all about Madonna

Madonna arriving in Paris (July 31 2010)

Madonna’s spokesperson has rebuked speculation the Material Girl has started smoking again after she was snapped holding a cigarette, insisting it was just a prop for her new movie project.

The pop superstar has stepped behind the camera to direct W.E., which tells the story of Britain’s King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne after falling in love with American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Filming began recently and Madonna headed to France earlier this week to direct a number of shoots.

She was snapped on location holding a cigarette and a lighter, prompting reports she had taken up smoking again, a habit she quit when she was younger.

But a spokesperson for Madonna has told Britain’s Daily Mail the gossip is not true, insisting the singer was merely holding a prop cigarette for one of the stars of the movie.

MSN

British actor Tom Hardy was so starstruck after meeting Madonna on the set of Rocknrolla, he hid in a car to escape the pop superstar.

“She left me starstruck. I did what anyone who can’t deal with the situation does: I went and hid in the Range Rover.

“I was sort of prepping for the scene in there and someone said hello to me and it was her – she’d somehow managed to get into the back of it!

“Then we had a conversation, which I’ve completely blacked out because there she was like the Mother Mary in the boot (back) of the f**king Range Rover and I was completely starstruck.”

But Hardy insists he wasn’t attracted to the star: “She’s just someone’s mum to me and she looks like a ghost. I didn’t see her as a sexual creature. There was a time when I really would’ve gone there but since (she appeared in) the Justin Timberlake video, leaping over cars and things, I just think: ‘Enough now.’”

ContactMusic

Madonna on the set of W.E. in France (July 30 2010)

In his autobiography he said his friend Madonna could be ‘like a whiney old barmaid’. Now she is an ex-friend.

He still doesn’t see what all the fuss was about. ‘I went over to her house and read the book to her. At the time she seemed fine about it. But she never reacts in front of anybody. It was only later on that I found the damage had been done.

‘I thought I’d been very nice about Madonna. I think she’s an amazing character. I was sweet about her in my book. I still admire her. But she’s a saint now, she’s beyond human contact. Her great friend told me a very clever thing: “Everybody thinks they’re Madonna’s best friend and they’re not.” ‘

Daily Mail

Madonna on the set of W.E. in France (July 30 2010)

Madonna on Roman Abramovich’s yacht ‘Luna’ in Cannes (July 29 2010)

Madonna on the set of W.E. in Cannes, France (July 29 2010)

WWD: What was your reaction to being chosen as the face of Material Girl and what does that role entail?

T.M.: I was ecstatic to be asked. It’s such an honor. It’s Madonna. I was kind of shocked. She’s amazing. The role entails doing the launch of the line on Aug. 3 at Herald Square. And I’ll be tweeting and talking about the line. We did a photo shoot for the first pieces of the collection. It’s a really great line. It’s really cool.

WWD: Were you a fan of Madonna? What songs of hers are your favorites? And what about her influence on fashion?

T.M.: All her songs are so great. They’re so well crafted and really perfect, pure, pop genius. I’m a big fan of “Papa Don’t Preach.” I love that song. But really all of it is fantastic. She was the one who did it all first. She gave people like me an avenue to do what I’m doing. She was the one who started all the controversy to begin with. I’m a big fan of all kinds of vintage looks and altering them and making them modern. I don’t know if I copy anything directly, but I like to mix and match and play around a lot.

WWD: What has it been like working with Madonna on the shoots?

T.M.: We worked on the photo shoot together, and Lourdes was there too. Lourdes and she styled it, along with myself. We collaborated on putting the pieces together and finding the right look for each shot. She was very down to earth. It was nice to see after all her success, she’s still very grounded. It was cool to see her interaction with Lourdes. She’s a cool mom. She shot a couple of the photographs herself at the end. She definitely has a vision and was very hands-on. It was really easy working with her. She’s very comfortable to be around — very professional but a lot of fun. I’m very opinionated, so it was nice to work with someone who has such a direct vision and see how they accomplish that.

WWD: Have any of Madonna’s specific looks or periods inspired your own personal style?

T.M.: Personal style is just that — it has to be personal. There are things that are inspiring and can give you ideas, but I don’t really look at one person or one era. You have to make it unique to yourself. I don’t really emulate anything in particular, I take from all different places.

Full Interview at WWD

Madonna looking for locations to film W.E. in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France (July 28 2010)