Kim Basinger covers the latest issue of The Edit, net-a-porter.com’s in-house magazine. She’s doing some promotion for her role in The Nice Guys, plus she’s talking about her role (as Elena) in Fifty Shades Darker, which doesn’t even come out until next year! But she’s still chatting about it. I actually like hearing from Basinger a lot, because she’s someone who can go undercover for long periods of time. People tend to believe that her silence means she’s boring, but she’s not at all. When she does give interviews (rarely), she usually brings some interesting gossip, thoughts and opinions. Personally, I’m more interested in how Basinger views the world than, say, Cameron Diaz. You can read the full Edit piece here. Some highlights:

Playing Elena Lincoln in Fifty Shades Darker: “I’m sure there are people who associate me with Fifty Shades Darker because I starred in 9½ Weeks. But the only reason I accepted the in Fifty Shades was because my daughter, Ireland, 20, insisted. She wasn’t enthralled with the first movie, but she knew the books. She said, ‘You have to do it, Mom, it’s really powerful for women. Your character is about a woman’s power.’ At first I thought, ‘Eww, I can’t do that dominatrix stuff, it’s not me.’ But it’s not like that. My character’s strength is more emotional and mental – she shows Christian all his moves.”

Equality in Hollywood: “It would be great if we could have full equality, for all races and genders – not just in Hollywood, everywhere – but I don’t think we’ll get there. People think of Hollywood as this very liberal place, but if you look at the underbelly, the discoveries you’ll make are mindboggling. Am I going to go stand outside Paramount with a sign? No. There are wonderful people in Hollywood.”

She turned down ‘Sleeping with the Enemy’: “There were times I could have chosen [my movies] better. I did this film, The Marrying Man, where I met my eventual husband, Alec Baldwin, but I was teeter-tottering because I had also been offered Sleeping with the Enemy. Isn’t it funny that I turned down Sleeping with the Enemy and then I went on to sleep with the enemy! [Alec and I are] cool now, though. Life goes on.”

Divorcing Alec Baldwin: “Divorce is hard on a kid, no matter how you cut it. And ours was very public and nasty. So I brought up Ireland in a very unconventional way. I just wanted her to be free. If she wanted to have her friends over and write over the walls with pen, that was fine. I wanted her childhood to be full of love and light and animals and friends.”

Don’t be attracted to the fantasy: “I think it’s possible to date someone when you’re 20 and end up with them when you’re 55. Anything is possible. But my taste in men has changed a lot over the years. When you’re young you’re attracted to the ‘bad boy’, only to find out that they’re actually just bullies or insecure – you’re attracted to fantasies. Now, I’m more reality-based. As a sexual creature I’ve been attracted to a lot of different types, people that others have thought were unattractive. But showing kindness and humor are the most important things to me now. If you have those qualities then I think that makes you attractive.”

She’s low-maintenance: “I’m not a red-carpet girl; I’m not a fashionista at all – I’m not feminine enough! I love dressing men; I love men. If I were a fashion designer, I’d design men’s clothes. But as for me? I’m just not very high maintenance. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I shower…”

Social media & the value system: “Social media has changed everything. There was more mystery before, but now, people just show their butts all over the place. I’ve never been one to share much of my life. It’s a shame how out of hand this industry has become, and where the value system has gone.”

Shedding the sh-t: “The best part of aging is learning to shed all the s*** that has weighed you down your whole life. People don’t bother me so much. It’s not my business what they think of me. I was more self-conscious when I was younger; I took stuff too seriously. If I could go back, I’d let rip more!”

[From The Edit]

She also says that Ryan Gosling really is that charming and nice in real life, and that she still adores Russell Crowe and she always knew Crowe would be “huge” (as in, a huge star). She also chats about her anxiety, a life-long struggle, and there’s more about Fifty Shades Darker. I don’t know how they’ve done the script for the second and third Fifty Shades movies, but in the books, Elena isn’t this all-powerful person. She’s basically a bitchy Mean Girl trying to manipulate Christian Grey into dumping Ana. Just FYI, I read the books so you don’t have to.

As for this: “When you’re young you’re attracted to the ‘bad boy’, only to find out that they’re actually just bullies or insecure.” She’s talking about Baldwin, correct? ANGER BEAR BALDWIN WILL DESTROY YOU.

Photos courtesy of The Edit.