BONNIE HUNT ('Kate'):
Some people believe this movie is a good advertisement for birth control.
I don't know. How much fun would it be to have a house full of kids? There were seven kids in our family.
What were the challenges?
For me, this movie, it was a big deal. There were 12 kids and most of the families in our neighborhood had 10 or 12. We were a small family comparatively. That was typical of a blue-collar neighborhood in the mid-west to have all those kids in the '60s and '70s. Like my mom said, after the third one it really made no difference. You all took care of each other.
What was the biggest challenge of having seven kids in the house? Did you fight for the bathroom?
That was always a problem. There were four girls so when it came to the time where you were starting to wear a little make-up and everything... Mostly the challenge is not for the children, it is for the folks. Obviously there is a financial challenge. My father always struggled to make ends meet. But there is something great about that experience. My first goal was just to have my own room.
In any large family, there is the loud one, the creative one, the athletic one, etc. Which were you?
I was the quiet one. I was number six, which was my name for the first few years. I was kind of an audience. My older brothers and sisters were funny and outgoing. I was lucky enough to come out to Hollywood and cash in on all their personalities.
Where did you find your wit?
It is kind of the way my family speaks. There is just, I suppose, humor in daily life. It is how you think. I remember when I was a child, just how wonderful it was to see my dad watching “Andy Griffith.” I remember looking at him when I was only 8 or 9 years old and thinking I was so happy to see him be able to be so happy. Even as a young kid, you know when your parents are struggling financially and how hard they are working. What an impressive thing to spend the better part of your life getting up in the morning knowing that you need to provide. That's what my Dad did. But in those moments of great story-telling, like the “Andy Griffith Show,” he had complete escapism. That's what I strive for on our weekly show.
What went through your head when Tom Welling grabbed you and planted that kiss?
That had been going through my head for a few weeks before then (laughing) That was so exciting. I can't even tell you! For like three weeks after that I was still thinking about it because I couldn't even believe that guy would want to kiss me. He is so cute and he is a very nice man. And a bobcat in the sack, I might add... (laughing)
He said that was kind of his way of catching you off guard.
Well, I did improvise a lot. Not a lot of it is in the film, but I did improvise a lot. I guess it was Tom's way of shutting me up.
Working with Steve Martin must have been a dream come true. You seem very compatible.
We are. I think we really like each other and there is a lot of mutual respect. But we have completely different styles. Steve comes in and he has his scene planned and he sticks to every word of the script. And for me, I come to work knowing exactly what my character's point of view is from the heart. I always feel like I have this responsibility to make sure that I have the dimension and the truth so that every woman in the audience can feel some sense of truth and accessibility.
Who do you find funny?
You know who I find really funny are the drivers that you get. They tell you some great stories. I had a driver the other day in Chicago. He says, "You gotta tell me. Do you know who thought of making Eddie Murphy that jackass in that cartoon? ‘Cause that was great casting. That is brilliant casting. I am still laughing about it today, Bonnie. Whoever that is, you gotta work with them." I find so much laughter in the truth of a character. I just love that stuff. And my parents are like that, too.
Is there some great satisfaction that you have finally hit it with the show?
I don't know about that. We are still hanging in there. It is just the second season. It is just the experience of the day. All you can do is try to retain your creative integrity and get through the day. I have been cancelled so many times that I really just live for each episode at a time. I feel so lucky to have that 20 minutes each week that I can get that out there in the universe.
Additional “Cheaper by the Dozen” Cast Interviews:
Tom Welling and Steve Martin
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