What follows is the transcript from our August 15, 1995 conference with Julia Sawahla (Saffron) of "Absolutely Fabulous." My personal thanks to Bob Beck, Gail Nicola, and Bryce Moore for making this a success. Of course, many thanks to the members of EFORUM for a wonderful night. Christa ********** 8/15/95 5:39 PM Forum CO R 2 : *SYSTEM* | Switching to Television Parlor Russell/EDRIVE | Hi everyone! Julia Sawalha has just arrived | in the | EDRIVE CyberStudio and will be online in a | moment! Bryce Moore | Excellent. Greetings Russell! Paul Hooper | Hi Julia Magic Knight Mendo | Hi Julia! carol s. | hello Bradd A. Schiffman | Bradd> Julia...jump in whenever you can... Coleen O'Hanley | I am not seeing enough "sweetie, darlings" in | these conversations... Miles Gore | Hello Julia... Don Avery | Yeah, Cheers thanks a lot carol s. | hehe Steven Pottmeyer | I'm chanting as we speak carol s. | the stick, the stick - Visitor | Anyone got stoli darling? Coleen O'Hanley | Champ-ers all right for you all? Mercedes/Saavik | Bob ERIVE Staff: will you give us individual | TALK again? - Visitor | Is anyone drinking? Bradd A. Schiffman | Sweetie? Darling?? SweetieDarling????? Steven Pottmeyer | Better yet Stoli/Bolle carol s. | BABE! Sara M. Arnold | Hi Julia!!! Mercedes/Saavik | Butthead: long ago TLC | Julia? - Visitor | Hey, no drinking and EDRIVEing tonight, we | have a | VIP here. Gonzo | Drinking some white, sweetie. Butthead | I don't know, Trevor.I'm asking. Mercedes/Saavik | is she here yet? Doug "Whining Kent | No need to refer to me as a VIP! Lara Zawaideh | LOL Aaron Coleen O'Hanley | You know Saff frowns on all that substance | abuse... Magic Knight Mendo | Julia> Why so quiet? :) Sharon Hardy | Hello, Julia... Bradd A. Schiffman | Let's all be quiet for a second and see if | she's | here... Scottie | Is Julia there? - Visitor | Paul: My wife, Vanessa is from up north | (lincolnshire) but | don't hold it against her. Paul Hooper | Julia - aren't you used to a keyboard after | Press Gang? Doug "Whining Kent | No, she's not with me.... - Visitor | Hi Julia - Visitor | Hi Julia! Russell/EDRIVE | Welcome everybody to EDRIVE's live online | conference | with AbFab's Julia Sawalha! Tonight's host is | the | EDRIVE's very own SOAPFORUM Star, Christa | Ryan, Russell/EDRIVE | who will tell us a little about our guest and | how to ask a | question of Julia.... Christa Ryan | I would like to welcome Julia Sawalha to The | Entertainment Drive Forum! Julia played | Saffron in | the newest comedy hit, "Absolutely Fabulous." | The | final season of AbFab recently ran on Comedy | Central and is now in reruns. | Julia has joined us tonight to talk about her | career | and to tell us about the realease of AbFab to | home | video. The first and second season of the | brash, | lusty, searingly funny sitcom are being | released on | four tapes and feature the uncensored BBC | versions. | This conference will be formal... | ::::If you would like to ask Julia a | question:::::: | :::::please type in a "?":::::: | :::::and you will be called in turn::::::: | Let's begin... Christa Ryan | Miles, go ahead Miles Gore | In AbFab, you've played (for the most part) | the | 'straight' role in comparison to Patsy and | Edina's | wild antics. Do you wish that you would have | gotten | to do some of that? Julia Sawalha | Miles - No, because I'm the extreme that | makes Patsy & Edina's life work. | GA Christa Ryan | Doug Kent, go ahead Scottie | Hi Julia. What was it like to work with June | Whitfield, she seems like a lot of fun to | work with. Julia Sawalha | Scottie - June is someone I have loved from | the age of six upwards. Doug "Whining Kent | Julia, in regards to the last episode, do you | feel that Saffron found university to be | filled with the same type of "find yourself" | peo Julia Sawalha | She was the main actress that I most looked | forward to working with. So it | was a great honor to work with her. Doug "Whining Kent | excuse me, people that she was trying to | distance herself from? Julia Sawalha | She's very famous in England, and a | realprofessional. Someone with comic | timing. I've loved her for 17 years and | suddenly I'm working with her. Julia Sawalha | She was really the one that made it | worthwhile working on the series. | GA Christa Ryan | MERCEDES, GO AHEAD Mercedes/Saavik | Welcome JuliaHow did you like working on | AbFab? What is your | next project if any? Christa Ryan | Ben, go ahead Ben Sawyer | I'd like to know what sort of things you'll | be doing in a comedic format in the future. | What did | you learn from Jennifer Saunders that you | think will help you as an actress in the | future. + | Why wasn't Dawn French on the show as much | can you explain that? Julia Sawalha | Mercedes - I loved working on AbFab. It was | an honor working with such | talented commediennes. Julia Sawalha | I had a great deal of fun. My next project | is PRIDE & PREJUDICE, which will | be shown here in January on A & E. Christa Ryan | Steven Dorfman and Soren, go ahead STEVEN DORFMAN | At lot of the humor was at your expense (I | personally | think your cute so it didn't pay off for me) | did it get to | you after a while? Also is any of your other | work | available on video in England? Julia Sawalha | And a new film by Kenneth Branagh, called IN | THE BLEAK OF WINTER. | Which should be out by Christmas hopefully. | GA | Also a new film called WIND IN THE WILLOWS | with the Monty Python team. | GA Christa Ryan | STEVEN DORFMAN AND SOREN, GO AHEAD STEVEN DORFMAN | at lot of the humor was at your expense, did | it begin | to bother you after a while (I personally | thought your | cute so it didn't pay off for me.) also is | any of your | other work on video in england? soren | Where did you get your start? Julia Sawalha | STEVEN - No, it didn't bother me as long as I | made someone laugh. That's | my job. | If I've entertained, I've done my job well. | Yes, all of my work is available on video. | PRESS GANG, which is a children's series | which you would love, but we only | managed to make 48 episodes of this. America | didn't buy it 'cause they | wanted 50. Paul Hooper | PRESS GANG is brilliant everyone! Julia Sawalha | GA Christa Ryan | DUANE OTT AND SARA ARNOLD, GO AHEAD Julia Sawalha | Charles - "Of course." | GA Duane Ott | On the Internet there's been some heavy | discussion about whether "Monsoon" is Edina's | married name or maiden name. Has Jennifer | ever specified that one way or the other? Sara M. Arnold | Are you glad to be moving on? Christa Ryan | JULIA, did you see Soren's Q? He wanted to | know | how you got your start. Julia Sawalha | DUANE - It's her family name, Monsoon. | I mean, I don't know that it's - it's | definitely not one of her married names | And it's her mother's name as well. | GA | Sara - It's sad to know I won't be working | with the cast on the series again. Christa Ryan | STEVEN POTTMEYER AND DAVE, GO AHEAD Julia Sawalha | But we will be making a film, which will be a | short amount of time. It will be | fun. Julia Sawalha | But yes, it's always upsetting when good | things come to an end. | GA Steven Pottmeyer | In the states we don't get to see much of | your work, I've seen you play in a | masterpiece theater, do | you enjoy comedy or dramatic roles more? | Also, I believe in a "New Yorker" article it | explained that during the taping of the final | episode, | everyone was waiting for Cher to turn up, did | she? Julia Sawalha | Steven - I enjoy both. As long as the | characters I play are more than one | dimensional, whether it's drama or comedy I | enjoy playing both. | Comedy comes out of drama. And drama comes | out of comedy. Julia Sawalha | Cher did turn up, wig and all. She had a fab | wig on. | GA Christa Ryan | BRAD SCHIFFMAN AND SCOTTIE, GO AHEAD Scottie | According to the posting for the conference, | you class yourself as a "bit naughty", what | do you | mean by that? Are you still doing that other | sitcom with James Bolam and Linda Bellingham? Bradd A. Schiffman | Julia; thank you, the other actors and | writers for | bringing us so much pleasure! I have to | know; how | did you handle all those scenes in which | Patsy was | so cruel to you? Is it just one of those | things you | forget about as soon as the scene is over? | Look | forward to seeing you in many other | productions... Julia Sawalha | Scottie - No I've done a spinoff from the | series, SECOND THOUGHTS, which | starred James Bolam. | The writers have now written a new series for | me and Linda Bellingham | which is about a mother and daughter. | The mother is going through the change of | life, and it's about the daughter | coming into her bloom in life. | And it's based on the series SECOND THOUGHTS. | GA Scottie | Hope to see it in the States. Julia Sawalha | Bradd - It's something that Joanna and I | created through improvisation. Martyn Thomas | I love Second Thoughts, we get it on Women's | TV Julia Sawalha | And because we could laugh about it so much, | it enabled us to become | more evil with each other. Christa Ryan | MARK TORSON AND STEVE BRANDT, GO AHEAD Steve Brandt | Julia, how do you feel Saffie grew from the | begining | of the series to the end? ) Thanks :-) Julia Sawalha | Example, "I don't want to hear another word | from you. You're a cat's trail of | puke." Mark Torson | Julia, what TV shows do you like, and do you | have an e-mail address for your legion of | fans? Julia Sawalha | GA | Steve - Saffie learned how to rebel against | her mother. In a way her mum | will never realize. | Example, Saffie has a whole wardrobe | consisting of Christian Lecroix and | other things. Steve Brandt | Ahh, of course! Julia Sawalha | Saffie probably smokes and drinks and does | all the naughty things her mum | does, but never lets her realize. And that's | in a sensible way, purely to | annoy her mother. | But deep down, Saffie is more wild than her | mother could ever be. | [That's nice subtext for the character.] | GA | [My subtext.] Steve Brandt | So, when do we see the show about Saffie's | evil | twin? Christa [HOST] | TODD AND COLEEN, GO AHEAD Todd | Even though I live in America, I've seen 18 | episodes of Press Gang, and thought it | was great, much better than most American | "kid's shows," (and many prime Mark Torson | Julia, what tv shows do you like and do you | have an e-mail address for your legion of | fans? Todd | time shows as well!) Do you see yourself as | being more like Lynda Day or Saffron? Christa [HOST] | Mark's question was from the last turn.... Julia Sawalha | Mark - I like documentaries, Horizon and | Cutting Edge. Roseanne, Cheers. I | don't watch much other television. i don't | have the chance to. Julia Sawalha | You can e-mail to CIS:EDRIVE | GA Coleen O'Hanley | Hello, and thanks for talking to us! WHat is | the status of the film Ab Fab now? Julia Sawalha | Todd - I'm more like Lynda Day, in the fact | that I'm very driven. But I am | sensitive, though I've tried to hide it. | [You'll know what I mean by that, | Todd.] | GA Christa [HOST] | GARY HIGHAM AND MIKE RAUB, GO AHEAD MIKE RAUB | The character you played was brilliant in | both Jennifer's concept and your performance | - how does she compare with the "real life" | Julia? (In other words, could ANYone be THAT | straight?) Gary C. Higham | Your voice projects well on the TV. Have you | done much stage work? Julia Sawalha | Coleen - Jennifer hasn't written the movie | yet. We're planning to film next | March, after Christmas. | GA | Mike - I am sensible in my work. I.E., I am | professional in what I care about. | And that's where I've drawn in my own | character, in understanding how to | be sensible. | But I am a wild person and you must remember, | Saffie is wild deep down. Christa [HOST] | AARON DERSHEM AND FAITH MILLER, GO AHEAD Julia Sawalha | And that's part of her rebellion. And if | people really care about Saffie, they'll | see that. | GA Aaron Dershem | Were the shows written only by Jennifer | Saunders, or did everyone (including you) | have a hand in the "fleshing out" of | each one of the shows? By the way, I think | you're lovely, and I thought you were great | in AbFab. "More wild than her | mother could ever be"?? wow... Julia Sawalha | Gary - The sound engineer is responsible for | that. | GA Julia Sawalha | Aaron - Go there, Aaron! know the score! Christa [HOST] | ROBERT FORD AND MATTHEW SCOTT, GO | AHEAD Julia Sawalha | The structure was written by Jennifer, but | yes we had a hand in fleshing it | out. And I'm very thankful to Jennifer for | being so receptive to our | suggestions, which made it all the more fun | to work with her. Matthew Scott | Please, please, for god's sake, Julia, if the | opportunity arises, don't play the title role | in the "Susan Smith Story". That's American | for "CRAP TV". Julia Sawalha | Faith - Do you mean from an acting point of | view, or from an entertainment | point of view? | GA Christa [HOST] | SHARON HARDY AND RICK FLYNN | GO AHEAD Sharon Hardy | Is the United States in your future or is | England the | place to be? Rick Flynn | Hi Julia! Do you know who will be playing | Saffie in the American ABFAB? Julia Sawalha | Faith - The Moroccan episode. Purely because | Saffy got her way. Without | anyone knowing it. [You have to listen and | watch to understand what I | mean.] | GA Robert E. Ford | Good evening, Ms. Sawalha. I hope your | evening (morning?) is going well. Have you | had much work over here in the U.S., | and/or do you plan to do so in the future? I | have enjoyed your character on AbFab | (Saffron's my favorite, and I have much | sympathy for her :) ), and I look forward to | seeing more of you in the future. Also, what | other projects have you worked on in | the past? Julia Sawalha | Sharon - Anywhere is my future. As long as | it excites me. | GA Christa [HOST] | DON AVERY AND STEVE BRANDT, GO AHEAD Don Avery | Hi Sweetie Darling! What influence, if any, | did | Adrian Edmondson have on the show? Cheers, | Thanks a lot! Julia Sawalha | Robert - If there's a future for me here in | the U.S., I'd d be willing to go | ahead with it. As long as there's something | that interests me, I'll work | anywhere. | GA Julia Sawalha | Don - This is a question I can't answer. | I don't know what influence Ade has on | Jennifer's life. But in my life, Ade | has had the same effect that Jennifer has had | on me. | Which is, do whatever you want to do as long | as you think it's good and has | a purpose. Christa [HOST] | BILL B AND GIN, GO AHEAD Bill B. | Julia, I'm chanting as I type, are Eddie and | Patsy there, are they drinking heavily, and | how did you keep a straight face when | doing the show? Julia Sawalha | That's the best question I've ever been | asked, out of all the interviews I've | had in the past ten years. | GA Gin | Do you ever over induldge like | Pats and eddy? Babe Don Avery | Thank you Julia Sawalha | Bill B. - Nam, Myoho Erengue Kyo. | I tried to get as much laughter out as | possible whilst I was rehearsing. Christa [HOST] | SEAN AUNE AND ROBERT EDDY, GO AHEAD Julia Sawalha | But because of Jennifer's spontaneity during | live performances, it wasn't | always easy. Sean Aune | Julia - First off let me say how much I | enjoyed your work and I miss the show | already. To my | question though....you keep mentioning how | wild you are, and how wild Saffie is deep | down | (which was obvious in the show for me), so | how much of you is in Saffy? And in case | you | did not know you are probably the most | gossiped about member of the cast on the | InterNet | as to just how wild you really are. Julia Sawalha | Me being as solemn as possible usually means | I'm in hysterics inside. | So basically, when I'm really looking solemn, | I'm laughing my head off. | GA | Sean - come see me in London. That's all I | can say. | GA Christa [HOST] | Sara Arnold and Carol S | GO AHEAD carol s. | Julia, do you know how celebs have reacted to | being mentioned on the show? (ex. Simon | and Yasmin LeBon, etc......) Sara M. Arnold | Which character do you identify with most in | real | life? Also, where can I get your autograph, | and is | there an Ab Fab Fan Club? | Also, I think you're great. Julia Sawalha | Sara - I identify with the grandmother. | Because I know how difficult it is for | mothers to understand their daughters. Christa [HOST] | JSAVIO AND GEORGE, GO AHEAD Julia Sawalha | GA JSavio | Tell us something about Ab Fab's history. | How long has the show been on British TV? George | What do you think of the proposed | "americanization" of abfab... by the way you | were fantastic on ABFAB, my favorite | character. What cha Christa [HOST] | JULIA, Sara also wanted to know where she | could | get your autograph and if there was an AbFab | fan | club Julia Sawalha | Carol - I don't know. I know that Lynne | Franks would like to think that the | show had been based on her, because she is a | woman in PR. | but I think Jennifer has based her on a | number of people she had met. | Many facets make a diamond. | GA carol s. | thanks, Julia! Christa [HOST] | GERRY/UCLA AND JAMES, GO AHEAD James | Julia, there's been a lot of positive things | said/expressed about the gay community on | your | show. I was wondering, do these views reflect | the thoughts of the cast and yourself? How | has the gay communities support of the show | affected you? (effected? I dunno, I'm not a | teacher. : ) Gerry/UCLA | How many months did it take you to finish a | series of 6 AbFab episodes? And, any | relation | to Nadim Sawalha? Julia Sawalha | JSavio - Series I aired in the spring of '93, | six episodes. | Second six episodes were done in the fall of | '93. And the last three episodes | in the spring of this year on BBC. | Home video has been released in the UK, and | the first two series - twelve | episodes - are just released today in the | U.S. and Canada. | The third series will be available on video | in the first quarter of '96. | GA JSavio | Thanks, Julia! Julia Sawalha | James - I personally didn't realize it would | have such an effect on the gay | community. If it has had a positive effect, | I'm very glad of this. | GA Christa [HOST] | GONZO AND MILES GORE, GO AHEAD Gonzo | Julia, what's the strangest encounter you've | had | with a fan? (Besides the ones tonight on | CompuServe) Also, where are you? It's about | 5:00 | am in England, I believe. Surely they didn't | ask you | to pull an all-nighter for this! (Bob, | CompuServe | posts no rules of behavior for newcomers - | maybe | that's why so many people keep jumping in out | of Miles Gore | I will be in London this fall - can you | recommend a Gonzo | turn. Visually, the forum looks just like CB, | which Miles Gore | good pub? Also, what kind of music do you | like? Gonzo | has few rules!) Julia Sawalha | Gerry - I've never heard of Nadim Sawalha. | Oh, hold on a minute - I forgot, | he's my father. Christa [HOST] | Julia, ROFL!! Russell/EDRIVE | LOL! Christa [HOST] | I'll delete that part from the transcript! Russell/EDRIVE | Many guffaws in the cyberstudio... Miles Gore | I will be in London this fall - can you | recommend a | good pub? Also, what kind of music do you | like? Julia Sawalha | It takes three days rehearsal and on the | fourth day we have a technical | rehearsal day and in the evening it takes two | and a half hours to film a | show. Christopher | Too Late Christa, the tabloids probably | already have it... Julia Sawalha | Miles - Absolutely. Where do I start? I | would recommend not to walk into | any pub in London. you're bound to get a | biased attitude, whoever you are. Bryce Moore | rofl! Julia Sawalha | I like any kind of music that makes my soul | vibrate. | GA Christa [HOST] | CHRIS DAVIS AND LARA, GO AHEAAD Lara | From your name I can tell that you are from | the | country Jordan ..is that true?...I am From | Jordan and | I think we could be from the same home | town...THAT WILL BE AWESOME!!!!!!.....I know | Nabil | Swalha..HE is the funniest man I 've ever | seen | .......Nice to talk to you Julia..Ma' | esalameh :) Chris Davis | What do you know of Jennifer Saunder's | plans?..she's GREAT... as you were too as | Saffie. Julia Sawalha | Lara - My father is from a town called | Madabah. I'm coming out to Jordan in | the new year and will be spending it in | Petra. Maybe I'll see you there. | GA Lara | I am from Madaba too Julia Sawalha | Chris - Jennifer is doing a comedy series | with Dawn French this year. Lara | last name is Zawaideh...VERY CLOSE Julia Sawalha | And hopefully, she will be writing the Ab Fab | film. That's all I know, I'm | afraid. | GA Stolly | Has there been any ideas about a following, | or pilot show, on the corruption of "Saffy"? | If so, would you play the part? Don Avery | Christa... How can I get a transcript of | tonight's forum? Greg Bingham | Julia, sorry I missed you. Likewise, | regarding the music. P.S. - Enjoyed the | fashion experiment. Julia Sawalha | Stolly - No there haven't been any ideas but | if there were, yes, I would | definitely play the part. Christa [HOST] | ::::THERE WILL BE A TRANSCRIPT OF TONIGHT'S | CONFERENCE POSTED IN BOTH EFORUM AND Russell/EDRIVE | Let's all give a big warm cyber-hand to the | lovely, | marvelous and ARTICULATE Julia Sawalha! The | AbFab Christa [HOST] | EDRIVE'S NEWEST FORUM, ETV. Russell/EDRIVE | videos are available as of TODAY so get yours! Christa [HOST] | Julia has joined us tonight to talk about her | career | and to tell us about the realease of AbFab to | home | video. The first and second season of the | brash, | lusty, searingly funny sitcom are being | released on | four tapes and feature the uncensored BBC | versions. Steve Schroeder | Wild indeed! Great talent. Trevor Harmon | thanks julia! Christa [HOST] | "Absolutely Fabulous" features Jennifer | Saunders | and Joanna | Lumley as two sophisticated fashion victims | with | chain-smoking, | alcohol imbibing, substance abusing, | promiscuous | lifestyles. | Saunders plays Edina, a twice- divorced | fashion | publicist with a | straight-laced teenager, Saffron (Julia | Sawalha), | who is appalled | by her mothers' degeneracy. Lumley plays | friend | and confidante | Patsy, a self-indulgent blonde who is never | without | a cigarette | in one hand and glass of champagne in the | other, | while working at | her job as a fashion editor on rare occasions. Sara M. Arnold | Thank you, Julia! Rhesa | thanks Julia Christa [HOST] | Look for the first two seasons of "Absolutely | Fabulous" in your local video store. Get a | set for | your favorite Sweetie-Darling for the | upcoming | holidays!! JSavio | Bye, Julia! Christa [HOST] | There will be a transcript of tonight's | conference | posted in EFORUM, as well as EDRIVE's newest | forum....ETV!! | Thanks for coming everyone!! Bob [EDRIVE staff] | Thanks, Julia Chris Davis | Thank you Julia and look forward to seeing | you more on the screen. YOU WILD THANG Todd | Thanks Julia. Good night. Miles Gore | thanks julia bye.... Susie M. | Thank you sweetie darling! Marianne Stevens | thank you!!! Steven Pottmeyer | , Thank you sweetie darling Christa [HOST] | Thank you Julia!!! Rhesa | come do a play in New York - Visitor | Thanks Julia, good luck Paul Hooper | See ya Julia! Sorry I didn't get a chance to | talk about dinner sometime.... Gonzo | Thank you, Julia. Sorry if my question | offended you. - Visitor | Thanks Julia, you're great!! Bradd A. Schiffman | Thanks, Julia, I love you! Goodnight... STEVEN DORFMAN | Keep an eye open for AB-Fab answers this | season | on Jeopardy! George | clap clap! Sara M. Arnold | Will all the seasons' videos be out? Don Avery | Say hi to Ade for me...Thanks and good | night!!!!!!! George | sweetie, sweetie! Tonia Raebiger | Thanks for stopping by, Julia! Dean L Politis | Thans Julia Martyn Thomas | miserable little turnip Christa [HOST] | I apologize to everyone who didn't get a | chance to | ask a question! JOHNNY C. | Good night Julia Christa [HOST] | You made this conference an amazing success! - Visitor | 'Night Julia - sorry I couldn't be here | earlier.. Tom Collins | Thanks everyone! Sara M. Arnold | I wish I could be Saffron.... Steve Schroeder | Time to go to the pub and dicuss AbFab. | Great Con. Martyn Thomas | hello Sara M. Arnold | If I was a little olfer. Sara M. Arnold | I mean, older. Kristine Claremont | DId I catch the insinuation correctly that | the American broadcasts | of AbFab have been "edited?" Tom Collins | So long all! Steven Pottmeyer | Yes, the american version has been edited Eddy Monsoon | Kristine> Well, they've at least been bleeped. Christa [HOST] | Bye Everyone!!