New York City is appealing to the super-famous for many reasons, but being able to blend in with the crowd (combined with the seeming nonchalance of locals) is right up near the top. Katie Holmes certainly falls into that category of local celebs.
The actress, 37, well known for fiercely-guarded privacy, nonetheless can often be seen out and about, riding the subway or shopping at Whole Foods. We caught up with Holmes recently, at Greenwich Village cafe OatMeals, where she was promoting Oatober, an initiative by Quaker Oats. Holmes opened up about her upcoming return to the small screen as Jackie Kennedy in “The Kennedys — After Camelot,” a follow-up to the 2011 miniseries about the famous family. She’ll return to the silver screen, too, in “All We Had.” Here are some highlights from our chat.
What Holmes learned about Jackie Kennedy by playing her:
“What I learned and love about Jackie was she really changed the way that first ladies were perceived and how our country was perceived when JFK was in office. She really took hold of that power, and really changed a lot of things. She also did so much for New York City. I think that influence has definitely influenced all of us, from that time period on. I’m a huge Hillary [Clinton] fan, and she’s obviously had such tremendous influence in all of her years in public office. I’m so excited to see what happens soon.”
She’s passionate about telling women’s stories:
“It’s such a big year [for women]. Hopefully we’ll have our first female president. I think that women who support women … it’s so important. Stories about women, I think you can never get enough of them.”
On directing ‘All We Had’:
“It was really, really exciting. We worked very hard on the movie. I directed it and starred in it. It was more work than I’m used to, obviously. I learned so much, and I had a great time. I really am so passionate about this story. It’s a mother-daughter story. I watched a lot of [John] Cassavetes movies. I was really inspired by movies of the ’70s. Also, ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.’ My goal was to put something up there that hopefully is unique.”
“All We Had” is set to hit movie theaters on Dec. 9.
If Holmes had a NYC monument named after her, she’d like it to be:
“I love the fountain in Washington Square Park. I like jumping in it. I did [while filming a movie] and it was summer, it was so hot … you can spend the day in there.
Speaking of fond filming memories, she loves Melbourne, Australia:
“I was [in Melbourne] in 2009 for about three months, filming [“Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark”]. I loved it. I spent a lot of time with the penguins. They were so sweet. My daughter [Suri Cruise, now 10] was so little. She just loved them; it was so cute. … Also, [Melbourne has] the best bakeries — the best jelly doughnuts.
Why she likes taking the subway:
“I like having my daughter take it. I like her being a part of everyday life and seeing all different walks of life. Not being in a car that’s shut off from everyday life. I always find it to be an adventure.”
How the incoming cold weather in NYC affects her beauty routine:
“In the winter time, I do more facials. I do more lotions. I try to drink a lot of water in the winter. I never feel like it, but you get very, very dehydrated. I try to eat really healthy, too.”
Holmes also revealed she has a movie script in the pipeline:
Talking about upcoming projects, Holmes revealed she’s turning one of Kathleen Tessaro’s novels into a movie. “I just optioned a book called ‘Rare Objects’ and I’m writing a script for that.”
