Lindsay Lohan - Herbie Fully Loaded

Lindsay Lohan/Herbie: Fully Loaded Interview

by Paul Fischer in Los Angeles.

LOHAN REVS UP A DISNEY CLASSIC WHILE DENYING PARTY GIRL IMAGE.

Lindsay Lohan may be having a rough year, but it didn?t show. Her raspyvoice was less audible than usual, because, as she puts it,"I was screamingmy head off at the MTV Awards". Now with blonde hair, the popular actress,flanked by a bodyguard, it is clear that times have changed for the youngactress, since the last time we met for the release of Mean Girls. But whenyou are being hounded by aggressive paparazzi, the star of the new Herbiecomedy?s perspective changes.

Still shaken from the incident, Lohan recallshow terrified she was, when she was literally closed off by pursuingphotographers."I had my friend in the car and it happened so fast, notreally believe it actually happened," Lohan now recalls, while promotingHerbie: Fully Loaded, in Los Angeles. "I couldn?t get out the side door,which had jammed shut, and I knew a story of someone that was close to oneof my family members that passed away in their car, because someone hittheir door and then they couldn?t get out of it. So all I could think atthat moment was, ?I can?t get outta my door, I?m gonna die in this car, mydoor?s jammed!?. Then my friend, who had just whacked her head on the window was panicking because she couldn?t find the unlock switch, so what wasgoing on was incredible. Then I got out of the car and they continued totake my picture. I said, ?What are you doing? Did you not just'....I was inshock and did not know what to do, but thank God no one was seriouslyinjured. I still have to go to the doctor."

That incident notwithstanding, Lohan says that, for the most part, sheresponds to her new found fame and so-called notoriety with a sense ofhumour, not necessarily avoiding what the tabloids write about her. "If it?sthere I read it", she laughingly admits, adding that if she sees her face onone of the numerous supermarket tabloids, "I grab it!" Lohan denies that sheis the party girl claimed by such magazines, when asked what it is she wantsher fans to really know about her that is more fact than fiction. "I?m avery honest person and, I feel like I?m very sincere and I don?t takeanything for granted. I feel blessed, lucky, appreciative and I?m thankful,not some crazy Tara-Reid-esque party animal," she adds, laughingly. "I wannabe in this for the long run."


Professionally, then, Lohan has a measured career, alternating between lastyear?s darker Mean Girls hit comedy, to her third go round in a Disneyremake, this time, stepping behind the wheel of Herbie the Love Bug inHerbie: Fully Loaded. Asked why the decision to star in the remake ofanother Disney comedy, the actress is very matter-of-fact. "I feel very safedoing Disney at this point, who have been really good to me," explains theactress. In this latest Herbie adventure, Lohan stars as Maggie Peyton, thenew owner of Number 53 - that free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind ofits own - and puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming aNASCAR competitor. At the same time, Herbie's got some new tricks under hishood. "I really felt like the character in this movie has a good message,which is very empowering for women, because NASCAR is a male dominated sport. Now with Danica Patrick coming out, it?s perfect timing," adds Lohan. Theactress also saw some personal parallels between herself and the character,"in the sense that she is growing into womanhood, kind of going out on herown now, is discovering what she wants to do in life and kind of followingthrough with that."

And Lohan says she wants to prove that she can step beyond her teen image."I think everyone looks for that role where it?s a stretch, and you can kindof be a bit edgier and push the envelope a little bit". No wonder she isexcited by her next project, Robert Altman?s A Prairie Home Companion. "it?sgoing to be like an acting class for me just being there, which will be nice just to be around them," she says, referring to her fellow cast members,which include the likes of Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin and Kevin Kline. Lohanis also involved with her music, and has a single coming out that can beheard throughout Herbie?s closing credits, "and I just did the video,recently, which was fun to do and Herbie?s in it," she adds, laughing onceagain. The actress doesn?t see herself focusing one over the other, however."Acting is mainly what I focus on, but, at the same time, I love singing aswell. I?ll probably be starting another album eventually, but my firstalbum was rushed. I mean I recorded practically every song in my trailer onthe set of Herbie," explaining why it is she became so ill at the time. "Iwas running myself down, literally running from set in between set-ups andsinging." The result was such exhaustion, that Lohan was hospitalised. Theactress hopes to take a break following the release of her album. "I think,after the Altman film, um, I?ll probably be in Europe for a bit but, ah....then I?ll take a break until I start working on press for Just My Luck."Lohan says that whenever those brief down periods come her way, the teenagerjust wants to sit back and enjoy her life. "I?ll have to sit down and takethe time. I also wanna get involved in starting a charity. So, we?ll see, Idon?t want to jinx anything."

Despite the craziness in her life, Lindsay says that it is the people aroundher and her family, who continue to keep her grounded, "because I havefriends that would say something if I was out of line in any way: ?Lindsay,cool it!? But, you know, I watch people, I just sit there and kind ofobserve what?s going on around me and see if other people have changed. Iknow what that looks like and I don?t want to be that kind of person. It?sbad karma."

HERBIE FULLY LOADED OPENS IN JUNE.