Madonna talked about her unconventional family, sexism in the entertainment industry, and a gay character in her new film in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar.
Madonna co-wrote and will direct a film adaptation of Andrew Sean Greer’s The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells. The main character’s twin brother Felix is gay.
“It touches on a lot of really important topics I’ve always been invested in or championed—fighting for women’s rights, gay rights, civil rights, always fighting for the underdog,” Madonna said. “I’ve always felt oppressed. I know a lot of people would go, ‘Oh, that’s ridiculous for you to say that. You’re a successful white, wealthy pop star,’ but I’ve had the shit kicked out of me for my entire career, and a large part of that is because I’m female and also because I refuse to live a conventional life. I’ve created a very unconventional family. I have lovers who are three decades younger than me. This makes people very uncomfortable. I feel like everything I do makes people feel really uncomfortable.”
“Why does this book appeal to me? Why did I want to adapt it into a screenplay? Because it touches me on so many levels and it deals with so many important topics. Right now, more than ever, it’s an extremely timely story to tell.”
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The interview took place several weeks before Madonna’s speech at the Billboard’s Women in Music event where she skewered sexist attitudes in the music industry. She told Bazaar, “That is one of the arguments I would get into with my ex-husband, who used to say to me, “But why do you have to do this again? Why do you have to make another record? Why do you have to go on tour? Why do you have to make a movie?” And I’m like, “Why do I have to explain myself?” I feel like that’s a very sexist thing to say.”
