It’s been over 20 years since Coyote Ugly hit the movie theaters, and award-winning singer LeAnn Rimes looks at how things changed for her playing the role of Violet Sanford.
Owning Her Sexuality
In a recent interview with The Guardian , LeAnn Rimes talks about how Coyote Ugly brought out her sexuality. She says, “I didn’t feel comfortable in my own sexuality yet, so I had to do a lot of pretending to play the part of a woman with confidence.”
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Child Star
Unlike not so many singers or Hollywood cute faces, Rimes had an early rise to fame. Born in 1982 and raised in Texas, the How Do I Live star signed her first record deal at 13.
Protected Image
Being a child star at the time meant she was viewed with eyes looking at her as adorable. Revealing to The Guardian , Rimes mentions an early career like hers also meant she was always protected and “wholesome.”
Youngest Grammy Winner
By the time the star singer turned 14, she had already solidified her fame. For her cover of Blue , a country classic, she went on to win a Grammy — making her the youngest person ever to do so.
Rise To Fame
By 2000, Rimes’ song, Can’t Fight the Moonlight , became a smash hit that pushed her further into the pop music market. At the time, the song was number one in 12 countries globally.
A New Side
Still speaking in the interview, the 40-year-old singer recounts her time filming Coyote Ugly to be her exploring a new path. She said the movie production revealed a “different side” of herself she wasn’t aware of and “wanted to explore.”
Need For Autonomy
Referring to how she felt during the production and after filming, Rimes said, “not only was I turning into a woman aesthetically, but this moment marked a pivotal point of asserting my need for autonomy professionally.”
Felt A Shared Similarity
Rimes said she felt connected and similar to her character after performing her hit song in the bar scene. In the movie, Violet gets a job at a woman-run bar where they perform for their patrons. And with the help of her coworkers, the character also becomes more confident about her sexuality and ability to sing.
An Extra Scene
LeAnn Rimes also shared that after production for the movie had wrapped, the director was keen on adding her song, Can’t Fight the Moonlight , into a scene at the end. According to her, everybody came together, and “being on set was like a big reunion for the cast and crew.”
She added, “everyone was in good spirits, it was super sweet and supportive, but the outfit and the performance were a big change for me. I didn’t feel comfortable in my own sexuality yet.”
Boobs Growth
Rimes goes on to talk about the bar scene and how the day of filming went. She says the costume department gave her “chicken fillets” to wear, and being naive, she asked, “What am I supposed to do with these?” Then someone explained: “You’re meant to put them in your shirt; they make your boobs bigger.” She said it was a shocker but was ready to “explore.”
Shock To The System
In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight , Rimes said the entire shoot was a shocking and learning experience for her. “It was interesting. It was quite a shock to the system. I was a kid looking at these women going, ‘I’ll just do what she’s doing.’ Nothing was really embodied.”
She Had To Do It
Growing up, she wanted to prove she could scale through with the task. She also told ET at the time, “I was trying to be this sexy singer performing at a bar, and that was so opposite of me. I was really acting at the time ’cause I was still figuring all that out about myself.”
Different Story Now
Continuing her statement to ET, she said, “now, if you put me on a bar, it’s a different story… Now with all of my music, there’s so much more of an embodied experience since I’ve lived these songs.”
Her Music Video
After the release of the movie and the success of her song, Rimes added some clips from the film to her official music video for Can’t Fight the Moonlight .”
An Introduction For Rimes
In her interview with The Guardian , she refers to using clips from the movie in her music video as the introduction to owning her sexuality publicly.” She said, “the video for this song became a kind of introduction to my sexuality, something I could own myself.”
Movie Complexity
The star singer referred to the movie as multilayered when explaining its plot. In her words, “the film was multilayered, but it was centered on women selling sex, whereas for most of my career, my identity had been the opposite.”
A Shot At Part 2?
In 2020, rumors about a sequel to 2000’s Coyote Ugly were in the air after Rimes revealed to Entertainment Tonight that the cast had been looking into rebooting or making a next part.
Chance Accepted, If Given
At the time, Rimes and co-star Piper Parebo were willing to “get back on that bar” if the chance presented itself. Speaking with The Guardian , Rimes said, “to be 40 and in a place of thriving is something that not many child stars can say they have achieved. And as for dancing – if I’m given the chance, I’ll get up on a bar, no question.”
Her Father Case
Remember LeAnn Rimes’ Fight for independence? After her appearance in the movie and the global success of her song, Rimes wanted to move past the child star image when she began a lawsuit against her father. She claimed he reportedly took over $7 million of her earnings while acting as her manager.
