My LoS: Lisa Marks

September 24, 2020

This week we spent some time chatting to journalist Lisa Marks, the author of ‘Ryan is Ready For You Now…’ the ultimate guide to interviewing a celebrity. It’s also a memoir about her career which started at the Southend Evening Echo and took her all the way to Hollywood where she interviewed a host of A-listers including Hugh Jackman, Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves. Here, she tells us a little bit about herself…

Describe your early days on the Southend Evening Echo…

I joined the Echo at the end of 1986, which might as well be 1886 it seems so long ago now! For the first three months in the newsroom we used manual typewriters. But I loved working there. I felt like Lois Lane. We had a great team and it was a real buzz when you landed a front-page splash (the biggest story of the day). Looking back, it was a great start in the business. My parents moved to Chalkwell, from south London, when I was a year old so I got to report on my home patch. My first celebrity interview was with Donny Osmond at a record shop in Southend.

How does it feel to be interviewed when normally you are the interviewer?

To be honest I’ve never met a journalist who liked being interviewed. It’s hard being on the other side if you’re not used to it but the trick is to be yourself. The celebrities I’ve enjoyed interviewing are generally older, have more confidence and less to prove. The actor Steve Carell springs to mind. They go the extra mile to make the person interviewing them feel at ease. So while it’s all very odd, I’m trying to enjoy the process and make the person interviewing me feel comfortable interviewing a journalist.

What has been the highlight of your career?

I’m lucky to have travelled around the world and met so many amazing people. I relocated to Los Angeles for work in 2007 and for my second A-list interview (the first was Cate Blanchett), I was flown to New York to interview Keanu Reeves. I stayed at the Ritz Carlton Hotel by Central Park. I remember wandering around the park the first morning thinking, ‘How did I get here?’ Keanu was charm personified by the way and just as lovely as you’d expect. On a more personal level, I’ve met some wonderful people who have become good friends and I now think of LA as my second home.

How does living in LA compare to living in Leigh-on-Sea?

I really had to think about this because LA is this sprawling metropolis sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and San Gabriel mountains, while Leigh is essentially a fishing village. That being said, Leigh has got this wonderful, vibrant character and I can’t imagine living anywhere else in Essex. I appreciate the creative community here, not just writers but artists, musicians and photographers too. (In fact, I’d love to meet more writers so get in touch!). I love the café society vibe. When I was a kid Leigh-on-Sea was the place you went to have a teacake with your nan, or visit Grindley’s book shop for your schoolbooks and now it’s a destination town. And of course, there’s also Old Leigh, the cockle sheds and the seafront, which is great for people watching – just like Venice Beach!

When and why did you write your new book?

It took me three years to write it. As you can imagine, people have asked me to tell my stories of A-list encounters many times over. And while having a cup of tea made by Keira Knightley, sharing snacks with Scarlett Johansson, or singing at Hugh Jackman became weird realities in my daily life, I realised I was breathing rarefied air and that I should write it down. At the same time I didn’t just want to pen a book about celebrities for no good reason. I’m also a journalism lecturer and while my students enjoy the celebrity anecdotes what really sticks are my insights into how to do the job. I figured if I could relate my stories to the process of interviewing a celebrity then I could bring a lot more to the book than if I just reeled off all the memorable moments.

Which book would you like made into a film?

Funnily enough I read a book in lockdown that I’m now pitching to a TV company as a drama but I can’t tell you what it is. Watch this space! But I think if I had my way I’d love to see Tess of the d’Urbervilles turned into a movie but in this version Tess would be some kind of ninja superhero who is out to kick ass. I was forced to read the book at school and while she was supposed to be this modern woman she drove me mad she was so dreary. So I’m giving her a new wardrobe, a glow-up, a penthouse apartment in Leigh and she’s going to take control of her life!

How did you spend your time during lockdown? Were you proactive or did you become an on-demand addict?

I was ridiculously proactive. I hate to waste time. I edited Ryan is Ready For You Now… and got it published so that took up a big chunk of time. I also wrote a comedy pilot and my writing course that I hope will be up on my new website at some point in the next few months. That’s not to say I didn’t watch Netflix. I was on the Tiger King train like everyone else and I also stumbled upon a brilliant website that hosts old movies. So I watched a lot of Joan Crawford classics and film noir.

You have interviewed some amazing people. Did one in particular stand out?

I honestly can’t pick just one. I adored Dame Julie Andrews because she sounds just like Mary Poppins. I’ve interviewed Charlize Theron four times so we ended up with this little rapport that made interviewing her fun. Meeting Harrison Ford was huge. I mean, he’s Han Solo. Legend! Hugh Jackman was one of my favourites just because I’m also a musical theatre fan and he’s done some incredible work on stage. He didn’t seem to mind that I walked into his suite at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, singing the lyrics to Sunset Boulevard at full volume!

What do you think makes Leigh-on-Sea a great place to live?

Aside from the fact that I’ve got my mum and some amazing friends here, there’s always a real buzz about the place; you can eat great food, drink good coffee and I love being so close to the sea. Often I’ll walk down the steps by the church and wander along the cinder path towards Chalkwell. I get my best ideas when I’m strolling along the seafront.

‘Ryan is Ready For You Now…’ by Lisa Marks is now available to buy on Amazon. Follow her on Twitter @lisamarks