Paz Vega: Interview

Interview by Clint Morris

Interview with actor Paz Vega
Starring in the movie Spanglish.

Paz Vega isn't giving away any secrets as to her next film project

Only a few short months ago Spanish beauty Paz Vega - making her English-language debut in James L.Brooks's new film Spanglish - would've needed a translator to assist her in interviews.

But because she's done nothing but press in the last few months for the film, Vega has been able to ditch the translator (well, to the point where he sits in the foyer of the hotel where the interviews are taking place and is there, just in case) and speak English just as well as us.

"Since October I have been learning English, but not when I did the film," the ravishing actress says of her part in the new romantic comedy.

"We have done so much press and junkets since the film opened and I have talked to so many interviewers that I have picked it up a lot too - every interview I do, like the one with you now Clint, I'm learning."

Vega hails from Spain where she made a name for herself starring in films like Sex and Lucia and Talk to Her. Spanglish is the first time she's been involved in a Hollywood production.

In it, she plays a Mexican woman ("they're not that different from Spanish") who, with her daughter, heads to America in search of work.

She gets a job working for a cook (Adam Sandler) and his uptight wife (Tea Leoni). There, she forms a special bond with near each member of the household - including his children.

"I just auditioned, my husband put it on video tape, and I got it," she smiles. "I never intended to do a Hollywood film, I mean, I didn't know English, so being in an English film wasn't something I even considered, but there you go. And even when I started the film I still didn't know English."

Vega says she was rapt to be involved in such a big production though, having grown up watching "Glenn Close, Anthony Hopkins…oh, and Some like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon. I just loved it".

Obviously, working in the states was a different kettle of chips than Spain. "It was quite a different experience. Some things are the same, but it was obvious that everything was bigger, like a bigger stage, and bigger crew. It was a great experience," says Vega, "but it's not that much difference I guess. I mean most places have a language barrier - I guess people from Australia and people from New York, or America, would speak the same, but still have their differences too, no?"

Vega says she spent eight months working on the film. "And I only got to go home once, for like four days, so it was such a long time away. I didn't hate America, but I missed home terribly."

Vega says she had a blast working with her co-stars. "Adam [Sandler] was just funny, very funny, and so good, and Tea Leoni was great - I really liked the scene she did where she is on top of Adam and has the you-know-what without him, and the kids, they were all great. I loved those kids, they were great."

Since she gets served up a nice looking meal from cook Adam Sandler in the film, one has to ask: did she get to eat it? "Oh yes, it was nice, it was like little meat and vegetables. But Adam didn't cook it." No? "No, it was his hands you saw but he didn't actually do the meal."

As for what's next, Vega is keeping mum. "I'm reading scripts, a lot of interesting scripts, but I don't want to…" Jinx it? "Jinx, what does the mean?" …Once told, Vega responds, "Yes, that's it, I don't want to jinx it. We will have to wait and see."

Spanglish hits Australian theatres on February 17th, 2005.
Click here for the movie review.

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