Julie Brown is an out of this solar system caliber hysterical pop culture icon. True story. She skyrocketed to fame in the 80s with her super hit album "Goddess in Progress"...and landed her own MTV show (Just Say Julie) and a movie deal (cult favorite Earth Girls are Easy). Très prolific. The inventive and quirky comedian/actress/writer went on to create and star in an award-winning Madonna parody, Medusa: Dare to be Truthful. She also worked her genius magic by writing the Jonas Brother movie aka Camp Rock and...o-m-g awesome alert, her delightfully clever style has made her a guest commentator on E! Network specials. Next up: Brown is releasing a most brilliant new album, Smell the Glamour, on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - mark your Blackberry. It features the hilarious singles "Big Clown Pants" a play on Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" and "Another Drunk Chick," a spoof on Ke$ha's"Tik Tok"....cruise on over to iTunes to pick 'em up. Brown took a quick time out to talk Ke$ha, being the mom of a teen and going into the woods of Canada with the Jonas Brothers.
MM: Most people hear Ke$ha and change the station. You were inspired to write a song...
Julie Brown: I heard Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and it sounded like "what?" It's really catchy...then I listened to what she was actually singing about and said "oh my God, she's talking about getting drunk." Lady Gaga has a similar stream of consciousness in her song "Just Dance." It seemed funny that these songs were so popular. In my "Another Drunk Chick" video, I play a woman who gets completely drunk. I wake up on the floor and my friend is passed out by the pool with empty bottles floating by. It's an anthem for drunk girls.
MM: Must-ask question - any plans to remake Katy Perry's "California Gurls"? Please.
JB: I've been thinking about what can I do with that. For Lady Gaga, she's so passionate and extreme about everything. So I make fun of that by being obsessed and attracted to a clown. For "California Gurls", I just have to find a take on it.
MM: What do you consider your big break?
JB: When I put out the "Goddess in Progress" record in '84. Radio stations started playing it and I got a movie deal out of it. I also got an MTV show and that was a really big deal.
MM: You're crazy prolific. What draws you to a project?
JB: When I can't stop thinking about it...I'll get a lot of energy and lots of idea. Like with the Medusa satire about Madonna, I found that I had a lot of energy. But, I really admire Hilary Clinton, but I don't have a point of view or energy to do an entire thing about her.
MM: How would you describe your style?
JB: I think it's pretty outrageous. I try to make a point about something. I hate being mean. I watch those roasts on Comedy Central and they make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I forced myself to watch the David Hasselhoff roast and I couldn't stand how mean it was. I don't think that's what I do. If I'm playing someone, I don't call them "stupid", instead I do funny things with them.
MM: Did growing up in Van Nuys prep you for Hollywood?
JB: I'm 3rd or 4th generation showbiz. My father worked at NBC and my parents actually met there. So, I always had that entertainment influence. But my parents didn't want me to be a child actor. They'd say, "if you're a child actor you'll turn into a drug addict." Going to Catholic school was what fueled me into comedy. The nuns were so brutal so I used to try to make my friends laugh. When I was in 7th grade, a nun slapped me across the face as hard as she could because I was whispering to a friend. I went home that day and told my parents that the nuns were insane. One year later, the nun that slapped me went into an insane asylum. It was a combination of those things that got me into entertainment.
MM: You wrote the Jonas Brother movie "Camp Rock." Awesome. How does one go about writing a Jonas Brother movie?
JB: It didn't start that way...but luckily and happily ever after they did the movie. My brother is a writer too and we were approached by Alan Sacks, a producer. All he said was "can you come up with a movie about rock camps?" I started researching and found out that rock camps are expensive. But I thought "who would like a rich girl character?" So, I came up with a poor girl who has to work in the kitchen to pay for rock camp. We had written a few drafts of the script when a producer told us the Jonas Brothers were going to do it. Then, we had to change the name of the script because girls were trying to track the Jonas Brothers down in the woods of Canada. Going into the woods of Canada with a bunch of teens isn't as fun as it seems.
MM: Any special Jonas Brother run-ins?
JB: Nick Jonas taught me my computer! I got a new Mac and the only place that had Internet was the hotel lobby. I was in there trying to get it to work and Nick sat down and showed me how to work everything. The Jonas Brothers are as nice as they appear.
MM: What projects do you have next up?
JB: I'm a consultant on "Melissa and Joey" with Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence. They're really nice and I'm not just saying that. It's a really fun job...we re-read the script and do the show on the floor. If jokes don't work, we re-write them. And I'm getting financing for a movie - I realize that sounds boring. And I'm the mom of a teenager...which means I'm always in the car driving...my son is getting me a GPS for my birthday.
MM: What advice do you have for aspiring comedians/actors/songwriters/Jonas Brother movie screenwriters?
JB: You have to do anything you can think of that gets you excited. Be relentless and then you'll break through. I've known lots of people that are talented and nothing happens. It's not about talent, it's relentless drive.
Comments
Funny that most peeps on tha net remember her as the voice of Minerva Mink:)
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