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Authors: Linda Barnes
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believe it? He had a thing about it, probably from playing so many British kings. The only way the dynasty would be secure would be to leave behind plenty of sons. As if my dad would stand for that. Aunt Eve always said she’d make sure I got my share, but the old man went all Shakespearean on her, blood of my blood, and that was that. You’d think old Ralph would have been happy with me, forgiven me, his own sister’s son, but no, I wasn’t of the pure Malcolm blood. My dad wasn’t an actor, and my mom had to be punished for marrying outside the theatrical gene pool.
TB: Forgiven you?
JF: Forget that. We’re a dwindling family, the great Malcolms, and now there’s only the one child in this generation.
TB: Jenna.
JF: The brilliant Jenna. Although Cousin Garrett could marry again, I suppose.
TB: Any prospects?
JF: Garrett’s very close with personal stuff. I got the impression that this book was a high-minded effort about his cinematic genius, that you were gonna ask questions about his directorial POV and what kind of camera angles he uses.
TB: I’m interested in that, too.
JF: But you’d rather get the dirt. Like why he and Claire got divorced? Well, no way I’m talking about Claire. Garrett foams at the mouth if I even ask about her family, her mother, for chrissake, her sister. Matter of fact, old Cousin Garrett’s the least likely subject for one of those in-his-own-words autobiographies I ever came across. He must be up to something, maybe got a screenplay in the works, something he wants publicity for. Don’t even put that in your notes. I don’t want him knowing I said that, okay?
TB: Off the record.
JF: Off the record, Garrett and Claire were perfect until they suddenly weren’t perfect anymore. It was a storybook thing at the start. He was her perfect director, and she was his perfect actress. He could squeeze a performance out of her that would trump anything anybody else could get because he knew how to push her, and when to back off. And she inspired him, especially when it came to comedy. Such a shame.
TB: The divorce?
JF: Ugly, very ugly, and probably why Garrett won’t speak to Claire’s parents to this day. But I meant what a shame about her death. Jenna’s the silver lining, but I’ll bet she’s off-limits for the book.
TB: I haven’t met her or talked to her.
JF: So Garrett hasn’t said anything about her coming back? Not to sign any papers? Not for an upcoming board meeting or anything?
TB: Board?
JF: The theater has a Board of Trustees. Largely ornamental.
TB: I haven’t heard anything.
JF: Well, like I said, there’s a kid got it all going for her, heiress and talented thoroughbred. Old Ralph melted when she entered the picture and he was as tough a bastard as they come. I will say on the record that Jenna will be one of the great actresses of our time.
TB: Where is she now?
JF: England, Australia, playing the provinces. She’s still a kid, what, sixteen? Wow, wouldn’t it be something if Daddy’s directorial comeback was Jenna’s film debut? Hey, don’t say that I said that. Pure speculation, but a Malcolm touch for sure.
TB: Does she go by Jenna Malcolm?
JF: Who knows what name an actress will choose? But when she makes it, everyone will know. They’ll realize right off. She looks like Claire, moves like Claire, speaks like Claire. Garrett sent her away, wanted her well away from the craziness here, taking her falls out of the country, where nobody would recognize her, where nobody gives a good goddamn about the Malcolm name. Didn’t want to read about her in Hollywood gossip columns, who she’s screwing, which celebrity hangout she’s gracing with her presence. You give one good performance here and then everybody wants to get the goods on you, partying with the wrong pervert or doing drugs, and then you’re in rehab or jail and welcome to a career as a
TB: Forgiven you?
JF: Forget that. We’re a dwindling family, the great Malcolms, and now there’s only the one child in this generation.
TB: Jenna.
JF: The brilliant Jenna. Although Cousin Garrett could marry again, I suppose.
TB: Any prospects?
JF: Garrett’s very close with personal stuff. I got the impression that this book was a high-minded effort about his cinematic genius, that you were gonna ask questions about his directorial POV and what kind of camera angles he uses.
TB: I’m interested in that, too.
JF: But you’d rather get the dirt. Like why he and Claire got divorced? Well, no way I’m talking about Claire. Garrett foams at the mouth if I even ask about her family, her mother, for chrissake, her sister. Matter of fact, old Cousin Garrett’s the least likely subject for one of those in-his-own-words autobiographies I ever came across. He must be up to something, maybe got a screenplay in the works, something he wants publicity for. Don’t even put that in your notes. I don’t want him knowing I said that, okay?
TB: Off the record.
JF: Off the record, Garrett and Claire were perfect until they suddenly weren’t perfect anymore. It was a storybook thing at the start. He was her perfect director, and she was his perfect actress. He could squeeze a performance out of her that would trump anything anybody else could get because he knew how to push her, and when to back off. And she inspired him, especially when it came to comedy. Such a shame.
TB: The divorce?
JF: Ugly, very ugly, and probably why Garrett won’t speak to Claire’s parents to this day. But I meant what a shame about her death. Jenna’s the silver lining, but I’ll bet she’s off-limits for the book.
TB: I haven’t met her or talked to her.
JF: So Garrett hasn’t said anything about her coming back? Not to sign any papers? Not for an upcoming board meeting or anything?
TB: Board?
JF: The theater has a Board of Trustees. Largely ornamental.
TB: I haven’t heard anything.
JF: Well, like I said, there’s a kid got it all going for her, heiress and talented thoroughbred. Old Ralph melted when she entered the picture and he was as tough a bastard as they come. I will say on the record that Jenna will be one of the great actresses of our time.
TB: Where is she now?
JF: England, Australia, playing the provinces. She’s still a kid, what, sixteen? Wow, wouldn’t it be something if Daddy’s directorial comeback was Jenna’s film debut? Hey, don’t say that I said that. Pure speculation, but a Malcolm touch for sure.
TB: Does she go by Jenna Malcolm?
JF: Who knows what name an actress will choose? But when she makes it, everyone will know. They’ll realize right off. She looks like Claire, moves like Claire, speaks like Claire. Garrett sent her away, wanted her well away from the craziness here, taking her falls out of the country, where nobody would recognize her, where nobody gives a good goddamn about the Malcolm name. Didn’t want to read about her in Hollywood gossip columns, who she’s screwing, which celebrity hangout she’s gracing with her presence. You give one good performance here and then everybody wants to get the goods on you, partying with the wrong pervert or doing drugs, and then you’re in rehab or jail and welcome to a career as a
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