Jacqueline Bisset

Monday, January 13, 2003

By Patricia Sheridan, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Last night, Jacqueline Bisset portrayed Jackie Kennedy Onassis for the TBS premiere of "America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story."

It's a role she played, without playing, in 1978 in "The Greek Tycoon" with Anthony Quinn. Born in England, Bisset began her career as a model and went on to make movies with some of the film industry's best directors. Still stunning at age 58, she has yet to marry. If you missed "America's Prince," it will air again at 8 and 10 p.m. Friday; at noon Sunday; and at 9 p.m. Jan. 25.

Q. Since playing a Jackie O-inspired character in the 1978 movie "The Greek Tycoon," has your interpretation of the role evolved?

A. Well, I didn't really try and play her the first time. I was just playing the events. They said at the time I was doing "The Greek Tycoon" that I wasn't really doing her. For whatever reason, they kept insisting that this wasn't really her story, and I said, "Well that's rather absurd." So I made no attempt to study her. In "America's Prince," I did read about her. She had a lot of different voices. She had a lot of different accents. It's curious. It wasn't the easiest thing, and her pacing was even slower than the way I did it.

Q. Is it true you are Angelina Jolie's godmother? Are you close?

A. It is true, yeah. But unfortunately not. I don't see her very often. Umm, that's really all I can say. I'm very fond of her, but I don't see her very often. .

Q. I read that you said you understood to some degree Jackie's relationship with her father and men.

A. She admired men who had, you know, that thing many of us like -- men with a twinkle. She seemed to put them up on a pedestal a bit. I had a wonderful father, a very attractive man. He was a man who was very much a man. Interpret whatever you want by that. I have a certain admiration for a man of a certain type. My parents divorced after 28 years of marriage.

Q. You've worked with great directors including Roman Polanski ("Cul-de-sac"), Francois Truffaut ("Day for Night") and George Cukor ("Rich and Famous"). Who made you feel the most talented?

A. Probably Truffaut. He loved women a lot. He wrapped himself around his female characters and protected them. One felt safe, and one felt admired. The other guys were very interesting and were quite often macho. The ones you mentioned, they were all fairly dogmatic men -- interesting and attractive in their ways, but not as embracing.

Q. Why have you never married? Was it a conscious decision, or just how things have turned out so far?

A. It's been pretty conscious [laughing]. I don't believe it necessarily brings the best out in people. I'm looking to try and find the most creative, loving atmosphere in which to be. I didn't see a lot of good stuff come out of my parents' marriage, and I haven't seen a lot come out of a lot of marriages. I'm a very nurturing kind of person and a sort of a homemaker. I'm just interested in things remaining fresh, that's all. I'm not saying I wouldn't like to get married. Some part of me would. As I get older, I think I feel that. But I don't believe there is any real security. The point is to have respect.

Q. Are you in a relationship now?

A. Yes, yes I am. I've been with a chap for nine years.

Q. You developed and acted in "Rich and Famous." Would you like to do more of that?

A. No. It was something that wasn't a pleasant experience except for working with Candy Bergen, which was really wonderful. I really feel that the talent I have is acting. I don't want to be in that state of stress. Freedom and the possibility of play -- that is what I like to have. At the time -- 1980, I think it was -- people regarded actresses involved with production with a certain amount of fear, resentment and anger. They didn't want dear little Jackie having any say really. It was pretty horrible. Men nowadays welcome having women around, and they don't feel threatened in the same way.

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