20 Minutes with Jeanne Tripplehorn

She’s the kind of actress whose name you hardly remember but whose performance sticks to your memory. Tom Cruise’s leading lady

in The Firm is now starring in a Hallmark telemovie called Word of Honor with Don Johnson (below).

Jeanne Tripplehorn who?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Mention the name Jeanne Tripplehorn and chances are that, although it does ring some bell, you can’t quite place her, you can’t match the name to a face. Jeanne Tripplehorn is that kind of actress. You see her in several movies and, even if you are impressed with her performance, the name just doesn’t stick.

A little refresher: Jeanne Tripplehorn had her movie debut in Basic Instinct. You know, where Sharon Stone uncrossed her legs and gave the world a memorable view of her inner self. She was in The Firm with Tom Cruise; Timecode with Salma Hayek and Kyle Maclachlan; Mickey Blue Eyes with Hugh Grant and James Caan; Very Bad Things with Cameron Diaz, Christian Slater and Jon Favreau; Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow; Waterworld with Kevin Costner; The Night We Never Met with Matthew Broderick and Annabella Sciorra; Abbie!, the independent biopic of 1960s radical Abbie Hoffman; ‘Til There was You; and Relative Values with Julie Andrews.

Remember? Of course, we all do. So she’s the one!

Jeanne is now starring in the Hallmark telemovie Word of Honor (to be telecast sometime in December) with Don Johnson (the "ex" of Melanie Griffith and, years ago, Nora Aunor and Victor Laurel’s co-star in a movie called Lollipops and Roses). Based on the No. 1 New York Times best-selling novel by Nelson DeMille, Word of Honor is a post-war drama that revolves around the ideals of duty, honor and loyalty.

Don Johnson as Lt. Ben Tyson is the embodiment of the American dream. Now a successful corporate vice president in Dallas’ oil and gas industry, he’s a happily married man, living life to the hilt with his family. But at 19, Tyson was challenged to prove his mettle as a young lieutenant in Vietnam. There, on a sweltering day, one of his soldiers was taken out by a sniper’s bullet as they advanced upon the Misericorde Hospital, which brandished a neutral flag. Now, two decades later, Dr. Steve Brandt, the platoon’s medic, is claiming that Tyson ordered his platoon to lay siege, take no hostages, leave no survivors and burn whatever remained to the ground – a secret his men swore to take to their graves. This accusation brings on charges and starts a media frenzy in retaliation.

Jeanne plays Major Karen Harper who’s deadset on unearthing the truth that Lt. Ben Tyson is trying hard to hide. The drama reaches its climax during the trial when Tyson’s word of honor is put to a test.

Conversations did a 20-minute phone interview with Jeanne Tripplehorn last week. Here are excerpts:

Where were you when the Vietnam War was raging?

"I was in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was about five or six years old at that time. My stepfather was a Vietnam War veteran. He had just gone to the war. I remember eating dinner every evening with my family while watching the CBS evening news."

Is that all the memory you have about that time?

"I guess so. They were filtered memories – filtered through the news. I was kind of sheltered from the fact that my stepfather had gone to the Vietnam War."

Of course, a lot of anti-war songs came out during that time, such as Where Have All The Flowers Gone.

"Of course, of course! And we still sing those songs until now, don’t we?"

Now that you’re an adult, what’s your stand on war? Pro or anti?

"I would have to say that generally I’m anti-war."

Any comment on the US involvement in Iraq?

"Hhhmmmm. No comment, except to say that I take an anti-war stand...I protested. So, I guess you could say that I’m against the US stay in Iraq."

What about your stand on guns? Are you pro-gun or anti-gun?

"I think it’s the right of every American...you know, we have the right to bear arms. But I personally wouldn’t want to have a gun. I’m not a gun person."

What about your role preference? Are you partial to strong-woman roles (such as the one you’re playing in Word of Honor)?

"Not necessarily strong-woman roles. I should say, well-rounded-female roles. They’re still strong roles, I guess; there’s beauty and weakness as well."

How did you prepare for your role as Major Karen Harper in Word of Honor? Did you do any research? Did you interview war veterans...people from the military who were in the Vietnam War?

"No. I didn’t have a lot of time to do some research. I merely looked into a bit of military protocol and how the prosecution procedure is done. You know, it’s very different. The military law is different from the civilian law. So I just sort of try to find out more about that angle of the story. I also worked Major Harper’s own personal history, her family history, in order to find out what was driving her to be this outstanding woman that she was. A moral, truth-seeking woman. I wanted to find out what in her past was making her go to such length to find the truth and to uphold the law."

Was the character patterned after a real person?

"No. She’s a fictional character."

What aspect of Major Harper do you identify with?

"I think her being an incredibly moral and honest person, characteristics that I aspire to have. I’m sure I fall short but I do aspire to be moral and honest."

What draw you to the character of Major Harper the first time you read the script?

"I just knew that there was more to her than what was actually in the script. Finding out the driving force behind her was quite a challenge."

What’s the relationship between your character and Lt. Ben Tyson?

"The truth. One is hiding the truth and the other one is seeking the truth. I think she respects him because I think she knows deep down that he’s trying to protect some people with his word of honor. People in this day and age would not go to the length that Lt. Tyson did to protect his man. There’s something anachronistic about his action. He knows that he’s hiding the truth in order to protect others at the expense of his own life. I think Major Harper respects Lt. Tyson for that."

How was it working with Don Johnson?

"It’s our first time to work together and we had a great time. We had a lot in common. We both come from the same part of the country. We had a natural shorthand in conversation. We share the same kind of humor. We had a really good time."

Let’s talk about other actors/actresses you’ve worked with, starting with Kevin Costner (Waterworld)...

"...We had a really good time as well. It was a grueling film shoot, physically grueling just to get to the set and changing a million boats in order to get to the right boat. It was an extraordinary experience. I’m sure he felt the same way as I did."

Hugh Grant in Mickey Blue Eyes.

"Great! Funny! Hugh is a truly funny individual."

Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct).

"Again, it was fun. Being my first movie, it holds a special place in my heart."

Tom Cruise (The Firm).

"Wonderful actor."

What’s your stand on nudity in movies?

"Hhhmmm. I go role by role. If it’s really required and it makes sense, what’s wrong with it? But not nudity for the sake of nudity. In short, I have no problem with it."

Before showbiz., where were you? How old were you when you joined showbiz?

"Oh, I was 22. When I was much younger, I started acting back in high school in Tulsa. Then I studied drama at Julliard and I did off-Broadway. After that came Basic Instinct."

What sort of family did you come from?

"I come from an incredible family."

Oh, incredible in what sense?

"A very creative family. My father and my mother are both musicians. Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a great place to come from."

You live in the heart of Hollywood, unlike most stars who live away from Hollywood.

"Oh, yes, I do. In the middle of Hollywood. I’m actually family-oriented. I love to be at home with my family instead of, you know, going to parties."

Do you value word of honor in real life?

"I do. I think everybody does. I try to abide by the truth and absolute honesty. One thing is for sure: My temper really rises if somebody is not telling me the truth or if he’s not being honest. You could say it’s more than a pet peeve. I don’t have patience with people who don’t shoot straight."

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