B Magazine UK February 2000

WHY GWYNETH SHOULD BE VERY, VERY WORRIED

Her mum's a film icon, her father's a Hollywood superstar, her boyfriend fronts a famous rock band and, guess what? She's about to become the hottest property in Hollywood. Lesley O`Toole talks to Kate Hudson about growing up in a famous family and her
schizophrenic lifestyle.

You're always hearing about them in Hollywood - celebrities who light up a room the second they enter it and who exude a mysterious sort of electrical energy that not just any old celeb can lay claim to. Tom Cruise is often talked of in these terms. Kate
Hudson will certainly be if the crackle in the room I'm in is anything to go by.

The beauty of Hudson is that her fire isn't about fame or her Hollywood lineage (she's the daughter of Goldie Hawn and calls her stepfather Kurt Russell "Dad", it's about her soul. She has what they call an old one. You can see it in her eyes and the way she speaks. You can see it on film, too, which is why 21-year-old Kate is the hottest young actress in America right now. You'll
see the soul in Almost Famous. Which opens nationwide on 26 January. It's a coming-of-age story about two teenagers in `70`s America - William Miller (played by new comer Patrick Fugit) and Penny Lane played by Kate. The character of William is the alter ego of writer/director Cameron Crowe, the man who wrote and directed Jerry Maguire. Like William, Cameron was a
teenage writer prodigy who was working for major US publications including Rolling Stone by the time he was 15.

Kate's character Penny Lane is what we'd call a groupie, and what Penny and her friends in the film call a Band-Aid. But she's not really a groupie - she's madly in love with one guy, Russell Hammond, played by Billy Crudup, who's a guitarist with the
fictional band Stillwater. Penny and William strike up an unlikely friendship based on the fire that drives
them both - rock music. Kate is pretty driven by ROCK MUSIC IN HER OWN LIFE. She divides her time between Los Angeles, where she still lives at the family home on the beach in Malibu, and New York where she live with boyfriend Chris Robinson, singer with the Black Crowes, in a gothic loft apartment. It's almost as if she has separate lives depending on which coast she is on. In Los Angles she says she eats well, exercises (Pilates and dance) and prefers to stay at home. With Chris she leads a less healthy lifestyle, one that features a copius number of Camle Lights and late nights.

However, these days she`s spending most of her life at the place she loves most - a film set. She certainly stole the show on the Almost Famous set. If awards were stricly for talent, she would earn a Best Actress nomination. But because the film is an ensemble one, she probably won`t. Either way, Kate`s time will come. She`s simply a revelation in Almost Famous.

Is it true that you were never meant to play Penny Lane?
"Yes. I was meant to play William's sister Anita (A much smaller role) but I desperately wanted to play Penny Lane. I begged Cameron to let me play her, but I think he was having a problem seeing me in that role because he was already thinking of me as Anita. And I heard he was really worried that I`d hold it against him if he didn't give the role, so I phoned him and
said, "You're out of your mind. I don't have these kinds of problems. I'm not a competitive person. Iwant to be in your film and I will do anything to be in your film."So that's how it sort of happened."

Almost famous has had great reviews in America and fantastic word-of-mouth reports. It's the sort of response film studios dream of. Did you realise straight away that this film was something special?

"I always thought this film would be extra special. I did when I first read the script. And when we started rehearsals. Every step of the way, really. It took me over four hours to read the script the first time because I'm a huge Cameron Crowe dialogue fan. I've
memorised all the lines from Say Anything, Jerry Maguire and Singles. I'm a total Cameron Crowe movie buff, so when I read this script I was just so excited and I had to savour every word. Then I cried about six times. It wasn't until much later Cameron told me it was his own story, which made it unbelievably special because he's an incredible man. When you work with Cameron it's like a total Cameron love-fest. He's all about that. That's one of the reasons I love his films so much. There's always a great family story and they're always about love."

You're dating a rock star in real life and having rather more success at it than Penny Lane does in Almost Famous. Are there any parallels between your life and hers in the movie?

"Totally, although I think times were very different than. But yeah, of course. I listen to the same music as Penny. Rock has always being my favourite just because I think it's the best music there is. What I really loved about this film being set in the seventies, though, was that there was such a need to express yourself then pour your soul out. It was such an incredible time politically and everyone was struggling to get out their points of view. So out of that time came amazing products, especially artistic ones such as films, movies and books. When I met Cameron he made me listen to that music like I`d never listened to it before, because it's the little things you don't really listen to that make a song so great. For example, the acoustic guitar under he electric one that you can't really hear unless you listen for it, or a little cowbell on a song that you latter discover was someone hitting a tine with a pen. I never thought I could go deeply into music. I still listen to it the same way now."

People in Hollywood have always known who you are, but now your face is plastered all over Almost Famous posters across the world. What's that like?

"It's totally bizarre, but also kind of cool."

You seem very sensitive to questions about your mother, Goldie Hawn. Do you not like talking about her?
"I'm only sensitive to the whole "Goldie Hawn`s daughter" thing when the questions are very mundane. You know, the advice questions and stuff like that. We're very different people, although every one says we have the same smile and the same laugh.. Sometimes we'll start laughing together and we sort of mould into one sound. People will just star and go "What was that?" It`s weird."

Did you always know you wanted to be an actress?

"Yeah, and I told my parents too. I always knew it. Just growing up. I was always into movies; always on set every time I could get a chance, whether it was behind the camera or standing in the make-up trailer or wardrobe truck. Any of that would do just because I wanted to be around that energy. And I was always performing always putting on little skits and plays and singing that song from Annie, Tomorrow. I remember my mom saying: "Oh God, please make her stop."

Did they try and talk you into another career?

"I think they knew it was totally hopeless. When I was 10 or 11 they told me no, I couldn't act because I had to stay in school. But I was always doing drama and plays. The first real play I was in was Anne of Green Gables. And no, I didn't play Anne. I played the stern grandmother."

Did you go to school on your mother's film sets then?

"All the time. She always thought the most important thing was for us to be with her and for the family to stay together. Once we went to high school she told us we couldn't travel with her anymore, but she promised she'd never be away for more than two weeks, and she never was."

It's almost as if you're in awe of your mother…

"I think I am. It's only when you grow up you realise what your parents have done for you. My mother always had this wonderful thing where she could be a mom and work at the same time. It's very, very admirable. Sometimes when I was a kid I`d think: I want her to pay more attention to me" but when you're a grown-up you realise how much attention really was paid to you. She was never not there."

You have a pretty unconventional family, don't you. Can you give us a run-down?

"You could say! I have a brother Oliver. He's from my mother and real father. When I say my father I mean Kurt and when I say my real father I'm talking about my biological father Bill Hudson. Oliver`s an aspiring writer and director. He's just the most genuine soul. Then there's Boston, who's at university studying politics. He's very into Buddhism. Boston is Kurt's son from his previous marriage. Not that it made any difference in our house! Boston was always my brother. Then there's Wyatt, who's my mother and Kurt's child. He's a big hockey player and I think it looks like there's yet another actor in the family!"

And what about your two fathers?

"Well, I was really young, about three, when Kurt and my mum met and I fell in love with him immediately. I don't really remember it, but my mother tells me I was immediately connected to him. My real dad left when I was about a year old and, as a kid, you always want a father in your life. My real father never really brought any negativity to mine or Oliver`s lives, but when Kurt made it clear he wasn't going anywhere, that was it really."

Was everyone stricter with you because you were the
only girl?

"Of course, but I really think it has to be different for a girl. Sometimes you fell there are double standards, but it's just that parents are a little more protective towards girls I think. I know my brothers got away with so much more than I did! Besides, I was always the kind of person who could never lie."

Do you talk to your parents about your relationship with Chris?

"Not with Kurt so much anymore, but he talked to me a lot about guys when I was younger. But my mum and Ilove to talk about guys and love and relationships, all that kind of stuff! Having a love relationship with someone is the most beautiful thing. I think everyone sort of needs that and, if they don't have it, they want it. I think when you're gone, and when all is said and done, you'll look back on the relationships in your life, with friends, family, lovers. It's so wonderful to be able to give and
receive so much."

How does your mum feel about the fact that Chris is, more than 10 years older than you?

"Oh, she loves him, so that doesn't matter. The other day he and I were in Los Angeles and my mum made chicken and dumplings and we just sat around and watched football on TV, the entire family together. It was so great. My family life is so important to me
because my parents never brought Hollywood into our home. That's why home is sacred, and a place where we can all go and have the best time hanging out together."