TV Tattler: Celebrity Interviews
Katharine McPhee Makes Losing Look Good
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Jan. 24 -- Maybe second place isn't so bad after all.
Even without the 'American Idol' title or a CD on the shelves, last season's runner-up Katharine McPhee has snagged endorsement deals, done the talk show circuit, appeared on magazine covers and presented at award shows.
With a new look and new sound, McPhee is promoting her debut release, which hits stores on Jan. 30.
During a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with AOL Television editor Geoff Bennett, McPhee opened up about her new album, an upcoming role on 'Ugly Betty,' and what was really going through her mind during the 'Idol' finale.
AOL has exclusive excerpts of your new CD, and I have to admit I was expecting it to be Streisand-lite. But it's way more Beyonce than Barbara. How difficult was it to make a CD so different from what people would expect?
You know, on the show, you're just trying to get by. I didn't necessarily think that if I chose a song, it was also the kind of sound my record was going to take. I was just thinking about Katharine the competitor, not Katharine the recording artist. When it was time to make the record, it wasn't hard to make the decision; it was hard to communicate that to everybody. If anyone ever asked me what kind of record I wanted to make, I'd always say a pop/R&B record.
On 'Idol,' I kind of went with what was naturally safe for me. People are like, "Oh, she made such a different record than we thought." But no one really knows what kind of artist you are going to end up being. No one really knew that Kelly Clarkson was going end up being pop/rock. With Chris Daughtry, it's great because he had a direct vision. But it's different for everyone.
So you feel like it's an accurate representation of who you are as an artist?
Yeah, it's my first record, so I think my second -- if, God willing, I get another chance to make another -- you'll find more pieces that are really me. It can't be a perfect record; it's the first. It was made really quickly and all that kind of stuff, but I'm really proud of it, and it definitely expresses who I am.
You have a couple dance tracks on there. Are you going to dance in your videos or on tour?
I don't think I ended up with as many dance tracks as I wanted. (Laughs) But I'd really like to.
I imagine you spent a lot of time envisioning what being a pop star would be like. What's been the biggest surprise?
Well, there's a lot. For me it was [realizing] all the people who are involved in making the record and how long it really does take to just sing a line [while recording]. A producer will make you sing it over and over and over again. And as an artist, you do a lot of photo shoots. And it's amazing how many people are standing behind the camera to make you look beautiful. It's so glamorized, and [in reality] it's just really not. You hear celebrities say that all the time, but you really just don't understand it until you are in that position.
And how will 'American Idol' figure into your future? Will you try to distance yourself from it?
I would love to come back this season. I know where I came from, and I'm really grateful and excited to see the people I was with for nine months. Your credibility, if you become successful, will come. Kelly Clarkson has made herself very credible and accepted. And I don't think there's any rush to separate yourself. I think people are accepting 'Idol' more and more as a legitimate competition for talent.
Well, at the moment, really nothing. (Laughs) I mean, I think it just depends on luck or destiny. But look at Chris. He's doing amazing, and Jennifer Hudson won a Golden Globe. So I think you don't have to win to do really well. I think you need to make an impression, though.
Did Jennifer's win inspire similar dreams for you? Would you like to do more acting?
I started as an actress before I did 'Idol,' so it's great. She's opened doors. I have an amazing manager for film, so I'm really not worried. I'm so lucky to have [these people] working behind me.
Is that how you landed a guest role on 'Ugly Betty'?
Yeah, it was fun.
What are you going to be doing?
Well, I'm playing a very difficult role -- myself. My manger got the call and we were like, "Sure, why not?" I was kind of embarrassed because I had never seen the show, and I was meeting the cast for the first time. It was a full day of shooting and we went into the screening room to watch that night's episode, and I was seriously hooked. It is such a phenomenal show.
If 'Idol' hadn't happened, what would you be doing now?
I'd have moved to New York by now to try to pursue acting or theater. Or maybe I'd have stayed in L.A., trying to be an actress, pounding the pavement.
Well, I understand that question. I mean, yeah, I think it can be uncomfortable. But first of all, we don't really see each other anymore. I don't even know what some of the people are doing right now, and I don't know if they know what I'm doing. But if I do so see them, I don't go straight to the business. It's "how are you doing?" and not "so what are you doing and what are your deals?" That's so superficial.
We've picked you as one of our top 'Idol' style makeovers. What explains the transformation from the jeans and T-shirts you wore during the Top 24 phase?
I am, to this day, more of a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl. But there is definitely a side of me that likes to get dressed up and feel glamorous and sexy and go out. Each week, we'd go out with a stylist and it was like, "OK, what am I going to wear this week?" I just wanted to look great and feel great.
What was the first thing you splurged on when you got your record deal and things started picking up?
Louis Vuitton suitcases. (Laughs)
That we get to hang out with the judges. People always ask, "Is Simon that mean in person?" And I'm always like, "No, whenever I see him, he was nice to me." But we really only saw him when people got voted off. [The judges] would all come up to the stage to say goodbye, and then we wouldn't see them until the following week.
I figure that with a show like 'Idol,' fans feel like they own a part of you or have a stake in your success because they saw you every week and voted for you. So do you have any crazy fan stories?
For the most part, my fans -- the ones that I meet -- are so sweet ... and they get so nervous. I feel so bad, like "Why do you get nervous?" But I mean, people say weird things sometimes especially if they're not your gung-ho fans.
To be honest ... it was ... "just don't laugh." (Laughs) I had a really hard time in rehearsal. Really hard time. You can ask some of the producers or the other contestants -- there were a few people sitting in the theater, and I literally had to turn my head. I was kind of just in disbelief. I don't mean that in a mean way. He was just very theatrical. I wasn't expecting that. I didn't know really who Meatloaf was. I knew the name, but didn't know what to expect.
But you pulled it off, obviously.
I tried. I just put my Broadway face on.
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