Actress returns in 'Never Again'

Jill Clayburgh is awaiting the 2001 release of her latest movie, "Never Again," a romantic comedy. But the actress is no stranger to leading film roles. Clayburgh is best known for her portrayal of Erica Benton, a woman who struggles to find her identity and rebuild her life after her husband divorces her, in 1978's "An Unmarried Woman." \nThe movie's box office success made its star a celebrity. For her performance, Clayburgh was named best actress at the Cannes Film Festival and received an Oscar nomination. She garnered a second Oscar nomination for 1979's "Starting Over."\nClayburgh began the 1980's with several well-received movies: "It's My Turn," "First Monday in October" and "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can." In the middle of the decade, she left the public eye to start and raise a family with her husband, playwright David Rabe, although she has steadily continued to work in films and on television. \nDuring the 1998-1999 season, she was in the casts of two NBC series, "Trinity," a family drama, and "Everything's Relative," a sitcom, both of which were cancelled. Besides "Never Again," Clayburgh, now 56, just finished filming the movie "Falling" in Europe. November 21, she gave an interview.\nQ: Your name is synonymous with "An Unmarried Woman." Why do you think the film was so successful?\nA: I think a large part has to do with the fact that Erica didn't go with the guy in the end; she was struggling for her own independence at the time when that was an important subject. I think it was a very intimate character study of a woman that appealed to people.\nQ: Of all the characters you've played, which do you most identify with and why?\nA: That's a hard question to answer because when you get into a character, you identify with it. That's what your job is. It's very hard to play something that you're not identifying with. Even though you are not the character, you have to find imaginative aspects of yourself that are like the character.\nQ: Which genre do you prefer working in: television, film, or the stage?\nA: They each have their pluses and minuses. I'm someone who loves television. I like the speed, although sometimes it's too speedy. It takes a very clever director to give you the time you need within the schedule. I like the fact that in television, the writer is very important, and in somecases, the writer is much more important than the director. The director can just be a weekly hire-on kind of person, whereas the writer is developing the story. On the other hand, movies are fun because you can get into so much detail, and they can be more experimental. What's unique to theatre is that you can tell a story from beginning to end.\nQ: Was it a conscious decision on your part to lead a more private life?\nA: Yes. I wanted to spend a lot of time with my family, and I tried to get it so I would only work for a month or two a year while they were growing up.\nQ: Are you happier being out of the public eye?\nA: Well, I've loved my life, and now my kids are grown, and who knows what will happen.\nQ: What advice do you have for aspiring actors here at IU?\nA: Just do a lot of theater. Do as much as you can. Try to become comfortable and flexible on stage, and develop a craft, because you'll need it.