Having featured in a number of films, including Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure in the role of Joan of Arc, founded punk rock/New Wave band The Go-Go's with Belinda Carlisle, and currently working on her own comic book series alongside writing a couple of musicals, Jane Wiedlin is indeed a woman of many talents. As I had attended the Bill and Ted Q&A the previous day, I intended to talk to her about her upcoming projects as well as her work supporting animal charities...
BJ: Hello. How's it going?
JW: It's going fine, how are you?
BJ: I'm well! Do you attend these kind of conventions often?
JW: I do fairly regularly, but this is my first one overseas, normally I just do them in the United States.
BJ: Ah right, and have you had a good reception here in the UK?
JW: Pretty good. I'm surprised how many people are fans of the movie Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
BJ: It's a classic! Quite a lot of people are really into it, for something that was initially shelved for several years.
JW: Yeah, when it first came over here it didn't do that well, but it's just gotten more and more popular. I guess because it gets shown on TV a lot.
BJ: It's especially popular around holiday periods. Did you do any preparation for the role of Joan of Arc?
JW: I actually practised a bunch of French, and they didn't have lines for me but they said to just come up with a bunch of French lines. A few years later, somehow my vocals disappeared and they got somebody who could speak French to do her lines. So when you hear Joan of Arc talking, it's not actually me. Probably my French was really atrocious.
BJ: And I read recently that you're quite the animal activist?
JW: Yes, I love the animals.
BJ: Have you done anything recently for companies like PETA?
JW: Not so much for PETA, but I live San Francisco and do a lot of work for two local charities called RocketDog and MuttVille, so I do a lot of fund-raising for them.
BJ: Have you always been a supporter of animal charities?
JW: I have been all my adult life, I think someone needs to be the voice for them. Over the years I've been involved with lots of different groups, and over the past decade or so I've been getting more involved with smaller and smaller groups because the really grass-roots groups are the ones that really get a lot done and get the most bang for their buck. With MuttVille and RocketDog, they grab dogs out of the animal shelters before they get put to sleep and they give them time to find the right homes for them. I just think animals are very special, in particular dogs.
BJ: I guess you're a dog-owner yourself then?
JW: I live in a six dog household. I'm practically crazy dog lady!
BJ: Haha, splendid! My mother's crazy cat lady, so you kind of have a kindred spirit there! And finally, have you got any work coming up, film-wise, music-wise or...
DS: Hello!
BJ: Or being interrupted by Dan Shor! Marvellous.
JW: Ha! Um, gosh, I've got quite a lot coming up. I did three films last year that are all coming out in the next few months, independent movies. One's called Casserole Club, one's called I Want To Get Married, and the other's called Doggie Boogie. And I just finished a tour with The Go-Go's, and I've been writing a comic book, called Lady Robotika, issue three is coming out soon. I'm working on a couple of musicals... Yeah, I'm busy!
BJ: Sounds like you've got a lot going on! Anyway, thank you for your time, it was a pleasure meeting you.
JW: Yeah, you too. See ya.
For all the latest from Wiedlin HQ, visit her website at www.janewiedlin.com.
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