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Saving animals is for 'The Birds' star
By Tamar
Alexia Fleishman • Bankrate.com
 Tippi
Hedren got her start in films as the star of Hitchcock's 1963 classic
"The Birds" and since has appeared in more than two dozen films
and three dozen TV shows. She's worked with such greats as Chaplin,
Sean Connery, Brando and Angela Lansbury. Hedren has never been
afraid to roll up her sleeves and play someone other than the cheesecake
-- she's familiar with comedy and camp, including roles on soap
operas, "The Bionic Woman," as a cartoon character voice on Freakazoid,
and hosting "Evening at the Improv."
Her newest passions involve an intense involvement
in the animal rights movement and being a spokeswoman for osteoporosis
treatment. She is head of the Roar Foundation's Shambala Preserve
near Acton, Calif. As to osteoporosis, Hedren is working with the
Orthopaedic
Hospital in Los Angeles to call attention to its painless, inexpensive
and quick tests for the bone disorder.
By the way -- for those who don't know it, Tippi is
Melanie Griffith's mother.
Bankrate: Are you involved
in any new projects?
Hedren: I'm doing a new
series, an anthology for kids -- very scary! It's the Goosebumps
series. I play a witch, great fun. The way they have me dressed
and made up, I was so excited! I wear a black curly wig and black
eyelashes. It's being done by Warner's, I think. It should air in
the fall.
Bankrate: You seem to
have a greater involvement in your favorite causes than other celebrities.
You must have so many places to be, things to do. What is your secret
to time management?
Hedren: I have someone
who is adept at it, Jennifer Loomis. She's brilliant at managing
schedules. We discuss what is most important. It's really one of
the biggest problems; I like to spend time with my family. Now here's
something. I was asked about cloning, and I was very, very negative.
It's Frankenstinian. But I have entertained the thought of cloning
me! There would be five of me: one to tend the wild animals, one
for acting, one for traveling, one for fun, one for sleeping!
Bankrate: Regarding your
involvement in many animal charities, how can citizens prevent cruelty-to-animals
crimes?
Hedren: It has to be
noticed very early in their lives, if they treat animals poorly.
We have to teach that animals have just as much right to be on the
planet as we do. It takes the parents, teachers and the community.
I have stopped it on the streets, children being mean to animals.
The parents may tell me it's not my business, but I politely ignore
them.
Bankrate: You are very
involved in the area of osteoporosis. How did you choose that cause?
Hedren: I really became
involved when they called me to have a bone scan. My doctors never
told me to, and I wondered. It's painless and you know if you have
it immediately. The only way you know about it is if you have a
bone scan or break a bone. It's not like arthritis. Eighty percent
of people affected by this disease are women.
Bankrate: Do you think
that the fact that it's a "women's disease" has affected the funding?
Hedren: No, it's the
fact that the bone scan is so much less dangerous than it used to
be, the radiation is minimal. The other thing is to take calcium.
I've been hit by lions and tigers. I slipped in a marble spa last
year, landed on my knee! It wasn't broken. The doctors said I had
the bones of a 28- or a 30-year-old! You can make your chances worse
by no exercise and four or five cups of coffee a day. I do lift
weights and exercise everyday. I do a lot of walking, power walking.
And, of course, quit smoking!
Bankrate: I have seen
your daughter smoking when she was filming a movie here.
Hedren: I know! I can't
believe it. Kids! With some people ...
Bankrate: What kind of
reception do you get from Hollywood regarding your charitable activities?
Hedren: Good. I like
being a do-gooder. I have passion for what I do. If you have a passion
and feel strongly, do it. That goes for anything.
Bankrate: Do you incur
any unusual expenses as an actress?
Hedren: Keep yourself
healthy because that's an expense of time. As an actress, you very
rarely use your own wardrobe. You have to keep up with acting, coaching.
There are public relations people, that's expensive. There are managers,
that's expensive. Some of the power actors -- the staff they have
carry exorbitant taxes and salaries. I don't know how they make
any money at all!
Bankrate: There is a
trend for actors who wish to be considered "serious," but increase
their income, to only accept commercial endorsements in places like
Japan. Opinions?
Hedren: I think it's
fine. As an actor, you are ALWAYS looking for a job. They aren't
paying you for the next 20 years. In the U.S., if they've seen too
much of them, then it sets a different tone to their career. I'd
take it! Of course, my daughter does commercials, but here in the
U.S., Revlon. At any rate, there are a lot of managers and agents
making those decisions, so many variables.
Bankrate: Did you ever
have or request special perks on a set?
Hedren: Oh, no. I do
like to have a rather nice trailer, for a lot of reasons. I work
in between takes, do interviews. I don't have any picky things.
I just require that it be comfortable and clean. Every actor should
produce a movie -- then they would realize how hard it is to make
all these demands. I have produced, and what a pain in the neck
it can be!
Bankrate: Did you ever
have any rigorous or torturous treatment from the so-called "studio
system"?
Hedren: No, in fact,
they had to feed me a little bit more, I was so thin. They gave
me ginger ale, ice cream and a banana all mixed up in a blender.
Hitchcock gave me my start, he found me in a commercial.
Bankrate: Do you have
any favorite investments?
Hedren: I'm kind of broke,
but I'm not lacking in anything. The preserve is my investment ...
it takes the national debt to keep it going. I did produce a film,
but I put all my money back into the film. That's what you do.
Bankrate: Did you ever
have any jobs before being an actress?
Hedren: Oh, sure! I worked
in a bank, filing. I worked in a gift shop. I was modeling since
the age of 13. I stepped off a streetcar, and a lady handed me her
business card.
Bankrate: Were you a
strict or indulgent mom?
Hedren: I think I was
indulgent. My daughter picked up on it -- she's a good shopper!
She has the money. It helps! She was showing signs of independence
at 9 months.
Bankrate: What's a splurge
to you?
Hedren: A little bit
of time to live. I love going to antique shops, interesting places.
I love travel, seeing different unique things. And I'm a great collector!
There's no room on my walls! I have Lladro and tons of family pictures.
Every day, I watch "The Bold and the Beautiful." I was on it for
several months. The ridiculousness of it! I tape it.
Bankrate: What do you
consider a waste of money?
Hedren: Spending a lot
on clothes, it's a terrible waste. That I don't understand. There
are so many situations that can be helped with money. So many wear
horribly expensive outfits once.
Bankrate: Do you have
any advice for young people starting out?
Hedren: Well, for actors,
have another vocation, some financial stability. Learn finance;
I wish I had. Learn from your mistakes, which is difficult. Eat
well, don't smoke. Choose friends wisely. Learn your craft, no matter
what you do.
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