Aguilera brought her own little entourage to press interviews for the film, consisting mainly of her dog Stinky. Stinky stared down journalists while Aguilera wrapped herself with a fluffy blanket, her platinum rock star hair still shining.Burlesque opens Nov. 24 for the Thanksgiving weekend.
Q: Why this role? I'm sure you've been offered the gamut of film opportunities.
Christina Aguilera: Yeah. You know, I was taking my time with it. I really wanted to make the right decision and I wanted to do something that I truly felt passionate about. Burlesque just happened to be the right fit for me. I was immediately intrigued by the word. I collected burlesque books for years and years. I've just always been intrigued with the beauty and the empowerment of the dance and how it showcases women in a beautiful light. So I just really, really thought it was a perfect fit for me. Covering Etta James, my favorite, covering “I'm a Good Girl,” which I've loved since I saw it performed in Crazy Horse in Paris, I was just excited. All of it just seemed right.
Q: This is a story about someone who can sing and dance. It's great that you can do both, but is there room for people who maybe can just sing?
CA: Yeah. There are people that only do one or the other. I think it just really matters what you excel at. I’m thankful that I could do both in this movie. I worked my tail off though. I mean, literally lost my rear end doing this movie because the schedule, I was working 17-18 hour days and wearing so many different hats. I was writing for the movie but from Ali's perspective, writing the music, and then I was recording the music, and then I was going into intense dance rehearsal. Then we got into shooting the film, preparing for the acting, diving head first really vulnerably and open heartedly for the acting. It was a lot on my plate.
Q: How did you prepare for the acting and what was the hardest or the biggest challenge in that?
CA: In preparing for the acting, I started familiarizing myself with her, what makes her tick. I knew that her mom dies young and she grows up in a lot of foster care homes. So she's had a tough one. She's had a rough life so far, which I think compels and drives her into shooting for a goal and a dream for herself. She grows up really young and early having to take care of her grandmother. So there were things that I could relate to that I took from my own past. Even though we don't have the same stories, I could definitely draw upon personal moments in my life to then put forth into Ali. But I approached her in the way that I approached the movie, really wide-eyed, open, vulnerable, honest, and meaning business.
Q: Were Etta James and Ali’s background in the original script, or added after you came along?
CA: No, it was in the original script. I was actually drawn to the script because of Etta James and the idea of burlesque itself. I think in any story of inspiration there's got to be the people that are the naysayers and the jealousy involved in the entertainment business alone, in life alone. So I think it's a story of life and it's a story of inspiration. I think it's inspiring because a lot of people talk about doing things with their lives. They talk about goals and having dreams and aspirations for things but they never do it. I think what's great about Ali as a character, what's great about Cher, what's great about even Jack as a character, we all have these things that we want to do, but we end up being fearless enough to overcome our fears and do them.
Q: Would you do something like Ali, just start to audition when you weren’t asked?
CA: Well, I have. I have auditioned before. You know, for The Mickey Mouse Club when I did it. You've just got to get up and be fearless and do it. But I actually had a moment where someone did pull the plug on me while I was singing because they didn't believe that that was my voice. They thought I was lip-syncing. When I was like seven or eight years old, I had a guy, I was performing at a block party. He pulled the microphone out of the amp and was like, "Is she really singing?" But my voice carried over the mic.
Q: What was the song?
CA: I used to sing a gamut of “Old-Time Rock and Roll,” “Wind Beneath My Wings.” It was probably one of those songs.
Q: Did you ever feel any doubt on the movie, like "I don't know if this is right. I don't know if I can do this?"
CA: When you're exhausted and you're tired and you're overworked, which I was, of course there are moments that you just want to throw in the towel or give in. But of course you don't. There's that inner drive, that inner passion, and that inner performer that won't let you give up.
Q: Did you get anything like that from Cher?
CA: Yeah. I mean some days it was so hot on that set and so stuffy. It was a big set so there was a lot of yelling back and forth to get people to quiet down or listen up or pay attention. You're sitting there in the middle trying to concentrate on what you have to do. I would look over to Cher and see how she would handle things. She never lost her cool, ever. She was very serene and very together. She would get her point across but in like the best way possible. So I really took from her energy and the way that she did things. On those days where it was so hot and I just was like, "I want to just go home and go to sleep and get in bed and get a foot rub and be with my son." But then I'd think, "If Cher can do it, I can do it."
Q: Did she give you any advice while you were shooting?
CA: So much, both personally and professionally. I mean, just her being there gave me advice. She didn't even have to open her mouth. She's just such an unbelievable presence and person and been there, done everything before any of us came along. I admire that. I truly respect that.
Q: Had you met her before working on the film?
CA: No, I hadn't. I met her on the soundstage at Sony on my way to a dance rehearsal.
Q: Did you ever talk about doing a duet with Cher?
CA: The idea came up, but I mean I think we had enough on our plate as far as the musical numbers. It just never transpired. Maybe in the future.
Q: What drives you to do better when you do everything so well?
CA: Thank you. I try. I'm perfectionist so I really don't let myself do less than my very, very best, even if do a good take in the studio I will then say, "Okay, let's try to beat it." Because I'm always looking for bettering myself and how can I grow? How can I learn? How can I change and evolve? I mean, that's what I'm all about but I think a lot of the pain my past does drive me to do better. Now I'm starting to feel that a lot of positive is inspiring me to do better.
Q: Do you miss little things like grocery shopping?
CA: I do. I really do. I love grocery shopping. I love seeing the new products that come out. I'm a big packaging nut. Like, I love seeing the package. I'm a total packaging sucker. Like, if you put a frickin’ cute thing on a box I'll be like, "Oh, I want it." So, grocery stores are full of that. I don't know, I love it. I love grocery stores. So I do kind of miss it. But I try to go late night when no one's there.
Q: So who takes care of it for you? What instructions do you give them?
CA: I have a chef. I see commercials and I'm like, "I'm going to have him get me that kind of Dorito."
Q: You're obviously going through something right now that's a bit difficult What things are you doing now and looking forward to so you can sort of do the best thing for your child and for yourself?
CA: Well, I am doing the best thing for my child and for myself. That's part of the process of what I'm going through right now. I'm a smart girl and there's reasons why I make the choices that I do. Ultimately, I'm just looking out for my son's happiness. That's my most important goal in life. It's why I work, it's why I work hard, it's the example I want to set for him. Then balancing that with making sure when I can't be there that he's in good hands. He's such a character and he never stops smiling or laughing, so I know I'm doing something right. That's my main goal. I think not losing sight of who I am during the process too. If someone I feel is trying to change me in a way that just isn't me or I feel too held back, then I know that the situation's not right for me.
Q: Is acting something you'd like to do more of and maybe something that didn't require any singing or dancing?
CA: Yeah. I mean, hey, [Cher]'s definitely the prime example of someone that did the transition so well. I take an example from that. And then to do a movie with her of all of them is amazing and dream come true. But yeah, I do want to do film more one day. I mean I could do a small independent role next. I haven't decided yet. Over the holidays I actually do want to sit down and get into reading some scripts that have come in and taking meetings.
Q: Did you change your workout routine for the movie?
CA: Doing the movie was my workout routine. In all honesty it was. Every few weeks they had to take in my costumes a couple inches because I was just so overworked.
Q: How much weight did you lose?
CA: Oh, I don't know.
Q: Would you like your son to have a music career or is whatever he wants okay?
CA: Yeah, that's what it is. I want him to have something that he strongly feels passionate about. That's probably what I do too to set an example of my drive and my goals, and for him to then want to set them for himself no matter what that may be. I don't care if he's in the entertainment industry or not. But he's such a character and he is very musically inclined. So, I think he might do something in entertainment.
