LOS ANGELES—“I was out being a bad girl last night,” said Mariah Carey who showed up for this interview with barely two hours of sleep.

The singer-actress proceeded to a private party after attending a reception following the Hollywood premiere of the acclaimed “Precious” in which she has a small but memorable role.

Apparently, it was a party worth staying up for until the wee hours. According to a friend who was there, he and a few others were the only ordinary mortals in the bash hosted by “Precious” co-executive producer Tyler Perry. He said everywhere he turned, he saw a big star, from Oprah Winfrey to Will Smith.

Either Mariah was still giddy from getting a compliment for her portrayal of a social worker from no less than the great Sidney Poitier at the party, or simply from lack of sleep. Either way, we loved her at this interview—she was fun, campy and yes, very diva-like.

“I am still not a grown-up,” Mariah declared at one point. “I refuse to grow up. I’m eternally 12. And you can write that next to my age.” We’re happy to comply. She’s 39.

Mariah certainly looked good for someone who only slept a few winks. She wore a cleavage-baring brown shirt, black skirt, knee high boots and a necklace with a diamond pendant of her initials (a gift designed by her actor-singer husband, Nick Cannon). The look is quite a contrast from how she appears in “Precious,” which was directed by Lee Daniels. Imagine Mariah with a light mustache and no makeup. And no flattering lighting. “Overhead lighting, all fluorescent,” she said. “Hideous, very hideous.”

Can you talk about filming that moving scene with Mo’Nique and Gabourey Sidibe?

They’re phenomenal actresses. It was really tough because the scene is so pivotal. That’s when you find out what’s the abuse that Gabby’s character has gone through. I felt like I was representing the audience as the social worker because she is so shocked. But I had to try to be strong through the emotions of the scene. Mo’Nique and her character are very strong and I felt that if this social worker were to break down, it wouldn’t be real. Mary, Mo’Nique’s character, would take over. She’d get her money. She could get whatever so I had to really hold in a lot of emotions. At one point, I broke down and I had one tear. I tried to hide it from the ladies … It was a tough scene but we got through them.

After “Glitter” and other movies, people are taken by surprise at your fine performance in “Precious.”

I don’t know why (laughs) honestly, but I have been working. I work with someone who I feel is very talented. I’m studying (acting). I’ve always felt that I needed to act. Acting is a whole other side of my creativity. I’m so thankful to Lee for the chance to express this and for people just to be able to see that even though I wasn’t very happy with the look. But that’s another story (laughs).

So can you tell us how you got up after those lows?

It’s scarier during the fall. You center yourself. I have a lot of faith in God since I was a little girl. My mother used to tell me, “Don’t say, ‘If I make it.’ Say, ‘When I make it.’” I know that is what I want to do—every aspect of acting, singing, entertaining. That’s how I got up because I can’t let anything keep me down. I’ve always had to be a survivor since I was a little girl so I refuse to let them get me down.

Lee Daniels and Oprah Winfrey told us how they admired you for agreeing to do away with the glamorous look for this movie.

Lee is very creative. If he wants to put you through hell to try and make you get where he thinks you need to be, he knows how to do it. I love him. I respect him so much. He called me two days before we shot this film. I was told that there was another actress and I almost feel weird saying it because I don’t know that it’s true. I was told that Helen Mirren was supposed to play that role because she and Lee have worked together in the past.

Lee was like, “But I can make you over. I am going to make you. I’m going to do it this and that way and whatever.” So I said, “Okay.” I trust Lee and I feel very comfortable working with him. I just said, “Whatever you want.” They put some nice red stuff under my eyes and the little mustache and it was so pretty. I had to really let go of vanity, any type of vain situation like my good side, my bad side. Honestly, at the end of the day, who cares because you are just trying to make up for how bad I look in the movie (laughs).

No really, it’s about the inside and what I had to do, more than anything. Physically, I had to strip down everything that I am—
mannerisms, the movement of my hands, the way I speak and obviously, I’m using a different accent. I had to become a completely different woman. I had to try and put myself in my character’s shoes and what it felt like every day to be with people just asking you for money.

The word “diva” used to be a word for an opera singer, but now it has different connotations. For you, is “diva” negative or positive?

Diva is a compliment. My mother is an opera singer. She came to New York to go to Juilliard at 16 and she made her debut at Lincoln Center. She was always singing. She was a vocal coach as well. So she was very much the diva. Knowing the way my mother speaks which is like that, I was like, okay, I guess that means she’s very much the diva and she’s fabulous. I would meet these people and they would always be just so talented and amazing. That’s what I looked at as what a diva meant but everybody is a diva now. You could be the diva of cupcakes like it doesn’t matter. Maybe I’m the diva of cupcakes. I don’t know.

What did you learn from filming this movie where you had to do away with the trappings of a diva?

It’s hard for me to explain it. Last night—and I don’t even know if I should go into this long story—but it made me feel really good. My mother’s favorite actor and one of mine, Sidney Poitier, was at this party that I was at. Sidney gave me the biggest compliment. We had a really nice dialogue about the film and the part. He was talking about my acting. He’s a very nice man but he really was very sincere. He’s a legend. He said he almost didn’t recognize me in the movie. We’ve been around each other quite a few times so I discovered that I don’t have to try and be perfect. It’s just a weird dichotomy because in the music business, it’s all about glitz and videos. If one hair strand was out of place, it’s like, “Oh my goodness, fix her hair.” It’s two different worlds and that’s why I think it’s so hard for people to cross over.

You seem very happy today. But may I ask which character in the movie did you identify with, the one whose pain resonated with you the most?

I would have to say Precious because I always felt like an outsider when I was growing up. It’s very difficult when you come from an interracial family. There’s a part in the movie when Precious asks my character, “What color are you?” My father’s black, my mother’s white and that always made me feel very much like an outsider. My parents were divorced and we moved around a lot.

My mom didn’t really know how to do my hair. Her hair is naturally straight. We didn’t have a lot of money. It was difficult. What she went through nobody should go through. I’ve had certain situations that I wouldn’t talk about in public ever, except maybe when I write my memoirs someday.

Why not write that book now?

A lot of the things that went on in my childhood were not really my fault because I was a kid. I just don’t want to upset others. These are not evil people. No one even has an idea what I’m talking about, but I don’t want somebody to see one inaccuracy. That type of thing. My family is very sensitive. Maybe it could be a collaborative thing. I just want to live my life. I do want to write my book. LA Reid, the chairman of my record company, wanted me to do a documentary about my life. I see why he would want me to do it now. But I just have to go over some things with other people in order to get to a point where we’re like, “Okay, we’re not going to hate each other after this thing.”

How challenging was it for you emotionally to sing at the memorial service for Michael Jackson, especially since you were the first performer?

Nobody told me about the casket. I thought it was more of a concert type thing. I didn’t know that he was going to be there in the casket. All of a sudden it was like, “Mariah you’re going first.” That was it and that was like, “Oh, okay,” because I’ve never sung at a funeral. I’ve always said that I’ll break down. I can’t handle that. I can’t sing when my throat is closing up.

I did know Michael. I had several conversations with him. I performed with him a couple of times and obviously, I did a version of “I’ll Be There.” What was it like singing at the memorial? It was very difficult because like I said, when you’re singing and you’re crying … I got through it but it was very tough, emotionally.

What are the imperfections of Mariah Carey?

You don’t want to be here all day. I’m very hard on myself. I have too many friggin’ issues. It’s difficult for me to relax. I work myself into the ground but I’m a nice friend and a good person.

Can you tell us about your bok choy diet? Are you still on it?

Bok choy is kind of like spinach. It is very healthy and my nutritionist told me that if I eat it every day, I’ll live to be 110. I haven’t really been eating bok choy that much lately. When I don’t sleep enough, I guess, but I have my soda here so that’s good. I’ll be back on the diet when I return to New York. The nutritionist would chop it up, steam it, but he might give me a little bit of rice with it, too. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got.

What are your dreams and goals in the next 10 years?

I hate those questions because then I’m going to think, I’m not 12 (laughs). Since I got married last year, I’m thinking family stuff but I also have a lot of other projects and things that are going on. I just put out this album (“Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel”), so I probably have to go on tour which I love doing. But it’s grueling because you travel so much. It’s tough but I really do love it.

Maybe start a family?

Family? My puppy, Cha-Cha, is pregnant. She’s very little. She’s a Jack Russell. She’s having two babies very soon. I actually flew the vet with me here in New York. I’m serious because she could give birth at any time. She’s probably going to need a C-section but nobody cares about that. It’s all about this movie right now.

E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585
@yahoo.com and read his blog, “The Nepales Report,” on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.