August 9, 2005

A COCO EXCLUSIVE!

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CANINE STARS OF MUST LOVE DOGS!

Several weeks ago, I attended a screening of Must Love Dogs, a romantic comedy starring John Cusack & Diane Lane (or is it the other way around?). While others at the screening were focused on the human actors in the movie, I, of course, was concentrating on its canine stars, particularly the role of Mother Teresa, a delightfully bright and sensitive Newfoundland associated with Diane Lane’s character. When much to my surprise I learned from the credits that Mother Teresa was played by two dogs, I knew I just had to interview them. So, for my wonderful fans, here’s an exclusive with Molly and Mabel (with assistance from the movie’s head animal trainer, Mark Harden of Boone’s Animals of Hollywood, Inc.)

Coco: How was each of you discovered? What did you do to try out for the part of Mother Teresa in Must Love Dogs?
Molly: We’re sisters, like the Olson twins, except we like to eat – a lot! We were just in the right place at the right time. Mark was looking for 4-month-old Newfoundland puppies, and he called our breeder. Next thing you know, we’re in Hollywood.

Coco: How did each of you did learn that you got the part? And, how did you feel about it?
Molly: We knew something was up when we got new collars; mine was black.
Mabel: Mine was red. They were different colors so Mark could tell us apart when we arrived.

Coco: How did you feel about sharing top billing with one another? How did the two of you get along on the set?
Molly: I was really the star. I did most of the work. Mabel mostly kept me company.
Mabel: True, true, true. Every word is true.
Molly: We got along great. We’re sisters. My only beef with Mabel was that she took forever to pee. Mark took us for walks at the studio many times a day so we wouldn’t have an accident on the set, and it took Mabel forever to go.
Mabel: Again, true. In my defense, however, it was a bit unnerving what with so many people around all the time. I like a little privacy.

Coco: What was it like starring with Diane Lane?
Molly: Who’s that?
Mabel: shrugs.

Coco: In playing Mother Teresa, what did each of you have to learn? What was the toughest thing each of you had to learn?
Molly: We had to learn everything. We were pups. We had to learn to sit and stay and speak and retrieve. We had to learn to hit our marks, look left and right on cue. We didn’t have to learn to swim, however, – we are Newfies after all and Newfies are born to swim.
Mabel: We also had to learn to “make” in public. That was very hard.

Coco: Toward the end of the movie, Mother Teresa jumps into the water. Which one of you was it? And why wasn’t it the other?
Molly: We both had to do it. It took seventeen minutes to get blown dry after a take, so I would do a take, and then Mark’s friends would take me to shore and dry me off for another go, then Mabel would do a take while I was drying. The take they used, of course, was me.
Mabel: Yeah, but it’s me they hauled into the boat ‘cuz my butt’s not as big as yours, and it was easier for John (Cusack) to pull me in.

Coco: Have either of you seen the movie? What do you think of it?
Molly: That’s a stupid question. They don’t let dogs into the theater, do they?

Coco: What lies in store for each of you down the dogwalk? More movies? Lying down in the sun collecting royalties?
Molly: The director wanted us as pets. He said the only reason he made the movie was because of the dog. In the book, of course, we were supposed to be St. Bernards, but Gary (Goldberg), changed it to Newfies. Mark tried to talk him into some other breed, like a Leonberger, that would be easier to photograph, but Gary wanted Newfies. He adopted us, and we joined his family. He has two other Newfies and a black lab. Now we live a life of luxury in Brentwood and Vermont. We’re in Vermont right now, enjoying a cool summer.

Coco: Lastly, what can you tell me about Mark Harden?
Molly: He’s the best looking, funniest, easy to get along with animal trainer in the movie business. He’s smart and clever, and did I mention good looking?
Mabel:He makes us pee in public.

Once again, I’d like to thank Mark Harden, head animal trainer for Must Love Dogs, and Boone’s Animals of Hollywood, Inc. And, I want to especially thank the sisters for granting me this Coco Exclusive! For more information on Mark and Boone’s Animals, please visit their web site at http://www.boonesanimals.com/.