In  the  64-year-long  history  of  the  Hollywood  Foreign  Press  Association  she  has  been  the  only  Polish  woman  responsible  for  awarding  the  Golden  Globes.  She  is  also  a  reporter  for  many  news  agencies  around  the  world.  A  great  philanthropist,  she  works  for  numerous  charities,  including  the  Motion  Picture  Mothers.  She  promotes  Polish  culture  in  Hollywood,  and  has  organized  over  200  events  at  her  Belvedere  residence  where  she  presents  Polish  film  and  Polish  artists.  Yola  Czaderska-Hayek  speaks  about  her  career,  Golden  Globes,  Oscars,  and  life  in  Hollywood,  in  an  interview  with  Angnieszka  Flakus.

- You have been nicknamed the First Lady of Hollywood. What is your view of the city?

Yola Czaderska-Hayek: Two cities seem to coexist here. On one hand, there is Hollywood filled with joy and disappointments, a city with its daily problems where life goes on just like in Chicago. There is little difference between an immigrant coming to Chicago to make some money and an actor arriving in Hollywood to make a name for himself. Both end up doing a lot of menial jobs, such as cleaning offices and residential houses. Even the greatest stars started out like that, and are proud of it. Harrison Ford and Kevin Costner worked as carpenters. There is even a troupe of actors specializing in such things: they do electrical repairs, paint houses, distribute ads… At the same time, they have their agents and, when they get a part, quit their jobs.

I must add, however, that a Polish immigrant in Chicago has a better chance of succeeding in his or her profession or of starting up a business than an actor of making it in Hollywood. There are about 70 thousand actors currently registered in Hollywood. Only 10 percent work in their profession, earning a maximum of 12 thousand dollars. About one percent make over 100 thousand dollars, while only a scarce elite makes millions. There is also a small group of actors who refuse to work and, instead, drink, live on drugs, and complain about not getting any parts. They say they are actors and won’t work with their hands. Although they are relatively few, they have become such a stereotype that landlords would refuse rent apartments to actors and post signs that would read: “No dogs and no actors.”

That is one side of Hollywood. On the other hand, there is the red carpet and luxury. You can see that face of Hollywood only during Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammies, and at no other time. I noticed recently that film premieres are not as lavish as they used to be. And at the Oscar ceremonies, which I have been attending for 22 years, you now see more security than actors. That spoils the atmosphere. The red carpet magic belongs to the past. What we see on the TV is merely a reality manufactured by the media.

- It is said that in Hollywood it doesn’t matter so much whom you know, but who knows you. And sooner or later, everyone runs into Yola. How do you attract the cream of Hollywood’s society to your house?

Y.C-H.: It probably wouldn’t be fair if I talked about myself, so I’ll just quote what others have said. This is, for instance, how the August issue of the Hollywood Times puts it: “There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that, in order to see the most exquisite party in Hollywood, one must gain an invitation to Yola’s house. Yola and Captain Ed are the most wonderful and gracious hosts, creating an atmosphere of warmth and openness. The sumptuous social gatherings in their palace, with a swimming pool and a view of the Hollywood hills, will take your breath away. The meals, served in an exclusive European style, are the true trademark of these banquets.”

In her book devoted to Pola Negri, Polita, Wiesława Czapińska mentions me in passing: “After Pola Negri, Yola Czaderska-Hayek is the next most famous Polish woman in Hollywood today. Although not a film star, she has managed to create a unique atmosphere in her house that opens its doors to the greatest celebrities.”

What attracts them to my place? The word is passed from mouth to mouth: people are reluctant to visit anyone without proper recommendations. The selection of guests is also not a negligible matter.

I think people like me because of my discretion. What happens at Yola’s stays at Yola’s. They say I have a great personality and a wonderful husband.

- Your parties are frequented by Americans. What attracts them to Polish culture?

Y.C-H.: My parties have a 19th-century European flavor. I am frequently compared to Mme de Staël, the famous hostess of a French intellectual salon, or to Pearl Mesta, a Washington hostess. As to film, European productions greatly differ in style from American ones. My guests are usually fascinated by the work of Polish actors. For instance, when I screened Krzysztof Krauze’s Nikifor, and told my guests that the male protagonist was played by a woman, they were flabbergasted.

- Does Polish cinema or Polish actors have a chance of making it in Hollywood?

Y.C-H.: I will respond with a question: Please give me the name of a single foreign actor, from any non-Anglophone country, who made it in Hollywood, apart from Schwarzenegger? There aren’t any. Why? It’s a question of accent. I think that only a new generation of actors who learn English in schools and speak it fluently, have any chance at all. Hollywood is not looking for foreign accents, because the only thing you can do with one is to play a foreigner. And there aren’t many films about foreigners made in Hollywood.

- What reputation do Polish people have in Hollywood?

Y.C-H.: There are no better cameramen than Poles. They work on the best film sets and are highly respected in the film industry. One must be somewhat of an insider to know that. Polish cameramen are disciplined, very ethical, and able to make something out of nothing. They say, for instance, that Wolski can make great pictures in a room lit only by a candle. Poles have amazing talents.

- You grew up in Tarnów. How did you become interested in film?

Y.C-H.: Film fascinated me since I was a child. The first film I ever saw was High Noon. Let’s not forget that back then films made it to Poland with a 20-year delay, and were usually limited to Westerns. I would see every film repeatedly until I knew the English dialogues by heart. When I came to Hollywood, I met Jimmy Steward, and started citing lines from the Broken Arrow. He stared at me in disbelief.

I have to emphasize that I never wanted to be an actress. Yet, already as a child, I was writing film reviews for the “Letters to the Editor” column of a Tarnow newspaper. I continued doing that while I was a Polish literature student in Cracow. I have always been fascinated by filming techniques, and dreamed of being surrounded by my screen idols and of writing about them.

- At some point, it became obvious that you would come to live in Hollywood...

Y.C-H.: Already in elementary school I had a picture of the Hollywood sign on my wall. I would tell my girl friends (I went to an all-girl school) that one day Yola was going to live in Hollywood, under that very Hollywood sign, marry a fairy-tale prince, pass her time among stars, and attend Oscars... My dreams came true.

After graduating from high school, I enrolled at the university in Cracow. I met my husband right there, in the city of Cracow, and only a few months later my childhood dreams started to come true. Two years after I landed in Hollywood, I found myself treading the carpet at an Oscars ceremony, hand in hand with my idol Jimmy Stewart. Nothing matters more than dreams. Not even hard work, although one needs to work to support one’s dreams.

- You are the only Pole to be a member of the exclusive Hollywood Foreign Press Association which awards Golden Globes each year. This year, they will be awarded for the 64th time. Do you already have your favorites?

Y.C-H.: I was invited to join the organization six years ago. Golden Globes are not as popular in Poland, but we must remember that they come at the heels of Oscars. A Golden Globe usually means that the recipient will get an Oscar. It is also the second most important TV award, right after the Emmys. The party following the Globes awards has the reputation of “The Best Party in Hollywood.” The greatest actors gather around tables, drink Champaign, eat, and relax, while at the Oscars one sits as in a theater. Actors love coming to the Golden Globes ceremonies.

We are not allowed to say whom we are voting for. Besides, it is a bit too early, because the films which are the top candidates to Oscars or Globes are released only in October. In my opinion, Hellen Miren stands a chance this year for her role in The Queen. The film deals with the problems of the Queen of England after Princess Diana’s death: the shock of tragic disappearance of someone from the royal family.

- You conducted hundreds of interviews with known Hollywood actors and creators. Is there anyone that has a special place in your memory?

Y.C-H.: Mick Jagger was an enormous positive shock for me. I expected a “madman,” and, instead, met an elegant English lord with impeccable manners. Most of my interlocutors are charming and amiable individuals. Nicole Kidman, for instance, asked me not to write anything that her children would ever need to be ashamed of. And Adrian Brody, after the interview, hugged and kissed me, thanking me profusely. Johnny Depp kneeled down on one knee at the Oscars and kissed my hand. You can read my interviews with the stars on my website http://www.yola.stopklatka.pl.