Apr 14, 2022
All aboard because Frances Fisher is on the show this week. You Might Know Her From Titanic, Watchmen, Jolene, House of Sand and Fog, Laws of Attraction, The Sinner, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Unforgiven. In celebration of Titanniversary (it’s a real holiday for us), we spoke with Frances about her legendary performance as Ruth Dewitt Bukater in the James Cameron blockbuster. We talked about her epic audition, discovering the character from the period dress and her (real) hair, and how she delivered some of the most iconic lines in all of cinema. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We also talked her deleted scenes from Waiting for Guffman, the secrecy surrounding the very prescient Watchmen, and playing gay opposite fellow red head thespian, Jessica Chastain. We’re never letting go of this episode!
Follow us on social media
Discussed this week
Leo in Titanic was a delicate boned beautiful woman
Gay or gay adjacent roles: Jolene, Another Kind of Wedding, Female Perversions, Any Day Now
Sex scene with Jessica Chastain in Jolene (31:00)
Previous YMKHF guest Beth Grant
Sex scene with Kathleen Turner in Another Kind of Wedding
Scenes opposite Jean Smart in Watchmen
Was unaware of The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Played gay icon
Ruth Dewitt Bukater
in James Cameron’s
Titanic
Mali
Flynn - casting director for Titanic
Some Titanic castmembers peed in the tank
Frances just did The Lion in Winter at Laguna Playhouse pre-pandemic
Strawberry Alice in Unforgiven (1992)
Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke (not Blazing Saddles, that’s Lily Von Schtupp)
Daughter with Clint Eastwood, Francesca Eastwood
Played Johnny Savage’s mom in a deleted scene from Waiting for Guffman
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (with Christopher Guest)
Frances wanted her dogs in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva la Fiesta! But dog trainers said no
Played Jennifer Connelly’s caseworker in House of Sand and Fog and according to EW (and former YMKHF guest, Shohreh Aghdashloo Ep#72), she put dirt in her luminous hair to look dirtier
Frances Fisher wants to work opposite redheads, Debra Messing and Bryce Dallas Howard
Stars in The Roommate opposite Leighton Meester and Minka Kelly (but could she tell them apart?)
Frances originally cast as Jill Taylor on Home Improvement but was replaced by former guest of YMKHF, Patricia Richardson Ep#118
Annette Bening was so good in Being Julia
Should Tea Leoni, Kelly Ripa, and Annette Bening, and play sisters?? DB says yes
An American Tale and Fievel Goes West are iconic Jewish stories
Lady Gaga helping Liza Minnelli at the Oscars