Dearest Abby

Here you are, a celebrated independent actress, playing Abigail Adams, a president8217;s wife, in the new TV series, John Adams.

8226;Here you are, a celebrated independent actress, playing Abigail Adams, a president8217;s wife, in the new TV series, John Adams. What do you think of Abigail?

I really admire her. She is the founding father of first ladies.

8226;What do you mean? What was wrong with Martha Washington?

Martha was a little boring. It8217;s true that Abigail was an intellectual who wrote thousands of letters to her husband, John, the country8217;s second president and her partner in a progressive marriage. She was a much better writer than her husband was. She was very envious of men and the education that they were provided.

8226;Can you recite a line or two from one of her letters?

8220;Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands.8221;

8226;There8217;s no nudity in the show, even though it8217;s on HBO.

Oh, it8217;s in there.

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8226;Really? Are you saying a founding father is shown having sex?

There certainly is sexuality within the piece. They had children, they were married for a long time, and it was a very happy marriage.

8226;You were nominated recently for your third Academy Award for your role in The Savages.

People come up to me and say, 8220;Oh, I8217;m so sorry you lost.8221; What did I lose? I didn8217;t lose a thing.

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8226;That8217;s sane of you. What do you think of Marion Cotillard, who just won best actress for her performance as Edith Piaf?

Of the five of us, that performance was on a whole other level. It just was.

8226;Compared with her and other European actresses, you look so all-American. Do you like your appearance?

Sometimes.

8226;You8217;re not flashy.

That8217;s probably accurate. I wasn8217;t the prettiest girl at school.

8226;You have a wholesome, scrubbed, nice-girl look.

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Oh, dear. A lot of people don8217;t like nice girls.

8226;How would you compare your indie films to your more commercial films?

There are as many bad independent films as there are bad commercial films. I8217;ve been in some very good commercial films. Mystic River is a good movie. The Truman Show is a good movie.

8226;How many films have you made?

I8217;ve made over 30 films. I8217;m 44. I work a lot. I love working. It doesn8217;t feel like work.

8226;I hear you have a boyfriend in Colorado.

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His name is Marc Schauer, and we met at the Telluride Film Festival. We8217;re getting married.

8226;Congratulations. May your marriage last as long as that of Abigail and John Adams.

From your mouth to God8217;s ear.