Jennifer Love Hewitt – Interview [2002]

I see you say that “Bare Naked” is about your insecurities. What in life makes you most insecure?

I think it’s probably just the fact that I’m, you know, twenty-three, still trying to figure out who I’m going to be as a grownup I think. And, you know, I think sometimes just sort of releasing this record was a big insecurity for me because I wasn’t sure how people were going to accept it. And, you know, hoped obviously that they would. So I think that’s kind of where the insecurity comes from.

Of those recording today, you were the first kid-show alumni and actress to become a pop-star. Can you talk about the challenges and rewards of paving the way?

Of paving the way as a…

…As a cross-over artist.

You know, I feel like I haven’t really, I don’t feel like I’ve really paved the way. But I feel like I’ve been really, really lucky in my life. I think one of the hardest things to do in the entertainment industry is to, you know, kind of find your place age after age. Because when you’re a teenager, you’re in sort of a hard place in the industry. They can hire older people to, you know, play younger people and things. I think as a young adult you’re not quite old enough, you know, to play the parts that maybe you’d like to so you just kind of have to play the parts that are more right for your age which might not be as challenging. And I think, you know, singing-wise I’ve been blown away about how incredibly lovely people have been with allowing me to release the record and do, you know, something else that I love very, very much. And I just kind of feel very lucky in my life. And, you know, I’ve just been able to do all the things that I ever wanted to do and for that I’ll be forever grateful.

I was reading this morning an article about you in rolling stones. And in the article you say you do everything like an 85-year-old woman. And talk a lot about living with your mom. I have a hard time reconciling that with the provocative photo shoot that goes along with the article. There’s one photo here where you kind of look like you’ve just got a towel. So I wanted to try to find out how you reconcile those two things.

I pretty much, I feel this way about it. I think I’ve come to terms pretty much with since I was very young in the entertainment industry that a big part of the entertainment industry, a big part of movie stars, a big part of celebrities, a bit part of magazines and all of that stuff is just sort of eye candy for society. Particularly in, you know, magazines that have sort of an edgier feel to them. Rolling Stone has had, you know, sort of edgy photos in them for as long as I can possibly remember. And so I think, you know, when I go to a photo shoot I am completely a person who is, you know, getting to play model for the day and doing a photo shoot has nothing to do with, you know, really who I am as a person unless, you know, I’m kind of laughing in the photograph or whatever. And doing those pictures for Rolling Stone for me it was more kind of, you know, it was a fun day to sort of dress up and be something, you know, that I’m not 24 hours a day. Which is kind of a vixen and, you know, all of that kind of stuff. Matthew Ralston who shot the pictures I’m incredibly comfortable with. And he and I joke because most of the time that I’ve worked with him has been on my Neutrogena commercials which is a completely different, you know, sort of interpretation of who I am than from the Rolling Stone photographs. So when I saw them I actually, the think that I loved most about the whole Rolling Stone package for me was that the article does contradict those photos. Because I think people got to see two sides. They get to see the one side which is, you know, a woman. And women sometimes are sexy and vixen-like and, you know, and scantily clad, and you know, can kind of, you know, be that sexy thing. But they’re also, you know, a lot of the time dorks at the same time. And both of those sides are a big part of who I am. And so I thought that they represented that well.

I’m wondering if you’re going to go out and work this record. Are you going to go out and tour? And in your previous albums, I know you have an album out in Japan only. Do you ever tour over there? Or anywhere else in the world?

I was touring over there but I wasn’t going just for the record. I actually at the time I was doing my record deal over there I was actually working for LA Gear touring for them and doing all the trade shows and things like that, you know, for their shoe company and things. I just got back from Japan. I’ve actually been on a radio-promo tour for the last four months. Every single day a different city, four or five different radio stations a day performing, you know, in their conferences, performing live with my guitar player acoustically, performing at little clubs. I just did a big theater performance with about 600 people in Australia. Performing at record stores and things like that in Australia and Japan. So I’ve definitely been working the record to the best of my ability so far. And I think as far as a tour, for me it’s really important to see how the record does because I would absolutely love to tour but if there aren’t going to be people there that are going to enjoy the music I don’t really think that there’s a point. So for me, I want to make sure people really like the record the way that I hope that they will. And we won’t know that until, you know, obviously it comes out on October 8th and we kind of see that. So tour-wise for me I was kind of looking at sometime next year.

Being on Jive Records with a lot of big artists have any of them given you any advice for your music career?

Not really. You know, it’s funny because I’ve only met Brittany a couple of times and that was completely separate from, you now, me really being on Jive that much. Justin from N’Sync and all the N’ Sync guys I’ve known for a while since I was really young. And, you know, they would sit behind me and pull on my pony tale and sit behind me at award shows. And so, you know, they’re friends, and I think a lot of them. And the N’ Sync guys have been super supportive of my musical stuff. And, you know, have just been really, really kind. I’m so glad to get to be on a label with young people that are, you know, doing so well in the music industry. And, you know, have very strong views on how they want their career to go and, you know, kind of stand up for themselves and all of that stuff. I think it’s great, and you know, I feel honored and complimented that I would get to be within such a great group of people. And Jive Records has just been so amazing and such a dream place to be that I couldn’t really want to wish to be anywhere else.

When you write, do you draw from your own personal experiences or tap into any of the characters that you’ve played in the past?

Most of the time the songs were built on personal experiences. I tried not to write anything too personal or should I say too specific. Like I didn’t write about any specific people or anything like that because I didn’t want them to listen to the radio or listen to the record and send me dead fish and that sort of thing and get made at me. But also I think it’s important sometimes in your life, you know, especially in the entertainment industry to keep a little bit to yourself for your own sort of, you know, private little moments. But I did write, you know, from a personal place about things that I had experienced or felt before and things like that.

In one of your songs you sing that people have been pushing you to date rock stars. Can you talk about that a little bit and can you explain what “Rock the Roll” is about?

Sure. “Rock the Roll” is about, it’s kind of a confusing song. I don’t think it’s a song that we ever really figured out 199% what it was exactly about. But the gist of is that in there I say “you’ve got to know when to rock and when to roll.” And that basically means you’ve got to know when to rock the boat in a relationship or when to kind of roll with it in order to, you know, continue to be with the personal that you care about. That’s kind of what “you’ve got know when to rock and when to roll” means. And it was just kind of a fun thing to say and to write a song about. And the rock star thing is actually really funny and people found out it was a rock record, I had all these funny people coming up to me and they’re like “okay this is what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to get streaks in your hair that are a weird color. And you’ve to wear this and you’ve got to do this and you’ve got to do that.” And they were all kind of kidding, but you know, half serious at the same time about like if I was going to sing, you know, kind of pop rock music, that I would have to sort of, you know, do this different thing. Which I kind of innately wanted to change my image a little bit, but not to become a rock star, but more to sort of separate between, you know, who I am as an actress and who I am as a musician. And one of the things famous that everyone said is that “you’ve got to date a really cool rock star.” And I was like “why do I have to date a really cool rock star?” And they were like “because you’ve got to date a bad boy. That’ll be so good for the rock image.” And I was like “but then I’ll be worried all the time about what he’s doing and what’s going on” and you know, all that stuff.

You’ve been talking about a need to do to be taken seriously sounds like a cliché. You don’t want to be viewed as a pop singer who gets all the songs fed, but who writes her own material and is a real artist. Are you going to put acting on the back burner or what are the things you feel you can do in order to get this across and not sound just like an actress who’s jumping up and down and pounding her fists and saying “I am a serious artist.”

Well I think, you know, unfortunately for me and other people, there’s only a certain degree that an artist can actually to do to kind of, you know, sell their product and themselves. And at a certain point people either have to give over to it and say “well, you know what, she can really sing and we really like this record,” or you know, “buy it for our kids for Christmas” or kids will buy it for their friends for Christmas or whatever it is. Or they won’t. So there’s only so much that I can do and I’ve kind of – I’m really comfortable with that because, you know, I don’t think you can put so much pressure on yourself than to think that, you know, it lays all on my shoulders. In a certain degree it’s kind of up to people to sort of really, really want to listen to the music and, you know, know that I am an artist. And that’s kind of that. As far as the singing goes, the things I have been able to do this summer which have been working very well so far and have been very important to me, is I did take the last 5 months off from acting. I have not done a film since “Tuxedo.” And the reason I haven’t done that is because I was finishing my record. And then like I said I’ve spent the last four months promoting this record every single day on the road kind of in a different city, different radio stations doing that stuff. And a big part of that has been not necessarily the interviews which I’m used to doing, it’s been more kind of I’ve performed at 5:30 in the morning every day live on the radio singing my songs and then, you know, waiting around in their conference room at lunch, you know, singing four other songs for the record. And that’s been really, really important for me. And that’s kind of all I can do. All I can do is sort of talk about my passions for it, talk about the process of writing the record, how important it is to me. And then, you know, sing my songs. And then it’s kind of up to other people to sort of, you know, decide whether or not they’re actually going to give it a chance.

On this album you seem to tap into different aspects of womanhood. I’m wondering for you what’s the worst thing about womanhood and what’s the best thing. And can you explain both.

I think just being a woman in general is really, really great. I think it’s fun. I don’t think that I have completely understood how lucky I am to be a woman yet because I’m still kind of developing into one. And I don’t mean that silly. I really feel that way. I feel like at 23 you’re not completely who you’re going to be. Maybe some people are, I’m not. I’m still very much figuring out who I’m going to be. Still very much figuring out as a woman, you know, what I can do and not do and, you know, what that all means. But up until now I have enjoyed being a woman very, very much. So there’s nothing really bad about it. I think probably the hardest thing about being a woman is, you know, kind of the standard romance situation that we find ourselves in. Which is, you know, that we very quickly, you know, want so badly the fairy tale that we end up getting our hearts broken a lot. And I don’t know if men give over to that so much. I think men, you know, do get their hearts broken but I don’t think they find themselves sort of hurt by that as often because I think they’re a little more realistic when it comes to that kind of thing. And I think as women we sort of, you know, we search that knight in shining armor. So if I had to say anything was bad about being a woman, I think it’s the broken heart over and over again. But other than that, I think it’s great.

You’ve done so many different varieties of entertainment. There was TV, there were movies and now there’s music. So what do you get from music that you don’t necessarily get from those other facets of entertainment?

Music for me has always been something that has been directly connected to my heart. And when I get to sing a song I get to sort of release a big part of who I am. Acting is very much an important thing for me and, you know, I love doing it. But when I’m acting I spend 14 hours a day and months at a time being someone else. And when I’m singing I just get to be me. And I think it’s really important. I think people don’t pay enough attention sometimes to how important it is in life to be you and like that. And when I sing I like who I am. I like to kind of stand up there. And, you know, it’s amazing to get to stand up in front of people. And I think I hold it in such high regard because I know that there’s never been a person I’ve met in my life that hasn’t said at least once, “God I wish I could sing.” And so I feel like it’s such a privileged thing that I get to do and that people allow me to do it. And so therefore, I feel very, very lucky. And, you know, just absolutely adore it.

The last song on the album is “Me and Bobby McGee” which is on the cover. Were there any other covers you were considering for the album before you choosing that one?

You know, I kind of toyed around with a bunch. More so now, because I really liked doing the cover, so you know, I’ve been thinking lately what I would kind of do as a cover for the next record and stuff. But that was pretty much the obvious cover only because it’s a very important song for me and my family. Because it’s, you know, just a song that my mother and my brother absolutely adore and it’s something that I’ve been singing since I was really young. And so that was kind of the obvious cover. But I look forward to doing other covers in the future.

How was your working relationship with Meredith Brooks and maybe the most valuable piece of advice she gave you along the way.

I think the most valuable thing that she sort of gave me along the way was not really advice, it was more just sort of her unconditional support and dedication to this record. Meredith was in the middle of finishing up her own record when I came along and, you know, sort of knocked on her door and sat with her for an afternoon at her house. And, you know, it’s kind of this strange girl that she had never met that was like I have this dream and this is what I want to do and I need you to help me make it happen if you possibly can or are interested. And from that day on, she was 100% dedicated to making sure that I got to have my vision of what I wanted my record to be. And that has always meant so much to me and will always mean the world. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to truly repay her for that dedication because it’s very rare that you find that in people. Especially people that you start off barely knowing, and you know, now she and I, she’s probably one of my best friends in the world. But it was really important and just really meant so much to me.

Which track on the CD do you feel reveals the most about yourself?

“Bare Naked” reveals quite a bit of, you know, sort of the insecure vulnerable side of probably how I feel a lot of the time. Especially, you know, being a – well more importantly being a young person – but especially in the entertainment industry I think you find yourself very often, because people are always sort of paying attention to what you’re doing and all that stuff. I think you find yourself feeling insecure sometimes. But I also think the song You shows a lot of my heart because it’s the kind of love that I think we all search for. But I know that it’s definitely the kind of love in my life that I hope to find one day. And so I think that kind of gives away a lot.

Who would you like to see yourself grouped in with when somebody is asked the question well “what does she sound like?” Well she’s a little bit like… Who would be the artist who you would hope people would say that?

I would hope that people would say that I was a cross between Sheryl Crow and Bonnie Raitt. That would be my hope. I love both of those artists and think that they’re incredibly talented. And I would like to be a long-lasting artist. I would like to be able to make, you know, many albums and be around for a long time like they are.

You deal with insecurities on this album. Yet you’re always so incredibly upbeat and positive. You always smile. How do you pull that off and what’s your advice to kids who go through tough experiences?

Well I have a different opinion of being insecure than most. Most people hear the word insecure and automatically feel bad that somebody would have to be insecure or think that it has a negative connotation to it. For me, being insecure is very positive because it means that you have a pulse, it means that you’re alive and that you, you know, that you want to be the best that you can be. I think worrying is okay. I think being insecure is all right. And I think particularly as a young person when you – and I think that being a young person today with all that the world has to kind of offer and not offer, I think that it’s okay to not expect yourself to have it all figured out. And so if I could say anything to kids, I would say first of all the biggest thing that I went through when I was a teenager and I still go through as a young person, is that you somehow feel like you could be the only person on the planet that day that feels that one certain way. And it’s just not the case. And I just want to say to kids that if you use me or someone else or, you know, your parents or your best friend or, your know, your favorite movie actress or whatever it is, know that that person whether they feel that way exactly that day or not, does feel that way all the time. They do feel alone or frustrated or like they don’t have it all figured out. And life is a very hard thing. And you should expect everything from life and expect as much as you possibly can from yourself. But not be disappointed if either one, you know, kind of lets you down for the day. I think that that’s okay. And I would just say to people that are insecure – don’t feel bad that you’re insecure, it’s okay. And eventually it’ll go away or it will just make you stronger and your own unique person that people should feel very happy to be around.

What drives you and what do you wish to accomplish musically?

Musically I hope to be able to make another record because I just had such a good time on this one. And, you know, I think kind of my biggest dream in for like this year and kind of my biggest goal is I would love to be able to do a really amazing movie where I got to kind of, you know, show off some real acting ability that I think I have somewhere within me to give. I would love to really, really do that. And I think kind of my biggest dream always musically has always been and will always be to be some kid whether it be a guy or a girl their first concert. Because that’s a question and something that you talk about for the rest of your life. You’re always asked – So what was your first concert? And I would be so fulfilled in my life forever if somebody said – oh, my first concert was a Jennifer Love-Hewitt concert.

Do you write best when you’re happy or when you’re sad?

I think I’m more honest when I’m sad. So I probably write best when I’m kind of sad. But they’re just different songs. You know, when you’re happy you tend to write better kind of funny unusual lyrics and when I’m sad I tend to write the things that mean the most and they’re kind of, you know the most poetic. So it really kind of depends. But I probably write best when I’m sad or when I’m reflective and kind of quiet.

Do you remember your first time singing on state and where that was and what you sang?

Yes. I was 6 years old and I performed at a dance recital at one of the local high schools for my dance group. And I was always kind of put in the back of the dancing line because I had been one of the people at this dance studio for the longest period of time since I had been dancing since I was three. So they put the new people up front because, you know, I had done quite a few recitals. And so this one particular year I kind of kept moving my way to the front singing and everything so they decided that they would let me sing. And I performed “The Greatest Love of All.” And the mike was off the entire time. And I was just kind of screaming it at the top of my lungs. But I was six and that was my first performance.

Forgive me if this feels too personal but, one of the things that most musicians have to do, you know, when they’re promoting is do something like TRL which could potentially put you in an awkward situation. Are you going to do that? Will that be tough?

I actually did TRL. That was one of my very first performances. Carson was not there. It was his day off or something like that. And I actually ran into him at the VMA’s and he has been amazingly supportive of the record, really liked and always really sort of supportive of my musical stuff even when we weren’t together. So no. I kind of – he’s always somebody that I will think very fond of and care about him. I would do anything in the world for if he ever needed me. So the idea of getting to see him and, you know, be on a show, and not necessarily to be on the show but be able to talk to him about something that’s really important to me doesn’t make me feel weird at all. And I actually welcome it. I think I may actually be going on last call or TRL with him in the next coming month or so.

I wanted to ask you about the previous record deal that you had when you were fourteen. You did how many albums then? Maybe 2 or 3? What’s different now than it was then? That you have star power now?

No. Everything’s different. When I did my other records I was never really asked to write on the records. The songs were kind of handed to me the day I would walk into the studio. And they would kind of say, you know, what do you think of this song. And I would like it and I would go in and kind of record it. And that would be it. They kind of, you know, the other record companies and things like that sort of, you know, decided what kind of imaging they thought would be best for me and things like that. This has been a completely different situation. Jive came to me and said, you know, we’d really, really like to make music with you. What is it that you want to do. And I said well, I don’t know exactly. I mean I have this vision of what I’ve always wanted to do but I’m not sure how to execute it yet. And they said well then fine, when you figure it out let us know and we’re going to give you all the time you need to do it. And, you know, if you want to write on it, write on it. And I said okay. And I thought I would probably write two or three songs and now I’ve ended up writing all but two or three. You know with Meredith I was really able to kind of find myself as an artist. You know, was able to co-write the songs, pick the musical instruments that went in them. Find out what emotion came innately every day from me and Meredith in order to make a song. I was able to help design my album cover. You know, Jive has been there every step of the way to be incredibly supportive and the music is no longer pop music. It’s more kind of pop-rock music. Everything pretty much has been done different.

If a fan were to spend the day with you, what would be, you know, can you describe the true person that they would get to know and what is the most mis-construed thing about you that you’ve heard about you?

Well I would say probably they would be – most people that spend time with me that haven’t before always say the same thing. Wow you always say in your interviews that you’re kind of a dork and you’re right, you are kind of dorky. So I think that if somebody spent the day with they would probably realize that I don’t just say that to be cheeky or interesting. I really am kind of a nerdy person. I’m a complete goof ball. We would probably eat pizza, hang out, maybe go to the movies. You know, and do silly things like that. It would probably be a fun day. I think the biggest thing that I’ve heard about myself that I’d disagree with is because a lot of times because I’m pretty perky and an up person, a lot of people think that I’m not smart. And that’s somewhat hurtful because, you know, I would like to be a smart person. And I think that it’s unfortunate that if you’re really perky and happy and things like that that you’re not supposed to be smart.

Hey, where do you look to be 10 years from now?

It’s very funny because I just had this conversation with a friend of mine the other day that when I moved out to LA, I had all these things that I wanted to do. All these things I wanted to accomplish, all these places I wanted to be where I kind of saw myself 10 years from, you know the point that I’d gotten here and sort of all of that stuff. And life so many times, so far since I’ve gotten here has done better than I could have ever dreamed. That I’ve kind of stopped dreaming – not stopped dreaming, but I’ve stopped worrying about where I’m going to be 10 years from now or wondering, I’m kind of looking forward to where life is going to take me. And hopefully it’ll take me to a place where I’m still allowed to do the things that I love like I’m allowed to do now, but you know, I’m kind of looking forward to it surprising me I think.

+ charlie craine