In our May issue, we get the gay goods on the formerly Charmed actress. Here we present some outtakes with McGowan, who stars in the new Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez film, Grindhouse, playing two characters, including an amputee with a machine gun where her leg once was.
On meeting Aaron Spelling
So I went to meet him in his office, which is half the size of a stadium and had this white shag rug. I was wearing pretty high heels, which I could no longer see. The rug was up to my ankles. He's behind the desk with this cute smile. And there's a butler in a tuxedo with a silver tray with a drink that looked like blue Gatorade. So I hung out and talked with him. And later, there was a call to my agent saying, 'We can't believe it. Rose was so comfortableshe wasn't scared of him at all.' Why on earth would I be terrified? They said, 'He really liked her, but he'd never met someone like that. She was talking and laughing. Normally people just sit and shake.' I was like, 'Maybe if I met Ira Glass.'
On stand-offish lesbians
At a lot of gay clubs the lesbians never talk to me. My sister says it's because I don't have a gay vibe. I'm like, What does that mean? I go around with a dick on my head?
On losing her words
I lose my words all the time lately. The other day I was in the ocean and my life jacket was going up around my head and I was telling everyone my fire extinguisher wasn't working. I didn't even notice I was saying anything wrong. And the other day someone was commenting on my lips and I said, 'I can suck the chrome off a hubcap,' which sounded pretty normal to me. And then everyone explained to me that it was, in fact, the tailpipe. I think the hubcap is more interesting. Pretty much any saying I massacre. I did 'Five birds in the hand and five in the bush.' What the hell does that mean? Oh, and 'Don't spit a gift horse in the mouth.' That was two days ago. I swear on my life. I thought, Why WOULD you spit a gift horse in the mouth? And why do you need five birds?
On her gay dog, Fester
Fester always has preferred tall, blond men. I noticed that from the start. He's a humping maniac. He got fixed at four months because I was afraid he'd do the squirt thing on my furniture. So he'll hump anything, but usually, taller, thinner men. If you have blond hair, he's wrapping himself around your head.
On the lesbian vibe in Grindhouse
In the Robert Rodriguez half with Marley Shelton's character, I have my motorcycle and she gets on and says, 'What's your name?' And I say, 'Cherry.' And she says, 'Yes, you are.' There are definitely lesbian undertones. And earlier in the film she has a relationship with Fergie. There's definitely lesbianic action going on.
On watching herself in movies
I hate hearing my voice, because it sounds just like my sisters'. So I see my mouth flapping and hear Daisy's or Ava's voice coming out. It's creepy. I think it's abnormal watching yourself. People hate hearing themselves on answering machines let alone seeing it come to life, which is horrifying.
On getting into locked housesthanks to Scream (in which her character dies trying to escape a garage through the doggie door)
I can go through dog doors. I can fit. That's how I go into houses when I'm locked out ever since Scream. They actually had to nail me to the outside while filming Scream because I could easily fit through. That's what I learned from that film, and it's done very well for me.
