Catherine Keener is a Hollywood star who thrives on being in original films. Her latest, the irreverent dark satire Death To Smoochy, fits the bill, ranking with Parker Posey as one of the queens of 1990s American independent cinema. A muse for director Tom DiCillo (Johnny Suede, Living in Oblivion, Box of Moonlight, The Real Blonde), she is married to the underrated Dermot Mulroney. Keener graduated from Wheaton College in 1983 and in 1986 she landed her first film role, a small part in About Last Night. She appeared in a string of independent films throughout the 1990s, in addition to all the aforementioned DiCillo titles; she had the lead, opposite Anne Heche, in the acclaimed Walking and Talking (1996), written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, a role which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2000, Keener received an Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Being John Malkovich. In Death To Smoochy, Keener is wickedly funny as an overly-cynical producer of children's television, whose cynicism is eventually watered down when she falls for the idealistic 'smoochy' himself, played by Edward Norton. Paul Fischer talked to the actress in Los Angeles.

Paul Fischer: Robin Williams said that you were beautiful. So what was it like working with him?

Catherine Keener: It was a real privilege and I mean that. I mean Edward and I would look at each other and go `can you believe we get this front row seat to this incredible mind that we've admired for so long?' He's a really great guy with everyone.

P.F: How does it work with rehearsing with someone like that?

C.K: Well you don't have to because Danny encourages freedom.

P.F: Was it a unique experience working on this film, being so dark?

C.K: It was. It was unique because of the length you went to in order to get a laugh. Is this too much.can we say that. I won't repeat some of the things I said because I would be uncomfortable (laugh). It was unique in being around this set - especially Robin and Danny and Edward - such great comic talent. The filming was also 5 months long so that was unique for me - movies I usually do are maybe 3 or 4 weeks because they don't have a lot of money.

P.F: Talk about the final sequence when the credits were about to roll, where you end up skating with Robin and Edward.

C.K: That was such a blast; It was so great. I never ice skated before so when Danny told me I had to get on skates, they got me a teacher and apparently it's hard to learn these things as an adult. But I wanted so badly to do it, that I learned enough to skate for the 20 yards I needed to and then be hoisted up into the air which was also incredibly funny.

P.F: Your character is this high powered executive where everything is planned out. In your real life, are you this planned out?

C.K: That's a good question. I'm pretty organized. I'm pretty controlling. I don't have big plans or designs. But I don't rely on a Palm Pilot or help or other technology - no! I'm barely good with emailing and a fax machine. I organize things in my head - I have a pretty good memory. So that helps me out a lot. I rely on my memory, making little notes and lists. I feel that I have a good memory so why not rely on it. I'm not so overly organized that if I forget something that my life goes into a tailspin.

P.F: Are you as ambitious as she is?

C.K: No, I'm not even close. In fact, I don't think I'm very ambitious at all. But I seem to play people who have that quality.

P.F: If you were to be a child show groupie - who would you want?

C.K: If Smoochy really were a child show host, it would be Smoochy. I think Edward is really cute. I loved Smoochy's whole method to folksy, charming, sincere, kind words that he was trying to spread. I just never fantasized about Mr. Rogers but I like his whole vibe. I think he's very nice and I like his speed with children.

P.F: What's next for you?

C.K: I shot a couple of other jobs last year. A movie called Lovely and Amazing, from director Nicole Holofcener, who did Walking and Talking. I saw it and I think it's a really beautiful film - she just has such a great voice, Nicole. It's poignant with out being indulgent and funny and irreverent and very true. I'm really happy to have been a part of that. Brenda Blethyn is in it and so is Emily Mortimer and so is my husband, Dermot Mulroney. just a bunch of great actors. And Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal.

P.F: Talk about Steven Soderbergh's direction.

C.K: That was a blast but I could not explain that movie to you. I read the script about 5 times out loud and I still had no idea what it meant. It'll be interesting how you guys make sense of that. I saw Steven at this bar-b-que last year and he said what are you doing in November and I said nothing. He asked if I wanted a job and I said yeah and that was that. He sent me the script and I called him and said I'm sure it's brilliant but I have no idea what it means (laughs). But you know in his hands, you'll be alright.

P.F: Was it a totally comfortable shoot?

C.K: Yes. Oh god, yeah. You didn't have anywhere to sit or be (laugh), but it was a blast.

P.F: What character do you play?

C.K: I play a tough woman, one who's a high powered executive - it's kind of a day-in-the-life of her and everyone else - it's definitely an ensemble piece. And it's everyone's paths crossing. She kind of spins out and has a meltdown.

P.F: Do you appreciate the casual work methods you had with Soderbergh?

C.K: Yeah, I do. I loved it, but Danny has very much the same sort of outlook. it was just multiplied with 5 months and a lot more money. But his energy in setting the mood for the set is very similar.

P.F: Smoochy is very dark - a big film for its budget but yet it still seems very independent. Do you think this is a film that will travel?

C.K: God, I don't know, what do you think? It'll be interesting to see what happens because I think the adults will like this movie and hopefully will laugh at it. But I don't know what they are going for in terms of the marketing. There's room for descending opinion on it - it might be too much for people or not enough, I don't know. I heard some people say it was mean-spirited but I didn't experience it that way. But, it's got a great cast and people like those stars. Robin has an amazing, very loyal and broad following, with Edward, you couldn't ask for a better reputation and this is Danny's strong suit, films of this nature. And all the supporting cast, in my opinion, was just fantastic so maybe it will strike a cord with people. I think people are always looking for a good comedy and maybe that's what they'll see in this.

P.F: You have a rather long Hollywood marriage.

C.K: I have - 11 years.

P.F: What are your secrets to keeping your marriage solid - Dermot's off working and you're busy.

C.K: Well, I think we appreciate the importance of work to both of us and also the importance of balancing it with our home life. We alternate working. For a long time, Dermot worked more and I would always go on location with him. For Smoochy, he was doing an Alexander Payne film called About Schmidt, but I think it will be changed, starring Jack Nicholson. It's going to be amazing. During that Dermot did all the work - I think he commuted maybe 10 times between flying to Omaha from Toronto. It takes effort when you're both working but we try not to work at the same time.

P.F: Have you worked together?

He was in Living in Oblivion but we really didn't work together and in Lovely and Amazing, our storylines don't cross as well.

P.F: Do you want to work together?

C.K: I would but it's got to be something worth doing as we don't have a great need to work together.

P.F: In the first part of this film, you get to be a bitch and tell some guys off. Was that liberating for you or uncomfortable?

C.K: It was just the story. We kind of functioned as a family - brothers and sisters really that's how the dynamics were on the set. So yeah, you feel like you're mouthing off to your brother. It's hilarious. It was fun. But not liberating because I don't have the desire to talk to people like that. My work environment has always been very safe and very warm so I have the freedom to speak directly to my friends and vice versa so we don't need to get to that point. I mean, this was the world she was in and it was so full of bullshit so that's what drove her in an extreme way - corruption and everything else. She didn't know how far it went because she was the person, believe it or not, was innocent in it. Smoochy just rekindled that. And she's a cusser (laugh) and when she found her idealism again through her involvement with Smoochy, I like that her personality didn't turn completely. She didn't become this soft female girl who doesn't swear anymore. She was sort of the same person.

P.F: Was she modelled after anyone?

C.K: Nobody said. I never asked Danny. I asked Adam if he had always intended to write something on children's television and he just thought it was funny. But I encounter really tough men and women who are just so harsh, you can't bend them. I've encountered some of them today, quite frankly. You do come across these kind of people in every profession - just unyielding.

P.F: Was there a kid's show when you were a kid that you were in love with?

C.K: No. We didn't watch a lot of television. I grew up in Miami and I realized that in talking about this yesterday, that we were outside a lot because it was so hot.

P.F: Who were your favorite actors growing up?

C.K: My dad would always bring me to the movies to see them at this revival house near our home. He would bring me to see old movies that he liked. So I just loved all the Spencer Tracey/Hepburn, My Man Godfrey, all the screwball comedies. There are actors now that blow my mind too.

P.F: What's the best script you ever read that you got to make?

C.K: The script that blew my mind the most, because I loved all of Tom DiCillo scripts and Nicole's - they ring so true but for different reasons this one made me laugh hysterically when I read it. And Being John Malkovich was the most arresting for me. It was like who is this guy who wrote it - who is Charlie Kaufman - that's all I wanted to know because I never had heard of him. I kept wondering where he was taking this movie and it just got weirder and weirder.

P.F: Would you do another Charlie Kaufman script?

C.K: In a heartbeat, oh yeah.

P.F: What about working with Malkovich?

P.F: What's your biggest fear?

C.K: Maybe just acquiescing, chickening out. I don't want to do that. In general, I have a tendency to be fearful and it's something that will drive you.

P.F: Where did you study acting?

C.K: I studied a bit in college - I was an English History major but I studied here with Roy London and a bunch of people when I realized I didn't have any idea how to act.

Death To Smoochy opens on Friday, March 29th.