By Christina Radish

Isla Fisher at Elle Magazine's 15th Annual Women in Hollywood Tribute held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. on October 6, 2008

Author Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic, and her four subsequent novels (Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic and Sister and Shopaholic and Baby), are an international phenomenon, winning a passionate and devoted readership, with each book making best-seller lists in the U.S. and the U.K. More than 15 million readers in 35 countries -- including the United States, Great Britain, all of Western and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Turkey, Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam -- have grown to love the endearing, hapless, eternally optimistic shopaholic.

The series’ success caught the eye of producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who knew that the lead character had to be portrayed on screen by a special and spirited talent, leading the filmmakers to chose Aussie actress Isla Fisher for the role. Fisher spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine about playing a character that is warm, loveable and deeply flawed.

MediaBlvd Magazine> You are a part of this big cast, but the movie focuses mostly on you. Is that a lot of pressure?

Isla Fisher> Yeah. Obviously, I’m very surprised and eternally grateful to Jerry Bruckheimer, and completely bewildered as to how I was lucky enough to be chosen to have my own movie. I definitely felt far more responsible for the tone of the movie, as a lead, than you do as a supporting cast member, where you can come in and muck about. On top of that, I was getting to play a beloved character from a book that’s extraordinarily successful, and knowing that she was now going to be American, and wanting to capture the essence of her as properly as I could, added more pressure. But, ultimately, when you have an incredible producer like Jerry Bruckheimer behind you, and a really amazing cast, it was a rewarding creative experience for me.

MediaBlvd> Were you a fan of these books before you came to the project?

Isla> I was a huge fan of the books, yes. I read them all, long before I’d heard about the project. And, when I heard about the project and that Jerry Bruckheimer was producing, I was obviously a huge fan of his, and I just didn’t think, in my wildest dreams, that I would even get a meeting, let alone get the role. I literally still cannot believe that I got the role. It’s very exciting for me.

MediaBlvd> There is a lot of physical comedy in this movie. How did you develop the talent that you have for physical comedy?

Isla> I actually trained at a theater school, called L’Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq, in Paris, where Simon McBurney, who’s a very famous English clown. That’s where a lot of the Theatre de Complicite Troupe train, and we focus on comedy and mime. So, I definitely learned the skill set. Personally, I’ve always been someone who loves to tap into their inner idiot. I’ve always been the clown of my family and I’ve always just enjoyed mucking about. I’m just fortunate that I get paid to do that now.

MediaBlvd> What is your process with comedy? Do you work in front of a mirror before doing a scene? Do you think of different ways to approach each scene?

Isla> No. I just try to keep really loose and stay in the moment, and not have any hope for what I’m going to do. I’m not a method actress. I prepare at home, and then I just try not to be self-conscious. A lot of people ask how come I got the role, or how I got into comedy, and I just think it’s because I’m willing, and a lot of actors and actresses aren’t willing to pull their faces.

MediaBlvd> What was the most fun fashion discovery for you?

Isla> The most fun fashion discovery was just to use a lot of color in my wardrobe. I’m fairly conservative normally, and I just feel like Patricia Fields brought out the color in me. I now love to wear color.                                                         

MediaBlvd> Did you get to work with Patricia Field on the outfits you wear in the film?

Isla>  I did. Patricia was extremely collaborative. I only had one request, which is that I wanted Becky to wear extremely high heels, so that she could totter. There’s nothing funnier than a comedic character tottering, and the impracticality of wearing something that clearly doesn’t fit her and is uncomfortable, but she’s a shopaholic and so she has to have it. Patricia is so creative and she clearly knows what she’s talking about. She’s extremely experienced. She did the costumes for Sex and the City and The Devil Wears Prada, so I let go and let her guide me, and I really enjoyed the process. At the beginning, I couldn’t believe that we were spending 40 minutes, discussing a belt. I was so frustrated. But then, half-way through, I suddenly felt like I began to understand that there really is a science to it. There’s this incredible world, where people try really hard. It’s not just, “That looks cute. I’ll wear that.”

MediaBlvd> Did you get to keep anything?

Isla> No, I didn’t get to keep anything.                                   

MediaBlvd> Who are some of your favorite fashion designers?

Isla> Obviously, a part of this business is the pageantry of the red carpet, and you get dressed by incredible designers. I have to say that I love Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Zac Posen. I tend to go for more classic things. I love Prada. I feel very blessed to wear any of those dresses.

MediaBlvd> What item in life can you not pass up, or at least have to stop and look at?

Isla> There’s nothing material that I can’t really pass by. Maybe new underwear, just out of necessity. It’s not such a good look, not having underwear.

MediaBlvd> This is actually a movie about controlling conspicuous consumption. What are your thoughts about that?

Isla> This movie was conceived during a different economic period. The lessons that Rebecca Bloomwood learned in the movie, we’ve all been learning recently, so it feels very topical. I’m really proud of the responsible way that we handle it, at the end of the movie, that issue and in regard to the fan dance, it's always been a comic dream of mine to attempt to seduce a man during a dance that's actually repulsive. So the opportunity of doing that arose during this movie and I embraced it. I really enjoyed every minute of it.

MediaBlvd> The 12-step programs in the film are hilarious. Did you do any research on those programs?

Isla> I did, actually. I went to Spenders Anonymous groups, and Under Earners and Over Spenders groups, and it was fascinating. There are all different styles and types of shopping. There’s trophy shopping, image shopping, collecting, bulimic shopping. As funny as it sounds, it’s obviously pretty sad, too. I definitely learned a lot. It affects men as often as women. It was a fascinating experience.

MediaBlvd> Have you ever experienced any sort of credit card theft, like your character does in this movie?                                                

Isla> Recently, apparently someone had been buying petrol in Texas on my credit card, and I wasn’t there. So, I did have that experience, but not through any fault of my own.

MediaBlvd> In the beginning of this movie, your character says that she likes stores more than men. Are you at all like that?

Isla> No. I shop rarely and poorly. I definitely appreciate men more than stores.

MediaBlvd> If you are so bad at shopping, how do you fill up your closet?

Isla> I do shop when I need to, and I’m fortunate in that I’ve maintained my same size, except when I was pregnant, so I tend to wear stuff that I have around. When I shop, I just get in and out. I have a mission and I fulfill it.

MediaBlvd> Is it always a solo project for you?

Isla> Usually, yes.                               

MediaBlvd> What was it like to be caught in the mayhem of the sample sale scenes? Was that choreographed, or did you just go for it? 

Isla> We had to choreograph that. With all physical comedy, you have to know where you’re going to put the cameras and ensure that no one is trampled to death, so we took it fairly seriously. There were a lot of heels on a very shiny surface, but we just had a lot of fun with it. We actually took it a lot further, but we liked what we kept in the movie.

MediaBlvd> What are your thoughts on workplace romances?

Isla> I think that it works out very good for Rebecca Bloomwood because Luke Brandon actually uncovers her voice and helps her to fulfill herself. She doesn’t realize how talented she is until she meets him. And, he learns to loosen up. That’s why their relationship is so nice. They learn so much from each other. Personally, I’m not a fan of romance in the workplace because you start to see someone everyday.                                         

MediaBlvd> Did you feel a responsibility to learn Finnish for this role?

Isla> No, but I really enjoyed speaking it, at the end of the movie. It was a lot of fun.

MediaBlvd> How was working with Krysten Ritter? Did you guys hit it off right away?

Isla> I remember, on day one, I looked over at Krysten’s page and she had written all these alternative lines. I’m the only actor that I know that does that, and  I saw straight away that she was a soul sister because she was already trying to improvise some funny and comedic stuff.

MediaBlvd> Was it natural to dance with Hugh Dancy?

Isla> I think he’s a wonderful dancer. What I really loved about Hugh is that he came to the movie and took it seriously, as if he was in a dramatic movie, which was so important. As a result, he played the greatest straight man, and it gave me somewhere to go. The comedy was grounded in reality because of him. He brought so much integrity and heart to the film. He was a fabulous dancer. He knew the traditional moves much better than me, so he guided me through that scene.

MediaBlvd> How have you been at balancing the challenges of motherhood and work?

Isla> Motherhood is my favorite topic, in my personal life, but I don’t discuss it, just because I want my daughter to have privacy and a normal life.

MediaBlvd> Do you plan on sticking to this type of film, moving forward in your career, or do you want to do dramatic work as well?

Isla> I have to say that I love comedy. I love the freedom that comedy brings. But, I’m open to working with any filmmakers. It’s all about the story and the characters for me rather than just the genre.