‘Clerks’ to comics, it’s all looking Rosie
One day when Rosario Dawson was 15 and sitting on the porch of her New York apartment building, she was discovered by filmmaker Larry Clark and cast in the controversial “Kids.”
Now, at 27, she ranks among Hollywood’s A-list, starring in films such as “Men in Black II,” “25th Hour,” “Sin City” and “Rent.”
These days, Dawson is not only celebrating the release of her new film, “Clerks II,” but also her new comic book, “The Occult Crimes Taskforce,” about supernatural goings-on in New York City.
Q: What’s your advice for people like Dante (in “Clerks II”) who are stuck in a rut?
A: You have to learn to be true to yourself. I came into this business not knowing any idea of success, so I didn’t make any decision based on that brass ring idea. … I try to be busy for the right reasons with things I’m proud of, and work with people I care about. To me, that’s way better than being on someone’s “best something” list, because the next week you’ll be replaced by someone else.
Q: Years from now, what signature Kevin Smith quirks will you remember the most?
A: Chain-smoking in his little room. He literally edited the movie from the Days Inn across the street from where we filmed. I remember going in there to watch the cuts and being gassed out because of the smoke. … Kevin is such a good guy.
Q: In the film, you play the manager of a fast food joint. Do you ever eat at places like that?
A: To me, fast food is like Chinese or Mexican food. I’m not a “stop and get a burger” kind of person. I’ll get a taco or a bagel and cream cheese. In New York I can get away with a lot more stuff. Out here in L.A., I don’t trust anything. I have to try hard to have a real meal. There’s no places where you can just pull over, or run in and grab something.
Q: Congrats on launching your own comic book this month.
A: Thank you. Comics have always been a part of my life. My Uncle Gus is a comic book artist … Anytime I wanted to read (his collection), I had to sit down and he would flip the pages for me. … They were sacred text, and I wasn’t worthy. It gave me an awe for the art. Plus my brother, and my boyfriend, Jason (Lewis, “Sex and the City”), are really big comic book fans. Now I’m in this position that I can be a co-creator of a comic, I can work on the story, the direction, the look and the characters. … It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done in my life.
The birthday bunch
Actor Woody Harrelson is 45. Actor Eriq Lasalle (“ER”) is 44. Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman is 39. Actor-comedian Marlon Wayans is 34. Singer Michelle Williams (Destiny’s Child) is 26. Actor Daniel Radcliffe (“Harry Potter”) is 17.