In Full Grier: An Afternoon With A Star

Pam Grier On Warren Beatty, Mowing the Lawn, and Life After 'Jackie Brown'

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The Divine One
It's 3:00 in the afternoon, and Pam Grier is sitting in hair and make-up. We're on the set of Showtime's hit series "Linc's" in Hollywood where she co-stars as the fiery and sexy Eleanor. A script lays open in her lap. Grier is taping the last of 22 episodes for the season.

In a word, 50-year-old Grier is stunning. Tall and curvy -- she is everything you would expect. And those beautiful eyes just about devour you.

The Great Escape
The room buzzes with actors and stylists. The woman formerly known as Foxy Brown raises her voice over the din to greet me adding, "Let's get out of here." Grier stands and takes my arm and says, "Come with me, baby."

We find a cozy corner in the hall beyond the hair and make-up room and settle in for a chat. There is an awkwardness to her -- a refreshing vulnerability that I hadn't anticipated. She's hesitant to talk about herself, so I ask her about the bikes.

Bicycles Built For 12
Last week, a dozen vintage enameled bicycles arrived at the "Linc's" set on the Paramount lot. Grier bought them as gifts for the show's executives, cast, and writers.

Grier tells me, "When I went into the shop to buy them -- I think they wondered who this crazy black woman was buying all these bikes." She laughs easily now. "I know that other (television) shows get cars. I thought 'Linc's' needed something nice, too," she says referring to the gifts networks have been known to give some sitcom cast members.

For the moment, I forget that she is the 70s sex symbol or the unforgettable "Jackie Brown." In this hall, there is just a woman named Pam talking about bikes she bought for some friends.

Her face is glowing. "We rode all around the set in a big circle!"

When I ask her why she bought bikes and not something else, she smiles. "I'm a big child at heart. I think it's important to stay that way and not lose the wonder of life." And clearly, Grier has not lost her wonder at life, nor we of the life she's led.

All In The Family
Grier's latest television gig is Showtime's original sitcom "Linc's."

"Linc's is like a family," she says. "It is a unique show that always has good messages about getting along with one another. We aren't the typical cast -- but a diverse one." While the cast is predominantly African-American, the backgrounds of the characters are disparate.

Set in a Washington D.C. bar called Linc's, named after the owner Russell A. Lincoln (Steven Williams), the show touts an impressive ensemble cast that includes Georg Stanford Brown, Golden Brooks, Joe Inscoe, Randy J. Goodwin, and Daphne Maxwell-Reid.

Grier's character, Eleanor Winthrop, has been described as "Eleanor Roosevelt without the orthopedic shoes." Grier says Eleanor is special because she is a very bright woman who happens to be extremely sexy -- a trait Grier says is hard pressed to find in many female television characters.

And under the watchful eye of actor ("Sister, Sister") and director Tim Reid, the show has become a bona-fide success for the Showtime network.

Rocky Mountain High
Grier talks at length about her home just south of Denver, Colorado. "I have six dogs, horses, and no traffic."

Like other stars, she finds that living away from Hollywood is the best way to stay focused. Though her career affords her a jet-set life, she prefers the serenity of a good horse ride or walk in the mountains.

Grier tells me, "My family is in Colorado, too, and they keep me grounded. Of course, they don't see me as a celebrity or as a star. My auntie will say, 'Your uncle's back hurts. Can you run a few lines across the yard with the lawn mower?' And so I mow the lawn. If I ever acted like a star -- well . . ." She laughs to let me know she would be in big trouble.

I don't ask her about the cancer and treatment she endured 10 years ago. She doesn't bring it up either. But, with a diagnosis of 18 months left to live, she took it on and won. The only trace of this experience may be her sense of spirituality and the importance of living life to the fullest.

As I visit with Grier, members of the "Linc's" crew drop by and say hello. One member of the crew drops a "Foxy Brown" publicity shot between us on the bench. "I found it in my travels," he calls out as he dashes away. I eye it jealously. "You can't have it," Grier says playfully.

Grier View Mirror
Grier has a few things she wants you to know. First, Pam Grier has never, and will never make a "comeback."

Picking up the "Foxy Brown" photo, I begin carefully, "Some people say you made a comeback with 'Jackie Brown'. Did you?" I am referring to the Quentin Tarantino blockbuster that earned her a Golden Globe nomination and rejuvenated her feature film career.

Her famous baby-brown eyes flash passionately.

"People are always talking about my 'comeback.' When they ask me about it I always say, 'Comeback? What in the hell are you talking about? Come back from where? Where did I go?'" She is sitting upright before me now.

"People put actors up on pedestals and when they don't see you in films anymore, they say you aren't working and try to take you down from that pedestal. But, it's not up to them to decide.

"I was offered roles, and it was my decision not to take those roles. Have I worked in movies for 20 years? No. Have I worked in television? No. But I have done what I wanted to do for 20 years."

What she wanted to do was act.

Stage Flight
Grier tells me that she was not satisfied with the type of film roles offered to her.

"They kept sending me the same kind of character and I wanted to try something different," she tells me.

Grier headed for the stage.

"The theater was a place where I could hone my craft. When you are given the chance to play Grace in August Wilson's 'The Piano Player' or May in Sam Shepard's 'Fool For Love' you do it." Her portrayal of May earned her an NAACP Image Award in 1986.

Grier On The WB (That's Warren Beatty)
Grier wants to talk about a variety of subjects and our conversation drifts to politics. I ask her about Warren Beatty's potential run for the White House.

"Warren Beatty will never run for president. He's a nice guy, but he has lived a very fast life." She puts the emphasis on the "very." But, Grier is quick to point out that she would never be elected either -- noting her early years running around half nude on screen.

So, who does she think would make a good president? The most trusted (and clothed) man in America: Walter Cronkite.

Grier Window
Griers' resume is impressive. Aside from a number of feature roles including starring gigs in "Mars Attacks!," "Escape from L.A.," and "Fort Apache, The Bronx," Grier has found a presence on television as well.

Aside from starring in "Linc's," she has appeared in guest roles on "Martin," "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," "In Living Color," and "The Cosby Show" among others.

Grier says that there is still much more to come, and she's not kidding.

Four major films are scheduled to hit theaters soon, including "Holy Smoke" co-starring Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel. Also in the can are "In Too Deep" opposite Stanley Tucci and "Snow Day" with Chevy Chase.

The Eyes Have It
People on the show's set are calling for her now. "I haven't even looked at this script!" she says holding it up. "If I get in trouble, I'm telling the producers it's your fault."

I look at my watch. Unbelievably, we've talked for 30 minutes.

Grier asks me if I will walk her to the set. I stand and she takes my arm in hers. We walk slowly, through an area where extras sit lounging between scenes. The room has gone quiet. Fifty pairs of eyes are on Grier. The woman is clearly here to stay.

I tell her my reputation is getting better with each step. She just squeezes my arm, pulls me in close, and smiles. Again, those flashing baby browns.

They light up the room.

You can catch "Pam Grier: An Intimate Portrait" on the Lifetime Channel Nov. 4.

Fan Sites:

• The Pam Grier Homepage, unofficial site.
• The Pam Grier Experince.
• Defekt Hall of Fame, in Swedish.

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