She isn’t a household name just yet, but the artistically denominated Monet Mazur appears to have the goods to make the transition from pretty supporting player to respected leading lady. The 29-year-old Los Angeles native, a diamond in such rough stuff as “Monster-in-Law,” “Torque” and “Just Married,” shines in director Stephen Woolley’s intriguing biopic “Stoned,” which opens Friday. The film examines the mysterious circumstances surrounding the drowning death of Rolling Stones guitarist and co-founder Brian Jones at his English countryside estate in 1969. Mazur plays Jones’ girl-friend, model Anita Pallenberg.
QUESTION: How did you wind up getting “Stoned?”
MONET MAZUR: Stephen was having a hard time finding someone to play Anita. I’d done a photo shoot in a magazine that somebody showed Stephen because they thought I looked like her. He’d been looking mainly at European actresses up until then, and didn’t expect to find some girl from Malibu to play Anita.
Q: Your father, artist Ruby Mazur, has a famous connection to the Stones, right?
MM: Yeah. He designed this logo with lips and a tongue for the album sleeve of “Sticky Fingers,” and it wound up becoming the band’s symbol.
Q: If you had to choose one, who would it be, the Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
MM: Ooh, tough one. Back in the day I’d pick the Stones for sure, but the older I get I’d say the Beatles. I don’t know — they’re toe-to-toe. Is that allowed? Can I be an equal Stones and Beatles fan?
Q: We’ll give you that, but no equivocating on this next one: Name your three favorite Stones tunes.
MM: “Waiting on a Friend,” “Paint it Black” and, uh … um … “Angie.”
Q: And your favorite Rolling Stone? MM: Probably Keith. I have this great T-shirt with Keith Richards on it that says “Too tough to die.” I believe he really is, too.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 24, 2006. Read the original PDF.