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Jerry wants a 'kept' man
04/06/2005 21:15 - (SA)
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| Jerry Hall poses with friend Rachel Fuller. (Jim Cooper, AP)
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New York - Wanted: Single, twenty-something boy toy to change light bulbs and escort divorced model-actress down red carpets. Must be somewhat intelligent, well groomed and able to hang with rock royalty. Bond-era Sean Connery lookalikes preferred.
That's exactly what Jerry Hall, the leggy model-actress ex-wife of Mick Jagger, is looking for in her new VH1 reality show, Kept. And she won't settle for less.
Hall, 48, went from Texas cowgirl to covergirl back in the '70s. The long-haired blonde married longtime rock beau Jagger in 1990, then split with him in 1999 and earned a whopping settlement in the process. She's a mum of four with daddy Jagger and now frequently appears on stage in London's West End, where in 2000 she disrobed as Mrs Robinson in The Graduate.
In the 10 episodes of Kept, which premiered on Sunday in the United States (US), a dozen fumbling American beefcakes are slowly transformed into gentlemen through a series of makeovers and art appreciation lessons. After a series of velvet rope eliminations, the man Hall ultimately chooses to become her kept man wins a car, apartment and six-figure salary for one year. More important to Hall, though, he becomes her red carpet arm candy, a delightful twist on society standards.
On a recent rainy afternoon more typical of her London stomping grounds than New York, Hall and gal pal Rachel Fuller, girlfriend of The Who's Pete Townshend, prattled to The Associated Press in a desolate hotel bar. Every now and again, Hall's Texas drawl swirled into a boozy English cadence, an intoxicating blend.
What was your first impression of the Kept men?
Hall: Some of them looked so gorgeous. I thought, 'Mmmm. This is gonna be fun.' Some of them looked a bit flawed. I thought, 'Some of them are gonna have to go quick.' When it got down to the last three, they were so gorgeous and so fabulous. I really couldn't make my mind up. I had to take them to Paris for the weekend and have a close look.
Is having a kept man empowering?
Hall: It's totally empowering. The whole show is empowering. I'm divorced, financially independent. Why shouldn't I get to carry on like all the guys that have been carrying on forever? The worm has turned.
At what point did you begin to have that mind-set?
Hall: Since I got a divorce, I have been dating younger guys. But it's just because they're the ones that ask me out. I suppose they're confident. I think younger guys love the idea of a divorced woman who's going to teach them how to be a man.
Fuller: It's very Desperate Housewives.
What qualities does one look for in a kept man?
Hall: Someone who fits into my lifestyle, cool, funny, smart, good-looking, gets along well with my friends.
Fuller: Doesn't crack under pressure.
And looks?
Hall: Looks good, too. Yeah, I want it all. I don't have a specific type.
Fuller: Back hair and nipple rings are probably a no-no. Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Hall: I like the look of Sean Connery in James Bond. Now that is a gorgeous-looking guy!
How real was your reality show?
Hall: There was no script. It was just (producers asking), 'What do you think the guys should do? What do you want them to learn?' It was kind of a growing, work-in-progress, which was exciting. We did it for five weeks. I had like three days off in five weeks. It was quite tiring, but it was fun.
Did you grow attached to these guys?
Hall: I did. After five weeks ... the obviously flawed ones were gone. And they were just great guys, very impressive, very good at all the tasks I had them do. They had to be in a Vivienne Westwood fashion show, they had to write a poem about me, they had to paint a picture of each other nude and they were really good at these things. The last four or five were gorgeous. I couldn't make up my mind. I did ask if I could keep three and they said no. It was sad.
What do you think of other reality shows?
Hall: I've seen The Simple Life and I thought it was really funny and I laughed my head off. I think there's so many reality TV shows because they're not writing enough good scripts. People love them because they're real and they're funny.
Fuller: There's something engaging about reality TV even though you want to feel snobbish about them. You watch one, and it's like watching a game of football. You really get into it.
What did your kids think about this show?
Hall: At first, they were a bit worried, but they thought it was funny because I was torturing all these guys. The big kids are like, 'Yeah, you go, mom. We're proud of you. You're fabulous.' The little ones just wanted me to stay home and watch cartoons with them, you know.
Does a kept man have to baby-sit?
Hall: No, darling. I wouldn't take him around my children.
What are the difficulties of being an older woman in showbiz?
Hall: I don't know. I'm definitely not into whining. Everything's going my way. Life is just getting better. I'm just lucky, I guess. I'm very happy in my skin.
When have you been the most happy?
Hall: Shortly after my divorce, I got really happy.
Because of your gigantic divorce settlement?
Hall: Money helps. Also, not being married to a womaniser is a lot of fun.
But now aren't you a maniser?
Hall: No, I'm single. I'm independent. And I'm dating. I think if you're honest that you're dating, there's nothing wrong with that.
- AP
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