It's not every day that Julia Stiles
calls your phone twice just to listen to your voicemail. Yet that's
what happened before we began our interview since she was in NY (I'm in
LA) promoting her new web series, Blue, where she plays a mother with a scandalous secret (how about a prostitute?).
As I mentioned when I ran into Nia Vardalos last week (you can read that here), her husband, Ian Gomez of Cougar Town (he plays Andy), is probably best known for playing Javier on Felicity. When Ian and I sat down for an interview about his Felicity
days (coming next week!), he also recorded my voicemail as his
character, Javier. Apparently Julia got such a big kick out of that that
she called my VM twice to listen! "I think it's hilarious! I appreciate
funny, outgoing voicemails!"
But back to playing a prostitute, shall we?
Julia stars in the new series, Blue, which is premiering now on the YouTube Channel, WIGS (check it out HERE).
What is WIGS you ask? Well, it's a new digital channel that launched on
YouTube this past May and features original series, short films,
documentaries, and other content exploring female characters. And most
importantly, it's highly entertaining scripted television.
The webisodes are about seven minutes in length, and a new one
premieres every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In the series, Julia
stars as the title character, Blue, a single mom trying to protect her
son, Josh, from the consequences of her secret career. By day she is an
accountant, and by night, she's an escort—trying to save enough money to
send her bright son to a better school. The series also stars Sarah Paulson, Kathleen Quinlan, and Jeanne Tripplehorn.
After chatting about Felicity and Javier, Julia spilled all about playing a prostitute, being in Ten Things I Hate About You, plus, the one thing she doesn't own that will surprise you all!
Glamour: How did you get involved with WIGS, and what was the deciding factor for you to sign on to play “Blue?”
Julia Stiles: Honestly, it was the first episode,
the first script that hooked me. I really wanted to work with [director]
Rodrigo Garcia. I really loved In Treatment, and Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her.
Although I'm kind of scared about the internet, so I was at first
unsure about doing a web series because I didn't really know what it
was, but I thought the script was really great. I've always been kind of
fascinated at the idea of escorts or prostitutes and people paying for
sex, and was sort of weary of playing one in a movie or TV show because
there is so much out there already.
Glamour: So what changed your mind?
Julia: I think the way Rodrigo approached the
subject matter is really interesting to me. You see the other sides to
her life, and also it was just a great set-up... the idea that this
woman is living a secret life, obviously that is going to blow up in her
face at some point, and in the first scene, it's her juggling all her
problems. She's at work, and talking to her son on the phone, and
dealing with the fact that one of her clients recognizes her from high
school. That was a great launching point.
Glamour: It's 12 episodes. Will there be a series finale at the end, or is there the possibility of it continuing on?
Julia: There is definitely a possibility that it will continue on. The last episode is quite a reveal or a cliffhanger.
Glamour: Do you hope Blue eventually makes its way to network television, or are you happier with it being the shorter episodes online?
Julia: I think I would like it in any incarnation,
but there's something really wonderful about the way we can make it in a
very pure form because the more money that is involved, the more people
that are involved. For me, it was so simplified. Rodrigo was really in
charge as the director and creative leader behind it all, and it was a
very small crew, and I could be an active participant in it too, the way
that Rodrigo works.
Glamour: Who would be you ideal guest star on Blue?
Julia: We need our own Mr. Big! Selfishly, I would
definitely bring Cooper back a lot, because there is something
interesting to me about that dynamic. I love that she is asking him why
is he paying for sex when she gets him alone. That's a really
fascinating question to ask any man who would hire a prostitute. Also,
the fact that he knows her, aside from her mask as an escort, is really
exciting to me.
Glamour: When I told my sister I was going to be interviewing you, she was so excited because one of her favorite movies is Ten Things I Hate About You. So which role do fans still want to talk to you about when they meet you?
Glamour: When I told my sister I was going to be interviewing you, she was so excited because one of her favorite movies is Ten Things I Hate About You. So which role do fans still want to talk to you about when they meet you?
Julia: It depends on what part of the world I'm in!
It depends on the demographic too. It's really nice that a lot of people
remember Ten Things I Hate About You, and it sticks in their minds. Aside from that, it's either Save the Last Dance or the Bourne movies, but it's really funny how Ten Things I Hate About You still sort of resonates with people 10 years later. I'm really lucky because it's rare to be a part of something like that.