"If you can bullshit yourself, you can bullshit the audience."

Interview with Samantha Lockwood (born April 28th 1982 in Los Angeles), who is actress, painter, model, student of yoga and daughter of "2001: A Space Odyssey" star Gary Lockwood

Interview by Marc Hairapetian (January 4th 2008)

Drucken

Marc Hairapetian:
You are really talented in many ways. What is your self-defintion? You are firstly an actress, secondly a painter, thirdly a model, fourthly a student of yoga and fifth a marine expert...? Or what?

Samantha Lockwood:
To be honest my personal philosophy is not to number what I am first, one thing or another. I don't like to label. I am just me, whatever that means at any day or time. I love all of the things you mentioned above of course, but there are many many other things in life I love too. I love acting, I love art, directing, writing, producing, cooking, shopping, fashion, bungee jumping, I love business, I love yoga. I love the ocean and travel. I love it all, everything life has to offer. That is my self-definition. So, to sum it up if you really have to know what to label me I guess you could call me a yogi. That is the philosophy of the yoga I practice. To love all the good the world has to offer.

Hairapetian:
Do you have idols as an actress?

Samantha Lockwood:
I have my favourites. I love Meryl Streep, Rachel McAdams, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Barry, Gena Rowlands, Gena Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emily Blunt, Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn. There are many more, but I guess those are some of the first that come to mind when I think of women who are fun to watch and seem to be good people in life too. I like actors who don't let the whole concept of being an actor take over their lives and egos. To me, I have to respect an actor not just for their work but who they are as a person in the world. That's how I think of all people, I don't feel anything towards an actress if their work is good but then I hear bad stories about who they are in person. I like all of those girls because I get the feeling that they know what's up. I don't like the idea of having an idol, but if I had to pick one, it would be my mother. Just because she's my mother and she loves me to death and I do to her no matter what. We would always change our ways for the other if we could find a way.

Hairapetian:
Is it difficult for you (or easier) as an actress when you have a famous father who is also actor?

Samantha Lockwood:
People have asked me this before. I have no idea honestly. I would say yes and then again, no...
Some people, actually many people in Hollywood, have no idea who my dad is, or even care to know anything about him. It's all about whether or not I am marketable and a good actress. That's just business. Then again, there are a lot of very passionate people in this business who know my dad and his work very well, those people have a natural response, a built in respect for me in some way. But it still doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean I will get the next great gig because of my dad. In fact, it means the opposite sometimes. Some people automatically think, oh, she's a Hollywood kid, she'll be fine we don't need to hire her over the other girl. But then again, it doesn't matter to me who my dad was or still is, all that matters is that I can aspire to do a better job than he did. Isn't that what progress is all about? I love watching my dad's work because I know him so well. He is an amazing actor, in fact my favourite role he has ever played was a bad guy in a movie called "FIRECREEK". I liked that even more than "2001: A Space Odyssey". He was so good. I hated his character in that, and that's a lot for a daughter to say. I love my dad to pieces. He's been the best dad, he's my friend, he's never tried to be more than my best friend. Sure we fight but it's all good one minute after.

Hairapetian:
Are you interested as an actress to work also in Europe like your father did with Jacques Demy in "Model Shop" or Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi in "They Came to Rob Las Vegas"? Have you ever been in Europe and are you interested in other cultures?

Samantha Lockwood:
I love Europe. I'd love to work there. Definitely. I've been to Munich twice with my friend Alex Suslov. She was a actress for a minute! I have been to London, the South of France, Italy and Spain. I would like to go again some time soon. I love other cultures and travelling. I've travelled the world more than most 50 year olds! I went to India at the age of 13. My best friend in high school was a Korean girl, Soo Eun Lee. She and her family had me as a guest in South Korea. That was so much fun. We sang karaoke a lot, shopped, went dancing, and DRANK a lot of coffee. I loved Korea. I want to travel all over Asia to see China and Japan and Thailand too. I would also love to go to Australia and New Zealand. I have a lot of friends from there too. My friend Gracie Otto wants me to go down and visit her there soon. Hopefully she will be making her next feature with me there, who knows.
But right now work is in LA and that's where I have to stay at this time in my life, until work takes me somewhere else.

Hairapetian:
Are you also interested in acting to act on stage?

Samantha Lockwood:
Maybe. I have performed on stage before. I like it, but I still like movies more!

Hairapetian:
What I your dad's favourite film of your dad?

Samantha Lockwood:
"Firecreek". For all the reasons I said above.... The movie was pretty dirty and raw. It's a western.

Hairapetian:
Your dad was fantastic as astronaut Frank Poole in "2001: A Space Odyssey". What was the first time when you watched director Stanley Kubrick's masterpeace?

Samantha Lockwood:
Hmmm... I can't remember. I probably first saw it when I was 11. I didn't get it...but I've watched it again every five years or so... and I like it more each time. It makes more and more sense.

Hairapetian:
Have you seen "They Came to Rob Las Vegas"? How do you like it?

Samantha Lockwood:
I have, but it was so long ago, and I can't remember how much I liked it! ;) lol. I'm a bad girl, I should know that. lol. I want to watch it again...

Hairapetian:
For many actors there are hard times now. You have to earn money. Would you also work for a soap opera like "The Bold and the Beautitful" - or is that not your cup of tea...?

Samantha Lockwood:
I have considered that before. In fact my previous agents have all sent me on auditions for that sort of work. But I never cared that much. Probably why I never got hired! I am just not that much of a fan of soaps. In that case I would rather paint or teach yoga for a living. I'm stubborn when it comes to certain things. Just because you want to be an actor it doesn't mean you have to settle for work you don't want unless you want to. For many many actors, they would love that sort of work and they are the ones who deserve that work. Not me. I'm just being very honest and maybe that pisses some people off but so what. Sorry.

Hairapetian:
You also worked together with your dad in the short film "Missing Sock" (2004) that was a "2001" parody. Could you learn from him?

Samantha Lockwood:
It was a blast! I want to act with him on something even bigger and better! :) I always learn from him.

Hairapetian:
Oskar Werner said: "Acting is a phoney profession without manifestation behind it." Would you agree? And what is your philosophy of acting?

Samantha Lockwood:
Yes. I would. In a way, this is true. Acting is bullshitting. How well can you fake it and mean it...? That's the question. How well can you make yourself believe you are where you are saying what you are saying. If you can bullshit yourself, you can bullshit the audience. Excuse my language, but it seemed the best way to say what I think.

Hairapetian:
I like your paintings very much. What are your influences?

Samantha Lockwood:
I don't have any ... if I do, they are subconscious. I don't paint something thinking, "oh this is like Van Gogh" or "oh this is like Muramasa's"... that's my teacher.

Hairapetian:
Why is yoga so important for you?

Samantha Lockwood:
Mind and Body have to work together to make your soul happy. If you can make your mind your best friend, bring it into the body for even a few seconds of concentration, then you can tap the window, knock on the door to your soul. Your peacefulness. Yoga keeps me focussed. Concentrated. Connected. And grounded. It keeps my feet on the ground and my wits about me. It makes me feel really really good. I am in my mid twenties and still I am more flexible than even my little sister who is only 9. She needs to go into training soon too. But it's true, with yoga it's never too late, you are never too old, too sick, too tired, too broken, too fat, too skinny, too anything to start from scratch again. That is what my teacher taught me and what I hope to teach everyone else in my life too .

Hairapetian:
Is there a special reason for your engagement for Desert Samaritans or Cancer Society?

Samantha Lockwood:
Desert Samaritans is a charity in my hometown that helps take care of elderly people. I have donated art to them to raise money. I did the same with the Cancer Society. I like doing charity work. I would like to do more of it.

Hairapetian:
What are your next plans?

Samantha Lockwood:
Samantha Lockwood: To act a lot, and to paint a lot. To sell lots of Fleurings which are my invention. Earrings made to hold live flowers. Please visit:
www.fleurings.com
And to keep working on a couple of ideas I have for movies. I might help my dad with an idea he has had too.

Hairapetian:
At the end of our interview a little brainstorming. I have a poll in my Spirit magazine www.spirit-fanzine.de where I asked actors, directors, producers and other artists about their 20 all time favourite films. It would be nice for you to name me your list.

Samantha Lockwood:

1. Thelma and Louise
2. Charlie Wilson's War
3. Forrest Gump
4. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
5. The Notebook
6. Holly
7. Kill Bill 1 & 2
8. Pulp Fiction
9. Casablanca
10. Roman Holiday
11. Firecreek
12. Kama Sutra
13. Splash
14. How To Loose a Guy in 10 Days
15. Batman (the one by Chris Nolan)
16. Natural Born Killers
17. When Harry Met Sally
18. Prime
19. Oceans Eleven, Twelve & Thirteen
20. True Romance
21. Mr. & Mrs. Smith
22. Bourne Identity
23. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
24. Run Lola Run
25. Being There
26. Easy Rider
27. Good Will Hunting
28. Rainman

So ... I gave you a few more.
VERY COOL AND INTERESTING ANSWERS! I LOVE YOUR MAGAZINE!

Marc Hairapetian: Thank you, Sam!

Picture of Samantha by Barry J. Holmes.


Please visit also:
www.samanthalockwood.com

www.samanthalockwoodart.com

Founder of Earrings for Flowers:
www.fleurings.com