Did you draw on any personal experiences?
Yeah, I?ve had the privilege to know a lot of really talented people. I think that that was something that drew me to the script, which at the time I didn?t even recognize. But I grew up with a vocal genius in my house. And then I married someone with a very elite, very different kind of gift. And therefore to play Linda, who loved this great talent, who really lacked a lot of confidence and relied on her and looked to her for approval ? she approved all the songs he wrote, he never considered them finished until he showed them to Linda ? is a pretty natural place for me to ease into.
Do you think Linda sacrificed a lot for her marriage?
I don't think she does.

I think Linda Porter did everything she wanted every day of her life. I think she was ahead of her time. She was very independent. She was super, super rich and did exactly what she wanted. It?s so interesting because I understand that interpretation, but once she got out of that first marriage and moved to Paris, Linda lived there independently for seven years before she even met Cole. She?d been to Egypt many times. She traveled the entire world, she was voraciously curious. She was kind of a minor cultural anthropologist. She had all of her own stuff going on the entire time she was with Cole. I think that even with the things about the relationship that were unusual, that she was very happy.

Was she naïve?
No. I think there are, as there are in any marriage, there were probably some pretty lonely times. Particularly when Cole was falling in love with somebody. I get lonely when I?m a Playstation widow. People suddenly seize this thing and their hormones go crazy and they run off and do it for a while when he?s having his very, very passionate heterosexual affairs.

And so, sure, there [was] loneliness. But naïve about men?

But she didn?t realize how many men he?d be with, did she?
I think that was that loneliness and the key thing about the Hollywood years is that it was a crime. It was a crime and there?s no telling what could have happened to Cole if he had been exposed. And I think that Linda left for the same reasons a person leaves when they don?t want to subsidize someone?s self-destructive behavior, such as drinking. He was really risking a lot. [He] could?ve been like Oscar Wilde and [been] thrown in jail, [had] songs taken out of jukeboxes, who knows?

Back then, the press would keep the secret.
But I mean, he went to Harlem all the time and slept with a lot of prostitutes. He engaged in behavior that could have easily fallen out of his little community.

Could you forgive a man like Linda forgives hers?
I would certainly hope that someone could forgive me that way. I think that the key to their relationship was a really profound reciprocity. There?s a lot of dialogue that is lifted from Cole?s own quotes, such as ?The intimacy was stunning.? And whatever they did, it worked for them. You don?t stay married for 35 years by accident. I think that that?s willful and intentional and something that both people really want. And maybe the true nature of his reasons were known only to them. But from what we know and what other people said about them, there was a whole lot of love there. An incredible amount of admiration. She was seven years older and his mother was a big figure in his life, so Linda had a little bit of that going on too. He looked to her for approval and comfort.

Are they good role models?
Absolutely. Unconventional. They treated each other with so much dignity. They treated each other with so much respect.

Did you keep any costumes?
I kept them all. They were so beautifully made, and not just the ones that Mr. Armani did, but the woman in London who built the traveling suits and the day dresses and stuff. They were beautiful. They went to Italy and bought this incredible fabric, like faux fur and stuff because I don?t wear fur. The detail, oh, it was beautiful.

Will you wear them again?
I will, absolutely. I might mix some of the pieces up so it updates it a little bit but they?re beautiful. I?m going to auction a few things off, too, because I think that the Armani dresses, if auctioned [at a] Youth Aids function for example, could raise a pretty penny.

How was working with Kevin Kline?
Good. He?s sweet, he?s funny.

He?s got that ?Pink Panther? movie coming up soon.
Can you wait to see him in that? It?ll be so funny. He always looks vaguely in pain with that moustache, and then the slightly mad professor hair. Kevin has all these talents that we all know about and then he?s got hidden talents underneath too. He?s just very thoroughly talented and funny and sweet and good.

PAGE 3:On Husband Dario Franchitti, Racing, and "Catwoman"

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Interview with Kevin Kline
"De-Lovely" Photo Gallery
"De-Lovely" Trailer, Credits and Movie News