Why was the time right to write about this chapter in your life? Well, I’ve been writing this book for a long time. Too long. I was just able to finish it because of the pandemic! Not My Father’s Son was so much about the trauma of my childhood and helping other people. This time, I wanted a book out there that was not so shocking but about being totally honest with your life. It’s a rare thing to put all that together. I also think I’ve had an extraordinary life! Did it require some research on your part? I never would have remembered some of the things without the Internet. So much happened to me, especially during Cabaret [1998–99], and it was overwhelming. I also had a journal during that time, which was useful because I didn’t realize how many people I met during that time. All these legends came backstage like GregoryPeck and ArthurMiller—it’s like I was in the middle of two distinct times in culture. Crazy! But you don’t describe yourself as happy during that period. I really wasn’t, actually. I had fun, but I felt discombobulated and I had nothing to compare it to. It’s difficult when you don’t understand what’s happening to you. You can’t enjoy it. It was exhausting and I felt like I was slightly hyperventilating for a year. That’s why I was really glad to do it again years later on Broadway [in 2014]. And the sexuality of the show didn’t overshadow the production anymore. And you started playing the master of ceremonies on London’s West End back in 1993! Are you done for good? I’m definitely done being the emcee. I keep joking that I’d go back to play [elderly German woman] Fraulein Schneider. You’ve had a lot of adventures with Liza Minnelli [the star of the film version of Cabaret href=“https://parade.com/1260920/samuelmurrian/best-dance-movies/” target="_blank"]. Do you still talk? We do stay in touch. I texted her a little video the other day of my travels in Scotland! We also talk on the phone. She loves my dog, Lala. And when I do visit her, I go to her house and we sit on her bed and laugh. It’s a lovely and great connection. She has given me great advice for my concerts. What did she tell you? The way she told me how to deliver a song gave me incredible confidence because I don’t think of myself as a singer—just as an actor who sings. She said to think of a song like a play with a structure. I’m a character and I have conflict and then I come out of the play and I’m finished. It completely changed my way of thinking. You mention in the book that you don’t consider yourself a singer and dancer. Do you truly still think that? I mean, I mean, I mean [laughs]. I understand how crazy that sounds because I make records and I tour. But I’m not a singer that you’re going to hear for the absolute color of my voice. I’ll make you laugh and entertain you. That’s what it is. You also detail your work on movies such as GoldenEye [1995], Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion [1997], Spice World [1997] and Eyes Wide Shut [1999]. Did you like revisiting them? I’m not one of those actors who won’t watch themselves. An interesting thing about getting older and having done a lot of films is that you can see yourself as a younger person. I think it helps you age because you can see yourself grow older every day despite what you’re bombarded with on social media. I quite like it. I feel great empathy for myself. I can say, “Oh, you look darling! And you have no idea what’s ahead of you!” Which project is the most popular among your fans? People are obsessed with Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion. It’s so funny because it was my first Hollywood movie and I had never been to a prom or a reunion. I’m also a magical figure in so many people’s lives because of [2001’s] Spy Kids. It’s part of people’s childhoods. It’s such an honor to have movies that are iconic and have an effect on people. I don’t take that lightly. You seem like a yes person. Well I say no a lot! I like to listen to myself, but I also have eclectic tastes. Do you have a third book in you? Well, I enjoy writing very much and I think I’ve got more to say about what I’ve learned as I get older. I didn’t even mention my time on The Good Wife [2010–16], and that role [as political consultant Eli Gold] completely changed my life because I played a middle-aged man in a suit! And I am a middle-aged man! But I don’t feel my age. And what is acting your age? Who decides what acting your age is? I imagine people in clipboards telling you that you’ve got to start wearing cardigans. Do you feel more settled now? Absolutely. I look back on myself and think, Oh, you poor thing, no wonder you were mental! I definitely feel calmer and am enjoying myself with my husband. I’m in that very good place in my life because I am older. I have wisdom and at the same time I’m young enough to be able to do all the things I did 30 years ago. Next, Your Favorite Celebs Have Memoirs, Fiction, Cookbooks and More Publishing This Fall
