Goldie Hawn: You Ask The Questions

Born in 1945, Goldie Hawn worked as a showgirl and go-go dancer before her break in 1965 with a starring role as a ditzy blonde in the TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. She transferred her airhead stereotype to film and won a supporting actress Oscar for her role in Cactus Flower. She has also played serious roles, beginning when Steven Spielberg cast her as a runaway mother in The Sugarland Express. She has two children from her first marriage and lives in Canada with Kurt Russell and their son.

Which has been your best film? And why?
JAMIE WESTWATER, FULHAM

Which has been your best film? And why?
JAMIE WESTWATER, FULHAM

I often judge my films on the experience I had while making them. The Sugarland Express was one of the best times I had. It was a great familial experience and I loved the character Lou Jean. She was so alive and dangerous, a departure from my image. Working with Spielberg was a wonderful experience. Private Benjamin was another film I loved making.

You've worked with so many comedy greats, Steve Martin and Woody Allen among them. Who's the greatest?
VINCENT MOSS, MARSDEN

Steve Martin is so easy to work with, and Woody is a genius - just watching him work, dream, think and act was a real treat, something I would love to do again. But my favourite partner in comedy was Chevy Chase. Working with him, I just laughed and laughed. And, of course, Kurt. He is fun and funny, real and so true. What a guy.

How did you prepare your daughter, Kate Hudson, for becoming a star? Do you give her acting advice?
BRUCE ANDERSON, EPSOM

I prepared my children for life, not for being movie stars. They have been raised to figure things out themselves. If they have trouble and need an ear, I'm there, and so is Kurt. But they are independent people with destinies of their own. As far as acting goes, listening is the key to acting. Stay honest.

How did you manage to bring up such well-adjusted kids? I hear you used to make them backpack through Europe on their holidays.
CATHERINE EPSTEIN, HAMPSTEAD

My advice is to love them. Let them know they are the real stars, no matter how many people are praising you... Admit to your own frailties so they will not be afraid to talk to you about their fears. We did take family vacations where we backpacked and rode trains and didn't always know where we were going, because humbling experiences like that are important.

Is it hard to play ditzy?
GUY MASTERSON, HASTINGS

I don't play ditzy any more. There was a time when it got tiring, but if a film says something, and I can bring light to an issue through comedy, I was happy to be a ditz.

You were a friend of Diana, Princess of Wales. Are you glad to see Prince Charles happily remarried?
ADAM BAXTER, DUNDEE

I didn't know Di well, but I had some glorious moments with her. I'm happy for anyone who has found love. That does not take away the pain I feel for the loss of a wonderful complex girl who got herself into something far deeper than she could always handle. I miss her energy on the planet. I was appalled by the way the wedding was handled by the press.

You trained in ballet. How was the transition to becoming a go-go dancer?
ANTONY SANDERSON, MORECAMBE

There was no transition, I was just paying the bills. I loved to dance, even if it was on top of a table or on a box in a cage. I still love to dance. I danced through my house yesterday... turned the music up high and off I went, kicks and all.

Did writing your memoir teach you anything about yourself?
SALLY MALTMAN, BURY

Yes, it taught me that I can't sit still for too long. I'm a kinetic person. So, while I was writing, I would get up every hour and shake it up.

In your film Death Becomes Her, women fight over the secret of immortality. Are you sure you haven't found the secret of eternal youth?
ERICA WALSH, VIA E-MAIL

How funny! No, I haven't, but I am sure of one thing. Death is a given, so live now and be happy. Or as happy as you intend to be.

You're a liberal. Your partner, Kurt Russell, is reportedly right-wing. Are there rows at election time?
SUSIE YOUNG, BRISTOL

He is not a right-winger, he is a libertarian, which is way different. He doesn't have the patience for right-wing thinking. So we agree on some things and not on others. I think it's best to keep our opinions to ourselves, because politics depends on how we were raised. It doesn't define who you are or how good a person you are.

A Lotus Grows in the Mud by Goldie Hawn is published by Bantam (£18.99)