Indeed, during a post-interview photo session MacLaine has the Chanel act, complete with obstinate attitude, down pat. “Shoot at a downward angle,” she commands the photographer. “See, that’s better. Now get another girl with a hat, and they should be talking to each other,” she says, directing the extras in the background before striking a brooding profile pose. “It was always like this with Chanel. She never smiled in her life.”
It’s quite a performance. Yet it’s not the first time the character has been brought to life by a famously headstrong actress. Indeed, Katharine Hepburn played Chanel in a Broadway musical in 1969. Yes, MacLaine saw it, but when asked if Hepburn’s performance influenced her take, she doesn’t mince words. “No, not at all,” she says before breaking into a long laugh. “Love Kate Hepburn, but it wasn’t that great a show.” Well, considering MacLaine’s well-publicized beliefs about the supernatural and reincarnation, perhaps a past-life connection to Coco herself has come into play? “Oh, yeah,” she says with a laugh. “She’s talking to me all the time. She’s saying, ‘Don’t stoop over like I used to. Stand up straight.’”
