Hitch - Amber Valletta interview

AMBER Valletta talks about the making of Hitch, some of her own experiences of dating and how her engagement was incredibly romantic. She also talks about some of her upcoming roles. She was speaking at a small UK round table...

Q. Do you think there is a need for a date doctor?

Amber Valletta: I don't think it's really about bringing people together. Hitch's role is really about, he's kind of giving guys confidence and showing them some tricks, and I do think there's a need for that. I think with the way the world is today, it's so instantaneous and everything is now and there's hardly any inter-action between people anymore, that yeah, I don't think it's any big deal. I think we all need help. And I'm not afraid to ask for help. And I think that's a great thing if we get back to courting each other.

Q. Why did this process of courting evaporate do you think?

Amber Valletta: Again, I think it's the industrial age and technology. With the techno-revolution it's only going to get faster; it's really already crazy how fast things are today and our lives are... people are basically dying of heart attacks all the time because there's too much stress. We can't retain all the information and do all the friggin things we need to do. And really we don't need to do that much but we have created a society where we think we do.

I think there's a Stevie Wonder song, Love is In Need For Love Today, and that's really the truth of what our world is coming to; it's not just romance on a sexual level between two people, it's also about people in general. It's universal right now.

Q. There's a filthy rumour going around that you demanded rehearsals with Kevin as far as the kiss was concerned?

Amber Valletta: It was filthy! I was dirty, I was always trying to get him, and I was downright nasty! Well, I just can't say because he's married and I'm married and I don't want to start a whirlwind of publicity. I can neither deny or acknowledge that question.

Q. What is most important in a man from the point of view of a woman? How important is a sense of humour?

Amber Valletta: Well, I think what's really interesting in this film is that you see Allegra and her appearance is sharp and tight and attractive and Albert's kind of like a slob. But with the help of the date doctor, he's given a new wardrobe and a new hair-do and glasses, but essentially his personality... he told him to hold back, but Albert can't seem to hold himself back and Allegra is just as much of a goofball and kind of a fumbling fool as Albert is, and that's why they like each other, because they see each other for who they are and not what the outside is. And he does look really handsome when he's cleaned up. But she's never had anyone treat her the way he treats her and I think that's what women are looking for, and men to - it's about respect, it's about being able to be who you are and be genuinely free to be who you are and grow in that.

That's when I think you go 'oh my gosh, I think I found my true love', because you're being truly who you are, you're authentic, and you're given the freedom to express all of that and make mistakes.

Q. As you became more famous and recognised, did you find people projecting what they thought onto you, like your character in the film?

Amber Valletta: I definitely could relate to Allegra's experience. I wasn't from a rich family or any of that but because of the celebrity and the modelling - which is in itself a huge thing. But I love to break stereotypes, I get off on challenges, and I think that it's really fun - what are rules for if we aren't meant to break them? And that I mean in a really positive way. I don't mean going out and being a criminal.

I mean it in the best way. If there weren't people like Nelson Mandela - and I'm not comparing myself to him at all - but if there weren't people that went against the grain, then the world wouldn't change.

I definitely think there are a lot of stereotypes, but that's another aspect of this film too; this film is saying don't judge a book by its cover. All those characters, they all have a cover, yet you come out to find that Will's been hurt, that Eva's been hurt, that we're all vulnerable and looking for love.

Q. What was the worst pick up line you've encountered?

Amber Valletta: I think I've actually blocked it from my mind. I'll tell you the worst date, though, which was a blind date. We went out. It was kind of cool how we met - he wrote a note where we were staying at the same hotel and I called him in his room and said I'd come and meet him downstairs and then we agreed that we would go out on a date in New York City.

And we went out on this date and I don't know how it happened but we both wound up talking about our ex's the whole time. The relationship and what went wrong. If you'd been an outsider, you would have got the feeling that these two people hadn't really worked through the issues from the past and it was not going anywhere. Needless to say there wasn't a goodnight kiss, I think we talked later and said kind of 'yeah, nice to know you'.

Q. You mention chemistry between people, what was the chemistry between you and your husband that made you realise this was it?

Amber Valletta: Um, I think the chemistry between us was I saw in him something that I was looking for which was being really grounded. He's so rooted. That doesn't mean that he always knows his way, there's something about him that's really solid. And I tend to be much more fly by the seat of my pants and much more out there with my thinking and I really love that in him and his truth. He's honest and good. And then there was this incredibly funny, sensitive person, and I thought that was really special.

Q. And was he really romantic? Did he court you with flowers?

Amber Valletta: Extremely romantic. We only spent like two or three days together. We met on Christmas Eve, we went out that night, and the next morning he took me to church. Then we went to my family's Christmas party and then I was going on vacation ten days later with a friend of mine and she backed out and my husband coincidentally had some time off and I said 'do you want to go on this holiday with me for a week?' We made a pact, let me just say, to keep it platonic. That we would get to know each other. We wouldn't have sex. We'd mess around but no sex. And if it went horribly wrong, I knew we were in a safe place - The Bahamas - and the other thing was I knew his family and he knew mine, so if he was a real creep there was no way he could be creepy, because there were too many family ties.

So, if we didn't like each other, we could just go our separate ways on the island. But it ended up being, just.... I remember he brought me flowers every morning and put them on my pillow. Different flowers he'd gone out and picked. I remember I did a dance for him to Ricky Martin's Lavita Loka. Crazy like the things you do when you first meet someone.

I remember I couldn't go to the bathroom, cos we shared this bathroom in our room in a little bungalow, but it was right there off the bedroom, so I couldn't go to the bathroom. I could urinate but I couldn't do the other. So I got constipated! And I kept trying to drink coffee to clear myself! And then he was going, no problem, because he's a guy, and then finally it came up in conversation and I had to confess. And he said one thing to me that really was so powerful and probably way over the top, but that's when I knew he was mine. He said: "The woman just asked me if you were my wife and I didn't correct her." And that was amazing because no one had ever committed to me like that before. I had a boyfriend for two years who wouldn't tell me he loved me. And that drove me crazy. So, when he said that I was like 'wow, this is the kind of guy I'm looking for'.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit about your next film, Transporter 2?

Amber Valletta: Yeah, Transporter 2 is an action film, obviously similar to the first one. And my son gets taken away and there's this whole back story which I won't give away. Jason Statham have this tension between us on a romantic level and obviously he's the hero and I'm the dramatic crying housewife. And that's a fun story.

Q. And Man About Town?

Amber Valletta: That I did with Ben Affleck and Rebecca Romijn and John Cleese. That's a satire and a really fun comedy for me. And now I'm back on the pavement looking for a job.