Candle's Out: New Daphne Rubin-Vega interview

"JC) Were you disappointed you couldn't be part of it?
DRV) I had moved on from the film five years ago when Spike Lee was interested in directing it and the deal fell through. After that, I figured, OK, Mimi is 19, move on. But, when I heard that the rest of the posse were going to be in it, well frankly, I gagged."

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I wonder what this means in terms of her relationship with the rest of the cast. The opening of the article is pretty anti-movie.

I interpreted that quote as, "I gagged because the other OBC members weren't deemed too old for their roles, but I was," not hostility toward the cast members themselves. Two different ways of looking at one quote, I guess.

Frankly, I think she sounds very immature in the entire article. I understand why she's angry, but it wouldn't hurt for her to conduct herself with a bit more decorum to the press.

ETA: Exactly, Em. You're too fast!

Updated On: 4/9/06 at 12:59 AM

It seems like it "all went down" in a very shady manner, like Columbus heard she was pregnant and was like "great! Now I don't have to say that we want someone a little more famous and younger to her".

But I didn't read much bitterness in it even though I can understand how you would be upset when you get excluded from something that everyone else gets to be a part of. But in the long run I'm glad she wasn't in the movie.

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That's an interesting take on it... I thought she meant that they were all somehow betraying the principal of OBC RENT-ness by doing it without her.

It wasn't her best interview, but the blip in the beginning did start off VERY negatively. Part of it could be the way the reporter presented it.

The thing that puzzles me here, though, is that she seems to be aware of the age factor, and that she does not look 19, yet she's still bitter on the pregnancy account, since it seems as though she puts that off as "just an excuse." I mean, I understand that it's a harder blow being that the other OBC members did it, but they, frankly, look much younger than she does. She's got to know that.

ETA -- nia, that COULD be true, since there are interviews with several cast members where they're asked if they'd ever go back to Rent, and they say they'd only do it with the full OBC there with them. Of course, that may have only applied to the show, and not the prospect of doing it on film...

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Updated On: 4/9/06 at 01:07 AM

Frankly, if she's truly bitter that the other OBC members did the movie without her, she's extremely immature. Did she really expect all of them to pass up the opportunity because Queen Daphne wasn't going to be there? Had the movie been a smash hit, it could have been awesome for all of their careers. I can't imagine she'd truly expect them to say no to the Rent film just because of her.

Updated On: 4/9/06 at 01:12 AM

Siamese, your thought process is very rational, but I don't think even the best of logic can erase emotion. From what I understand, the OBC Rent experience was quite special to all of them in some form or another and I have read in various interviews that they all would not do it again unless it was as a group. Daphne may still feel a bit left out, even if she understands why.

I think, also the fact that Rosario got the role made her even more bitter. Daphne probably saw them on TV, and in magazines, and had to hear everyone gush over how wonderful Rosario was, and hear Rosario talking about HER character, that she created. I think that was an additional factor in her bitterness, that it wasn't even someone from Rent who got the whole, but a "movie star". I also think that she just feels hurt and left out.

It's hard for me to interpret this article - so much could have been conveyed by her tone of voice. I wonder if the writer did slant it toward sounding more controversial. I've also seen claims that Daphne is actually seven or eight years older than most of the rest, closer to Fredi's age. I have no idea if this is true or not, but it seems like a possibility. (These came from a couple of people on an old message board claiming to have gone to high school with her.)

It's a sticky situation; there's no doubt about that.... Though I think she could have spoken more carefully about the issue, I don't think all of her feelings are without cause.

At this point, maybe keeping her mouth shut doesn't matter anymore; there's nothing really to protect except her reputation -- back then, it would matter more if it came to light that was THAT pissed off about it -- but if she's okay with being that blunt, then good for her.

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If I were her, I'd be more frustrated if it were another Broadway actress. At least since it's Rosario, there's the whole, "Well, they had to have some star power" issue.