The Herald Sun (Oct. 5th 2000)

Harbouring No Doubts

Cameron Adams talks to No Doubt's Gwen Stefani about her movie ambitions, pink hair and boyfriend troubles

Is it true you auditioned for Fight Club and Girl, Interrupted?

Yeah. I didn't make it though. Obviously.

Do you want to be an actor?

Someone just said, “Do you wanna make some movies?” I was like, duh, sure, I'd love to. People kept sending me all these scripts. For me it's like teaching an old dog new tricks. It has similar qualities to performing live -- if you touch on it and you're doing it good it feels pretty euphoric. (Fight Club director) David Fincher really tried to help me, but I wasn't good enough. It's a catch-22. Everyone wants you to try out but the excuse when they don't pick you is that you don't have experience. But how am I ever going to get experience if I don't get a chance? But they spend so much money they can't take the chance.

Is that one of the benefits of being you, people offering you scripts?

I'm a super-lucky human being, yes. This is my day today: I woke up in my beautiful house, I did a cartoon, King of the Hill, in which No Doubt play, then I talk about myself all day long to people all over the world. I'm not sure if it's healthy to do that, but it's fun.

Are you people worried that this album, Return of Saturn, hasn't sold as well as your last, Tragic Kingdom?

Music generally is a little disappointing right now. I'm not super-inspired by popular music at the moment. I'm not going to look back on the year 2000 as a great time in music. This is our best record, but we knew there was a chance this (sales slump) could happen, but we're cool. The people who have got the record really like it.

Does the fact that you sold 15 million last time mean the pressure is on or off?

People say that puts pressure on, but it actually relieves it. You've been validated as a band. And I don't have to try to finish school, get a real career.

You're a fan of '80s music. Have you seen any of those bands who re-form and tour the US?

Duran Duran just played but I missed them. I saw the Cure in Paris -- they never split either. They were amazing. I'd never seen them and they were such a huge influence, especially on this album.

You know you're playing with them at the Livid Festival in Brisbane?

I know! I know! I'm gonna try to stand next to Robert Smith, maybe some of his talent might, like, blow over on me.

What was it like recording with Prince for his last album?

Crazy. Just getting the call, “Prince is on the phone for you”. He did an artistic trade. I did a song on his album and he offered to do something for us. We had this song, Waiting Room, and something was off about it. I sent him the demo, he rewrote it and it was incredible. We didn't get to finish it, but we will one day. Being in the studio at Paisley Park with him, I felt like I was Wendy and Lisa. He made me sound like him.

Is your hair still pink?

Actually, I just went back to blonde. I missed my old hair. I never intended to have pink hair for a year at age 30.

Did you see many fans going pink?

So many. I was ready to go back to blonde but I felt a responsibility that if I went on stage with blonde hair again and all the girls had pink hair, it'd be a slap in the face for them, so I stuck it out.

Are you sick of discussing the very personal lyrics on this album?

No. I'm not talking about anything insanely weird. I like sharing that stuff. I don't have a lot to hide. Sometimes I feel I should go to a psychologist because I can talk to people I don't know and tell them everything about me, but I don't see what the harm is, you know? I'm not a super-private person. I think it's cool when people relate to the songs.

Here's the question about your boyfriend (Gavin Rossdale from Bush). When Andrea Corr was here she said they were just good friends, but the UK press ran pictures of them together. Is everything OK between you and him?

You mean is he cheating on me again? He has bad luck -- whenever he goes out he always gets photographed with girls. Everyone makes a big deal out of it. It's a little annoying for me. At a certain point you think, God, everyone must think I'm getting the raw end of the deal. But he was with me for about a month just recently. Things are rad. The worst part is that we don't live in the same country. I'm totally starting to get over that. But I don't think he went out with that girl, no.

Have you seen the Web site (members.nbci.com/marilynsite/html/MazOnTheWeb.html) which has photos of him modelling with Boy George's friend, Marilyn, in the early '80s? He could have passed for a girl.

Well, he was blessed with beauty. Lots of people say things about us, but I know what I know about him. F . . . everybody else. Just kidding.

The video for Don't Speak showed how the boys in the band were always cropped out of photos because you're a girl. Did it work? Do people still do that?

Yeah, it's a natural thing. The lead singer is going to get the most attention, and being a girl doubles it. We all know the roles we play in the band. I would definitely be a lot less cool without those guys. I'd be just another girl up on stage. And we don't need any more of those -- they're saturating us.