E-mail a friendJeanne Tripplehorn
airdate August 8, 2007
Jeanne Tripplehorn developed an interest in performing through her father, a guitarist with Gary Lewis and the Playboys. She began her career as a local radio and TV host in her native Tulsa, OK and studied at the prestigious Juilliard School of Drama. Her credits include Basic Instinct, her film debut, the critically acclaimed telefilm, Old Man, and the HBO series Big Love. Tripplehorn has signed on to be directed by Rita Wilson in a short film for Glamour magazine's third series of "Reel Moments."
Big Love star tells how she became a popular radio DJ at age 15. (1:15)
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Tavis: Jeanne Tripplehorn is a talented actress whose film resume includes movies, of course, like "Basic Instinct" and "The Firm." For that matter, "Sliding Doors." Her most recent project, though, is for television, starring in the HBO series "Big Love." The series concludes its second season on August 26th. Here now, a scene from "Big Love."
[Clip]
Tavis: So this has to be unlike anything you've ever done - one of three wives. That lucky Bill Paxton.
Jeanne Tripplehorn: Lucky us. (Laughter)
Tavis: (Unintelligible) somebody like you. Yeah. Tell me about the show.
Tripplehorn: It's just - you mean the premise?
Tavis: Yeah,
Tripplehorn: It's just we're sort of a modern day polygamist family living in suburban Utah.
Tavis: You guys go to great lengths, though, to make it clear this is not necessarily about a Mormon way of life, though.
Tripplehorn: No, we are not Mormons, and -
Tavis: I raise that because Mitt Romney and all this stuff about Mormons, yeah. So you guys make it clear that you're not trying to -
Tripplehorn: Poor Mitt. And "Big Love" is following him and probably causing him a lot of problems. But no, we are not Mormons. I can't - we are not Mormons. (Laughter) My character, Barb, was LDS, and then she followed her husband into polygamy.
Tavis: So you get an opportunity to play a role like this, what do you think when you get a script like this? Take me back to the moment you started to look at this opportunity.
Tripplehorn: Well, when I start looking at a script, I always look at it for story. That's the first thing, is the story compelling, would I want to see this, would I want to see this movie, would I want to see this TV show? And when I read it - well, when I first got the script and they said, "Big Love," I thought it was going to be some social satire on polygamy.
And then I read it and I couldn't believe how fascinating these characters were. And I put the script down and I thought, well, I don't know if I'm going to be right for this, but I would watch this show. Hands down, I want to see what's going to happen with this family. And then from there, it just worked out.
Tavis: I got hooked because I just love the title.
Tripplehorn: I know, "Big Love." I know. (Laughter)
Tavis: Anything called "Big Love," I gotta watch.
Tripplehorn: It's positive, yeah.
Tavis: "Big Love?" I gotta see this. Now, for those who haven't seen it, tell me how it actually - how the relationships actually work. So there are three of you, there are houses in the back - I'll let you tell the story.
Tripplehorn: Right. Three wives, one husband. We have three separate houses right next to each other and we have a communal backyard. With a very nice pool.
Tavis: Yeah, a very nice pool. Now, this is not some arrangement that would ever work for you in real life.
Tripplehorn: No.
Tavis: Yeah.
Tripplehorn: No, I opt out, believe me, yes. (Laughter)
Tavis: Just thought I'd ask that question.
Tripplehorn: No, no, no. Just for the record -
Tavis: If you're looking two others, a few guys around here would like to try it.
Tripplehorn: No. No, I think - it actually does work in the wives' favor, I have to say that.
Tavis: What do you mean by that?
Tripplehorn: Because, well, we get a day off. It's kind of nice not to compromise every single day of the week. (Laughter) Spoken like a true woman. Not have to compromise every day of the week.
Tripplehorn: Every single day, that's right.
Tavis: Take me back to - I can't speak for anybody else; I really came to know of your work, I guess, "Basic Instinct." That was, like, a huge coming out.
Tripplehorn: Phenomenon, yeah.
Tavis: Yeah, it was a huge phenomenon; it was. Take me back to that, and what you now make of that, looking back on it as a career choice.
Tripplehorn: I think it was the greatest thing to happen to me, in terms of putting me on the mat, but I always felt - everything else aside, I'm so grateful to Paul Verhoeven for the opportunity, and Michael Douglas. And I just always felt then and all the roles that I did after that, following that, that it wasn't my best work. That I knew my best work was ahead of me, and I still feel that way even though I think "Big Love" is the most satisfying work I've ever done.
But back then, I always knew - I always felt it was almost like unwrapping a present before Christmas. I just felt like this isn't me, this isn't my best work. I felt like all eyes were on this film, and it was my first role. It was the first time I'd ever been in a film, so I just kept thinking no, no, no, no, this isn't me, this isn't me - this isn't what I can really do.
Tavis: I'm laughing on the inside because I know a whole lot of people who would love to have an opportunity like that to showcase their not-best work coming out the gate, (inaudible) "Basic Instinct." It doesn't surprise me to hear you or any other actor say, for that matter, that it was my first major role; I didn't think it was my best work.
That doesn't surprise me, given that again, it's your first major piece. What about it, though, may you feel like it wasn't - why were you so timid about it being (unintelligible).
Tripplehorn: Well, it's just your first time. I think half of acting is confidence, and there's an ease. And I think, again bringing it back all the way up to "Big Love," I'm so comfortable on the set. I'm so happy and comfortable, and I think when - well, I worked with Gene Hackman on "The Firm," and I asked him then what is the most important thing about acting?
And I'll never forget his. He said, "It's being relaxed." And when you're relaxed, things just happen as an actor. When you're happy and relaxed - yes, I think tension helps in certain situations, but I think overall I think you do your best work - I feel I do my best work when I'm relaxed.
Tavis: Is there a method to getting to that place? Is it about your real life? Is it about the role you play? How do you get to that point of being relaxed enough to (unintelligible)?
Tripplehorn: Well, I think in acting classes that's one of the first things that they teach you. And there's s many different ways of getting there. Some people use alcohol, but. (Laughter)
Tavis: A lot of folk use alcohol, yeah.
Tripplehorn: But no, that's not mine, so.
Tavis: Does it ever occur to you that you have done, like - I was teasing Jeanne when she walked out on the set because last night, in preparing for this conversation, the studio sent me a few copies of "Big Love" to see, as if I hadn't seen it, because you cannot turn on HBO any night of the week, one of those five HBOs - if you're trying to avoid "Big Love," you cannot. They're going to make you watch "Big Love" somewhere on HBO.
So I'm trying to pop this thing in to see what you guys have sent me, and "Big Love" is on my HBO channel at that moment anyway, so I didn't even get to the stuff you guys sent me, 'cause it's on the TV anyway.
Tripplehorn: Right, you can't get away.
Tavis: So you're out there on "Big Love" every night somewhere on HBO, but the movies we just talked about now - "Basic Instinct" is on somewhere every night on one of these channels; "The Firm" is on one of these channels every night, somewhere. It's like, in your career already, you are part of a couple classic pieces already. That's good, huh?
Tripplehorn: An actor can't ask for anything more.
Tavis: Yeah, that's significant. Take me back to the beginning. Tell me the back story to your becoming an actor, where you were, and how you knew this was right for you.
Tripplehorn: Well, my family would say it started at the age of two; I was always sort of a ham. But I think it started in Tulsa. I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and it was a great town that was - it wasn't a big city, but it wasn't a small city. So we had a great local television show; we had an incredible local radio station.
And I worked in all mediums in Tulsa, and I got this great experience there. And then from Tulsa - I guess I was 22, I moved to New York, and went into Julliard School of Drama and graduated, and then I just started out. But Tulsa was just an incredible working ground for me. I just learned so much. They just gave me so many opportunities.
Tavis: Speaking of which, I read somewhere that there used to be a really great rock DJ in Tulsa who was, like, 15 when she was spinning records on the radio. You heard about her?
Tripplehorn: I heard (unintelligible).
Tavis: Was that you?
Tripplehorn: That was me. (Laughter) And you heard about that?
Tavis: Yeah, so tell me how you got to be a rock DJ at 15.
Tripplehorn: It was the greatest job any teenager could have. It was the greatest - hands down, it was the greatest job.
Tavis: How did this happen?
Tripplehorn: It started, I think, when I was 13 or 14, and I'd call a radio station and I would do different little characters, and I thought, well, instead of working at a restaurant or - I want to work part-time. And so I went to - my mother said, "Don't think small; go to the station that you listen to." And so I went there and they hired me part-time, and it just evolved into I did the morning show. But at the time when I got the job I was the youngest female DJ in America.
Tavis: A 15 -
Tripplehorn: It was just the greatest job ever.
Tavis: A 15-year-old kid, not just doing - you heard that right. Morning jock. Yeah, the biggest time slot of the day.
Tripplehorn: Yeah, it was great.
Tavis: So from 15 years old on the air in Tulsa to "The Firm" to "Basic Instinct," now to "Big Love" on HBO somewhere just about every night of the week, Jeanne Tripplehorn. Nice to have you hear.
Tripplehorn: Very nice to be here.
Tavis: It's a pleasure to meet you.
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