(Photo : IANS/Drew Barrymore/insta)
Los Angeles, March 6 (IANS) Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore has shared details of her call with John F. Kennedy Jr. and how it led to her memorable Marilyn Monroe inspired photo shoot.
During the Thursday, March 5 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress and host spoke with both Valerie Bertinelli and co-host Ross Mathews about her controversial 1996 cover of JFK Jr.'s magazine, in which she dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, reports ‘People’ magazine.
The Drew's News desk crew showed a photo of the iconic George cover as Barrymore, 51, detailed how it all came together.
"I'll never forget. I was in my home, I was in bed. I get on the phone and I'm like, 'Hi'. I mean, we were at the pinnacle of this couple being, I guess, as big as Taylor (Swift) and Travis (Kelce)”, Drew Barrymore said of Kennedy and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. "I don't know how they lived their life. Their existence was not peaceful. It was paparazzi every single second, everywhere that they went. They couldn't walk out their own door without it being a red-carpet fashion runway. And they were Camelot. They were this sort-of royal couple”.
As for the moment she touched base with the magazine founder, Barrymore said she didn't know where the "personal aspect" of their phone call "would come in”.
“He said, 'I want to do something that's gonna be controversial because I'd like you to pose as Marilyn Monroe. And, of course, I know the famous 'Happy birthday, Mr. President' very well, we all do”, she said of Marilyn Monroe’s 1962 performance for JFK Jr.'s father, John F. Kennedy. I said, 'Oh, okay... I'd really love some direction from you on what the tone is,'" Barrymore said, sharing that she asked JFK Jr. if the moment was getting his "seal of approval", sly acknowledgement or if he was "making fun of it”.
As per ‘People’, eventually, she asked JFK Jr. how she could "best represent this moment for you”.
"He just said, 'I want it to be straightforward. I don't want it to be bafoonery. I don't want it to be over congratulatory. I want it to be this sort of sensual, straightforward, confident moment’”, she recalled.
“And then we went and did the shoot and I heard they were really happy with the pictures and that was great. And then I saw the magazine and I was like, 'Oh my God, this is so crazy’”, she added.