Hello?
All right, green tea. Hiiiii. How are you? It's early for me, darling, you have to understand.
What time is it?
It's late probably to you.
It's 1 in the afternoon!
I'm adjusting. I'm adjusting.
You've wanted to act for a long time, even before—
Yes. I've always wanted to. Not to cut you off, I'm sorry. I'm bad. When you have an opera singer for a mother, it's kind of like, sort of like, you cut people off. Cause she's grand, darling. She's very grand. So yes, I always have wanted to act. I didn't have the right support system, but maybe I needed that much of a fall to get where I needed to go.
And by “fall,” do you mean Glitter?
Yes. That period of time was just a mess, with Virgin Records and la-la-la-la. It is a la-la-la-la now because they don't exist.
How do you learn how to act?
I've been studying for a long time. I was studying prior to Glitter. I'm not blaming anyone, but the script wasn't even done when we started that movie, and it was all over the place.
What was hard about Precious?
Aside from not using all my own mannerisms? I don't think anyone is going to care so much if an actress who exclusively acts does something with their hand that is reminiscent of two movies ago. If I was suddenly moving my hand up, they'd be like, she didn't get it.
What mannerisms did you get rid of?
I have so many Mariah-isms. I talk with my hands a lot. I'm very over the top, what can I say? This character is very cut and dried.
She wears no makeup, right?
It's beyond no makeup. Did you not see the redness under my eyes, nose — and the mustache? That's the only thing I care about. I lost all the vanity stuff, but when people really started analyzing, they have to ask about the mustache. Why is it important? Oh, my goodness, it's hideous. That's not my no-makeup look — just FYI. Could you let your readers know?
That's not what your husband, Nick Cannon, sees in the morning.
I don't think Nick would be here if that was my look.
Are you going to do comedies?
Darling, I want to, but I got to find a fabulous director. Actually, Brett [Ratner] better put me in his next movie, or I'll beat his behind.
What do you watch when you're at home in your pajamas?
You visualize me in pajamas?
Is that wrong?
I have some from the Beverly Hills Hotel. They're cute. But I tend to go the other route.
What do you mean?
I like lingerie.
I thought maybe nothing at all.
Yeah, we do that, too.