Interview with Jenette Goldstein

As far as acting debuts go, Jenette Goldstein’s turn as Private Vasquez in Aliens is one of the most memorable.  Not only did her and the cast have to live up to the stunning legacy of the first film but she personally had to test her acting chops alongside Sigourney Weaver who by then was established as one of the best actresses in the world.

We caught up with her briefly at the Brighton Film and Comic Con and asked the actor-turned-businesswoman about her career and her most-loved works.

It can be argued that along with her role in Terminator 2 as a foster mother/pointy-armed killer robot, she managed to feature in the two commercial high points of two of the best sci-fi/horror series ever.

Jenette Goldstein - Aliens - Vasquez and Gorman
You always were an asshole, Gorman!

“I saw Alien when it came out and I loved it, and of course I’ve seen Aliens, but I’ve never watched three, four or Prometheus,” she reveals.

“Not for any reason.  I’m not actively boycotting them!  I can’t wait to see the Neill Blomkamp one though.  It’s the same with Terminator.  I’ve seen 1, 2 and 3…. is there a fourth one?,” she asks.

Unfortunately, there’s a fifth one we reminded her.

“My favourite one is the first.”

Jenette knows her Terminator movies.

Jenette Goldstein - Terminator 2
We would have probably stabbed John’s foster dad too to be fair.

After a relatively busy period in the late ’80s and ’90s where she turned up in such films as the spectacular vampire road movie Near Dark and James Cameron’s celebrated star-laden sink-’em-up Titanic as well as plenty of TV roles, Jenette became less active as an actor.  She is the successful owner/operator of Jenette Bras.  So will we be seeing more of her again?

“At the moment I’m too busy running the stores but I plan to go back in about five years.  I get tired of one profession and move onto another and then go back”

Jenette Goldstein - Near Dark - Diamondback
Jenette joined her Aliens co-stars Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton for Near Dark in 1987.

Having played the muscular Vasquez in Aliens and the murderous but maternal vampire Diamondback in Near Dark was that kind of tough role she was looking for?

“Absolutely!” she beams “I’m always looking at it.  Interesting people and difficult situations.   The more pathological they are, the more interesting aspects to the character they have, the better.”

Jenette Goldstein - 2015

So with Near Dark and Aliens being two of our absolute favourite movies, we had to ask if she still watches them from time to time.

“You know?  I do!  I’ve seen Aliens more times than I care to admit!  The last time I saw it was at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery where Marilyn Monroe is buried and they have a film programme there where they screen films on the side of a mausoleum.  So I went to see it with Ricco Ross (Private Frost).  And Near Dark is just a great film.  Both of them you can just watch over and over!”

Jenette Goldstein is AWESOME.

 

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