A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH PAZ VEGA


I cannot tell a lie. Paz Vega ain't got nothing to do with jazz. She doesn't play it. She doesn't produce it. It is not even certain that she listens to it. She is however the star of Sex and Lucia. Sex and Lucia (aka Lucia Y El Sexo) is a film that is in the underground as well known as Y tu mama tambien. The reason why I interviewed her is rather elementary, she is hot and nude throughout the majority of the film and I am not talking about Christina/Britney hey, here's a bellybutton, you do the math "nude." I am talking about birthday suit nude. Plus, I live in LA and get a kick out of sticking it to people in Hollywood, who are so far out of touch with reality that they might as well be living on Mars and we, normal folk, on Venus. Another cool thing is I don't speak Spanish. Apart from "Do you know where the bathroom is in the library," I don't know a single Spanish phrase. So I had to use a translator, which is neat since I can make fun of Ms. Vega (did I mention she is hot) and she wouldn't know it since she can't speak a word of English. The following is how the fun ensued, unedited and in her own words (translated of course).


FRED JUNG (translation courtesy of Anali Vega): Is Sex and Lucia about sex?

PAZ VEGA: No, it is not about just sex. The movie is about love and chance. The movie is more than just about casual sex.


FJ: How do you think American audiences will respond to the film? Sex is somewhat taboo here.

PAZ VEGA: I think American audiences have responded well, better than we thought in Spain. Sex is still taboo here. In some places it has been censored, but here and in Latin America, it has been received well.


FJ: Are you happy with the recognition your performance has received?

PAZ VEGA: It has been well. This movie is not just about Hollywood recognition. It is a European movie and even with the subject of the movie about sex, it has done well.


FJ: Did you have reservations about how much nudity your character displayed in the film? Considering Sharon Stone ain't got nothing on you.

PAZ VEGA: At first, when I read the script, I got frightened a little bit, but the director and I spoke at length and we agreed that I wouldn't do anything because I didn't want to. I was only going to do what was necessary, but I relaxed because they had a double.


FJ: Have you ever watched porn? I'm not suggesting you are a porn star, just that perhaps you have used it as a learning tool.

PAZ VEGA: Have I seen or have I done? No, I have not seen one. The movie is not a porno. You are confused as to what the movie is about. It is not porn. It is a story about love and I am an actress. I have never wanted to do a pornographic movie. It is a story about love and it has scenes with a couple in bed having sex, but I did not have to watch a porn to do the movie.


FJ: Were you comfortable with the striptease you perform in the film?

PAZ VEGA: At first, I was embarrassed. It is a story about love. It is a beautiful movie. Of course, it is about sex, but not everything in the movie is about sex.


FJ: Are Americans too uptight about sex?

PAZ VEGA: Yes, I do think so because sex is something natural. It is something that concerns everybody. It is something essential. It is a part of life's essential needs. It is not something to be afraid of, but people put limits on what they will do and what they will see. Maybe the movie goes beyond the limits of what people want to see, but it is not offensive or obscene. It is something beautiful.


FJ: Sex and Lucia, by your clarification is about love. What is love?

PAZ VEGA: When someone is in love, they are happy, they are healthy, and you can tell because they have a healthy glow. They are in a perfect state of mind. That is where I am in my life. Thank, God. It doesn't have to be that you are in love with someone. You can be in love with life, with your family, with friends, or just life in general.


FJ: What is your ideal man?

PAZ VEGA: Someone that constantly surprises me. Someone who can make me laugh. He has to be beautiful, not just outside, but inside as well. He has to be sensitive and sincerity.


FJ: Do you ever stop being an actress?

PAZ VEGA: I am only an actress when they say, "action" and I stop being an actress when they say, "cut." I am a normal person outside of acting. I am an actress only when I am working. Of course, I am always an actress because of my profession and my job, but in reality, my character is like any other normal woman.


FJ: Do you get Penelope Cruz comparisons?

PAZ VEGA: I have been asked if I am the second Penelope Cruz. We are two completely different people. I expect to work here in the United States and I feel that there is a void that needs to be filled.


FJ: What is your opinion on the war?

PAZ VEGA: My opinion is, my name is Paz, which means peace. My name says everything. War to me is the last resolution to any conflict. I feel I am against war. It is a loss. It is something negative. It gets nowhere. I think it is the last resolution to something.


FJ: Would you prefer unlimited wealth or eternal youth?

PAZ VEGA: Always being young. So if I had to chose between wealth and being young, I would chose being young.


FJ: Who is your favorite member of Menudo?

PAZ VEGA: No. What's Menudo? There wasn't that in Spain.


FJ: And the future?

PAZ VEGA: Carmen, a movie based on the Mexican soap opera, Merime.

Fred Jung is the Editor-In-Chief and is changing the face of his 20 dollar bill. Comments? Email Him