Beetlejuice, Hero by chance and others.

An Oscar won as a supporting actor in 1989 for Tourist by chance, Geena Davis has appeared less and less on screen. For some years he has devoted himself above all to his Institute on Gender in Media, which he fights for gender equality in cinema and on TV, and at the Bentonville film festival, in the town of the same name in Arkansas, born – he explains to me – «to celebrate all the diversity, people with disabilities, those of color, the LGBTQIA community. Our goal is to tell the world as it really is ».

She tells me that the idea of ​​committing to women in cinema (an activity that in 2019 earned her the statuette of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award) came to her one day while watching cartoons with her daughter Alizeh Keshvar, now 19, had by her ex-husband, the surgeon Reza Jarrahy, along with the twins Kaiis Steven e Kian William, 17: «I realized that the protagonists of those stories were overwhelmingly male, and this prompted me to try to act to change things. I thought I’d go talk to the producers directly to convince them to create children’s stories and series that had multiple female characters. After so many years, at least there has been achieved parity ».

And in all other genres?
“There is still a long way to go, to make room for actresses, but above all for directors, against whom there are still many prejudices in Hollywood. Disney has recently entrusted many important films to women, and the atmosphere is different thanks to #metoo, but this does not mean that the trend has changed ».

She who is beautiful as she has sailed for so many years in the dangerous waters of Hollywood dominated by males?
“I have never been in situations similar to those described in Harvey Weinstein, but I have seen a lot of sexism and have had to adapt to constant attempts to flirt with me. At the time you had to suffer and keep quiet, today fortunately things have changed ».

Things change in many ways, however women have gained visibility that they did not have before. And they win prizes, such as the Palme d’Or awarded to Julia Ducournau.
«I’m very happy about it, but in the history of the festival it is only one of the two women to have won it, along with Jane Campion. It is madness. We all thought that things would change after Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar in 2010 for The Hurt Locker, but that’s not how it went. “

She won the Oscar for her performance in Tourist by chance.
«Before the award ceremony I had heard on TV that I had no chance of winning, so I was just thinking about enjoying the show. When they read my name I couldn’t believe it: an out-of-body experience. And in fact I hardly remember the rest of the evening ». He laughs. “I placed the figurine on a shelf above the fireplace, but during the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake it fell and bent. It’s funny because now it looks like the Pisa Oscar… ».

Do you know our country well?
“I’ve been there many times, it’s a country I love. The funniest trip was once in Tuscany, invited for a fashion show. In 1996 I followed the Olympics, I was passionate about archery and I started practicing it. I was pretty good and so I joined the American national team, and was preparing for qualifying for the Sydney games. In short, they invited me to Italy and my coach told me that I didn’t have to come but train, I just didn’t want to give up. So he signed me up for a small tournament in Florence. When I showed up to compete, people gasped, let’s not talk about when I won. But in the end I didn’t manage to qualify for the Olympics ».

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Thelma & Louise. Is it true that your character, Thelma, was originally supposed to survive?
“Ridley Scott was tempted by the idea of ​​Susan Sarandon pushing me out of the car before jumping into the abyss, but then he followed the script. I spent magical moments with Susan on that set immersed in the views of Utah ».

If Scott had changed his mind, perhaps a sequel could have been made… What do you think of the idea of ​​following up on famous films?
“I would have made a sequel to all my films, because I hate abandoning the characters. What I love as an actress is living the lives of different people, wearing personalities that are distant from mine. Do you think that I had also written one, entitled The flies: at the end of Cronenberg’s film my character is pregnant, she gives birth to twins, and one of these, having reached puberty, turns into an insect, like her father ».

What do you remember of that movie, The fly?
“Working with a genius like David Cronenberg was a privilege. For me, that was more than just a science fiction horror: it was a tragic love story. By the way, Jeff Goldblum and I were a happy couple at the time ».

She has been married four times: is it so hard to find the right man?
“No, it’s actually because I love wedding parties.” He laughs.

Did you understand what love is?
“I only understood that it is indefinable, because it takes on many shades, not only the romantic ones, but also those of the feeling for children, parents, friends”.

When was your love for cinema born?
“I was maybe three when I decided that one day I would be an actress. I had clear ideas, but I don’t know why. I went to college, I became an adult but I didn’t know how to get into that world. It was the time when Christie Brinkley and Lauren Hutton were making their big screen debuts, so I thought modeling might help me. And I chose that path. Then there was a stroke of luck ».

Which?
“For the role in Tootsie, they called my agency and asked if there was a model who could act. I went to the audition and convinced them. But they needed a girl to appear in lingerie, so I showed them the photos I had taken for a Victoria’s Secret catalog and they hired me. ‘

She is five feet eighty-three: has it created problems for you in Hollywood, where the male star has to be taller and taller?
“No, also because there are a lot of tricks to make male actors look taller than they are. With Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie the height difference worked, because it was a comedy ».

Who was his female model?
“My aunt Gloria. I was a little girl and she had an exciting life, she traveled, she went on vacation to Portugal. He took me to the theater for the first time and stimulated my curiosity for things and for the world ».

This year he will return to the cinema with Cowgirl’s Last Ride. What is it about?
“It’s the beautiful story of a woman who worked at the rodeo as a young man. When he discovers he has cancer, he embarks on a journey to complete an incredible adventure that gives meaning to his existence ».

Of all your films, do you have any heirlooms at home?
«A dress of Beetlejuice, a pair of jeans and a jacket Thelma & Louise and the baseball glove of Winning girls. To remind me of all the wonderful people I have worked with ».

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