Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated actress Virginia Madsen is also a documentary film producer and film festival ambassador for the Aruba International Film Festival. Madsen is a force wherever she goes, a solar-spirited infectious burst of energy in every room she enters and every film and TV screen she graces. She has led a prolific and fruitful acting career for over thirty years and still going on strong. A few of her past roles include: ‘Princess Irulan’ in David Lynch’s DUNE, ‘Maya’ in SIDEWAYS, ‘Dangerous Woman’ in PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, ‘Charlotte O’Neil’ in THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE and most recently ‘Clementine Winks’ in THE HOT FLASHES.

Today, September 11th, is Virginia Madsen's birthday.

When I recently asked Virginia about the premier of her latest film THE HOT FLASHES, which premiered this summer at the Aruba International Film Festival, here is what she had to say:

VIRGINIA: I was surprised it got to be the closing night film because it's not exactly a Caribbean film. It doesn't have anything to do with the islands, but I was very grateful to them and they have a terrific female audience in Aruba. There was a whole group of women in the audience that are cancer survivors so that was really cool. I think it was meaningful for them so all around it was a great night.

ME: Was their response during the Q&A positive?

VIRGINIA: Yeah. Q&A's are my favorite thing to do.

ME: It's what you don't get in cinema, that immediate live response.

VIRGINIA: Well, it's also when you do theater you have a direct relationship with your audience and you get applause at the end of the play, then hopefully and you take a bow. When you do movies you rarely ever see your audience unless you sneak into the theater, so that was my opportunity to take a bow and say thank you.

ME: And in an international audience like Aruba, a lot of them are not afraid to be very critical and say what's on their mind.

VIRGINIA: I like that too. I like the interchange with the audience. You know they are enthusiastic and glad you are there.

ME: What was it like working with director Susan Seidelman?

VIRGINIA: I always pause when I get that question because a lot of times I know it’s specifically about Susan, but a lot of times I will get “What's it like to work with a female director?” And “Is it great to work with them?” It's the same as working with men. The question is whether they are a good director or not. The first time I worked with a female director I thought: “I’ve done that too” and “I wonder if it's going to be different”. I kind of feel that the men on the crew are a little more comfortable having a woman direct them. I don't know why that is. I think having a woman in charge seems to work very well, just with the chemistry of a movie set. Susan, like the rest of in the cast, has been around for as long, so in that way we all are survivors. Even though I didn't know Susan before, the fact that we had so much in common made us friends from the start and allowed me to have trust in her pretty much right away. I believe both of us were trying to figure out if I had auditioned for DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN. I might have auditioned for it in Chicago; not for her specifically, but when they were running around casting and Madonna got it. We have been circling around it for quite some time. 

ME: The ten-year anniversary of the indie megahit SIDEWAYS is coming up next year. Can you speak about how SIDEWAYS changed the course of your life as an actress?

VIRGINIA: I don't know how well I would have dealt with it if I had had success on my first or second movie. I didn't know when success would happen, but I knew it would and it happened to be on a film that was so loved and had real affection. It was so universally loved that I knew at the time it was a once in a lifetime experience so I cherished every moment of it. I was ready! I had been waiting a long long time for success and had been preparing for it. It was such a surprise when it came because it happened to be this little part I was playing and it was not something I had to do alone.

ME: This was your second year in Aruba at the AIFF, and now you are an ambassador for the festival. What makes Aruba so special to you?

VIRGINIA: Number one is the people. The people are so loving. They are extraordinarily welcoming of tourists. They really treat you like you are visiting their private home and they cant do enough for you. They are just so happy that you are there. The island took a big hit when there was that horrible murder that happened with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and I'm not going to mention the animal that did it. I'm glad that he’s where he deserves to be, but what happened to the island is that it was like a bad hurricane had hit them because of him. They care so much about what happened and they are still trying to get back to normal after that crime. It's just a beautiful peaceful place to be and there’s almost an innocence about being here. I think they also feel very supportive of the film festival because they are trying to communicate to the world: “This is who we really are”. So, I can't say that it’s not on my mind when I come here, but I’m happy for them that this international film festival is helping them to rebuild.

ME: Do you think the Aruba International Film Festival is important because it brings more international culture to the island and conversely helps Aruban voices go international?

VIRGINIA: I'm careful not to link it to that. What I think is really important is that it is one of the only Caribbean film festivals and there are so many filmmakers in Aruba. You also have the Dominican Republic, and of course there are beautiful films coming from Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Chile and all of South America too. As an artist, it’s really important for me to be able to interact with other artists form around the world. It’s fertile ground and vitally important for us to be able to meet and interact. We get to do that at these intimate film festivals. The Aruba Film Festival isn't a market in the way that Toronto is, or giant like Cannes. Aruba is purely for the artist, so I just couldn't help but come back again. I know they need more support because they, like a lot of film festivals, are really struggling. But with more stars and outside support, there will be more press and sponsorship in the future. I just know it’s going to be even bigger and better next year and continue to grow.

Interview by Vanessa McMahon