A JOURNALIST
GIVES AWAY THE STORY Gayl Murphy is sleeping with the enemy. I speak in metaphorical terms, of course. She is not actually sleeping with the enemy. In reality, she has committed a crime much worse. She is teaching the enemy. "Yes, it's true, I am sleeping with the enemy," she said with no shame. "I am also empowering the enemy. "But it's an act of compassion," she added. "They're so unprepared." Murphy, a veteran Hollywood radio reporter, has written a book called "Interview Tactics: How to Survive the Media Without Getting Clobbered." In it, Murphy tries to level the playing field in the bizarre and often comical game of celebrity interviewing. She offers advice on how to be a better interviewee, from how to dress to how to respond to tough questions. "Some of these people are like deer caught in the headlights," she said. "Even the celebrities who have been trained by their publicists have been ill-trained. They're taught to think defensively, like it's combat. I don't think it has to be a war." I disagree.
I think it is a war, which is why I don't like the idea that Murphy
is aiding and abetting the enemy. "The book is totally self- serving," she explained. "I'm on a karma crusade. I help you (celebrity) and you help me (by being a better interviewee)." Among the helpful hints in her book are: "Be as honest as you can with the person who's interviewing you." "No one-word answers, ever." "Think detail, think color, think story." "Be sure to make eye contact." "Be as specific as you can without being long-winded." "Do not be afraid, but if you are, it's OK to acknowledge it." "Talk to a reporter like you're talking to a real live person." That last one will be difficult because most celebrities think of us as subhuman. Murphy, who covered Hollywood for ABC News Radio for 17 years, said that her book is not exclusively for show business celebrities. She emphasized that it is a guide for anyone - business executives, politicians, Kato Kaelin – who suddenly finds him or herself in the public eye or simply is in need of media exposure to sell something. Personally, I am more interested in what she's teaching celebrities. I know of at least five who could use the book. In fact, I think I'll send a copy to each of them for Christmas. The first on my list is Harrison Ford. I have interviewed him on at least six occasions, and he has become an excellent interview subject. But he is widely known as the worst first interview in Hollywood, mumbling one-word answers and looking so pained that you can't wait to put him out of his misery. He's shy with new people. The second copy would go to Roseanne, who spent an entire 90-minute interview with me talking to someone else. She insisted that her personal assistant be present and then looked only at the assistant. I asked my questions into her right ear, and she gave her responses to her assistant. I was placed in the role of eavesdropper. She never made eye contact and probably thinks I'm still in the room. A third copy goes to Tommy Lee Jones, arguably the most annoying interview in Hollywood. He hates the media and likes to make interviewers squirm. He claims to have caught me making a grammatical mistake and mercilessly taunted me for the next 45 minutes. It was only after I nailed the Harvard-educated actor with his own grammatical mistake that the interview start to jell. The fourth copy would go to comic actor Martin Lawrence, who brought a 30-person entourage with him to the interview, which was held in a hotel room. He had chairs set up in three rows like an audience and placed the two chairs for us in front. It was not unlike being on a TV talk show, which I suppose made him feel more comfortable. It was more likely an attempt to intimidate me. And the final copy will go to Steven Seagal. I interviewed him in his trailer on the set of one of his movies. He was still married to the gorgeous Kelly LeBrock, and she was sitting next to him during the interview. He refused to take the interview seriously and made stupid jokes rather than answer my questions. Finally, his wife could not stand his lack of professionalism anymore. She stood up, called him a seven-letter word for "jerk" and stormed out of the trailer. I wanted to go with her. "Interview Tactics" is a self- published book. You can order a copy online at www.InterviewTactics.com. # # # 
GAYL
MURPHY PRODUCTIONS, INC. | GAYL MURPHY, HOLLYWOOD CORRESPONDENT
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