Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2009-06-17

Interview:


We had the pleasure of chatting with Isla Fisher about Confessions Of A Shopaholic which is due out on DVD on June 23rd! Here's what she had to say:

Are you a Shopaholic?

Isla Fisher: No I am not a Shopaholic, I don't shop very well at all. I tend to buy things which end up not being quite right - whether it is a clothing item that does not match anything in my wardrobe, or some cooking apparatus that is utterly useless. I am just not that good at it.

Are you an impulse buyer?

Isla Fisher: I usually go into a store with a mission. My idea of a fun thing to do would not be to go to a mall and shopping.

In what way did you identify with the character in "Confessions of a Shopaholic"?

Isla Fisher: I identified with her in the sense that I would like to think that I am optimistic and energetic like she is. I would also like to think that I have a big heart, like Rebecca has. I don't need to always identify with all the characteristics of my character, sometimes it is the differences that help you to lose your inhibitions when you are performing.

How did you make Becky so funny?

Isla Fisher: Becky can be a goofball and very funny and I have always felt comfortable tapping into my inner idiot. I have a side of me that doesn't care. I really enjoy physical comedy, thinking of an idea and pitching it to the director. For example there is one scene in the movie in which I do a fan dance with Hugh. I thought of that years ago, I always imagined how funny it would be to have a scene in a movie where a girl seduces a guy by dancing. She thinks she is really sexy but actually she is repulsive. So I went to PJ and suggested it to him and he said 'oh I always have a dance in my movies, ok let's do it.'

How tricky was it to do the scene when you dive across the boardroom table?

Isla Fisher: The scene was quite well planned...where my knees were going to go, where the props are...it was very specific. I slid safely and I wore kneepads. I made it look more dramatic than it was.

Were you surprised to be cast in a Jerry Bruckheimer film?

Isla Fisher: Absolutely! I was very proud and excited to be on the list of actresses who were considered and to get the opportunity to meet with Jerry Bruckheimer. Being a fan of the books, this was a dream role. I didn't have to audition. I took a meeting and at the time I was five months pregnant. I just met with Jerry Bruckheimer and the director, PJ Hogan and we discussed the character and they asked me a lot of questions about the script and the comedy. I came up with some ideas and pitched some jokes. Then I got the call that they had chosen me and I couldn't believe it! It was a terrifying feeling. When you audition you are chosen because they have seen that you are right for the part but when you just get offered a job like this - which is something that has not happened to me before - you think...Oh gosh, what if they are wrong and I mess it up!