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Angelica Huston, actress, director and producer, and her stepbrother Danny Huston, actor and director.

Angelica Huston, 51, is the daughter of legendary filmmaker John Huston and Russian ballet dancer Rikki Soma. After a brief career as a model, she appeared in her first movie in 1969 and went on to star in over 60 films, including The Royal Tenenbaums, The Adams Family, Manhattan Murder Mystery and Prizzi’s Honour, for which she won an Oscar. The former partner of Jack Nicholson, she now lives in Venice Beach, California with her husband, artist Robert Graham.

Her stepbrother Danny, 40, is the son of John Huston and actress Zoe Sallis, and works as a director and actor. He directed his sister in the 1987 comedy Mr North, and is currently starring in the critically acclaimed independent film Ivan’s XTC. He lives with his second wife, English-born Katie Evans, in Venice, California.

ANGELICA HUSTON: There was always a lot of drama in my family. There was no point really where I wasn’t aware of what my father did. How could I not when there was Gregory Peck in the house in costume as Captain Ahab? He was scary – tall, with a black beard and black top hat. I remember being very struck by Montgomory Clift too, who seemed to me even as a 9-year-old to be very fragile. I think the first time I ever saw him he was crying.

I also remember my first site of Ava Gardner. She had a light fur on and diamonds and turquoise, and I remember being completely blown away by her beauty. And I remember first seeing Marlon Brando; he gave me a tortoiseshell ring with silver inlay and I was really happy about that. He was in a maroon valour sweatshirt and I thought he was rather old to be a movie star. He took long walks in the rain and there was concern that he’d lose himself.

Danny first appeared in my life when my father was making The Bible in Rome. I was in the car in London with my mother, who was separated from Dad, and she said rather abruptly ‘your father wants you to go to Rome’. I arrived in Rome with my brother Tony, was brought up to my father’s hotel room and he came in and said ‘sit down kids, I have wonderful news’. We sat down, he clapped his hands together and said ‘you have a little brother’.

I remember being completely bewildered and confused and it taking a long time to sink in. I went through the expected things, like ’mum isn’t expecting a baby’, but I didn’t know enough to say anything. I remember running out of the room and into the bathroom - I was very upset.

We were then taken into an apartment, and there was Zoe. Zoe was the beautiful Persian English girl who’d been my friend when we lived in Ireland. I used to wonder why my mother would be sour in London when I talked to her about Zoe and how I liked her. Nothing had ever been said and suddenly there was Zoe with Danny, who was about two years old and crawling around and on the floor. I felt very remote, and my brother was much nicer to him than I was. I was feeling pretty alienated from the situation.

Then after about half an hour or so we got up to go. Dad said ‘kiss your little brother goodbye’, and I looked at the toddler who was now in Zoe’s arms, and the toddler looked straight at me and growled. It was like he saw what was going on with me, so I made no approach to kiss him. There was something about that look that was like he completely got where I was at and he was coming up to defend himself.

Many years later my brother Tony got married. He had a very beautiful wedding in Norfolk, and I guess that was the first time I really became conscious of Danny again. I was in my 20s and living in New York modelling, and I remember Danny being there. It was a lovely party and we stayed over night and got along very well. He was tall, funny, and quite Latin at the time – he had a little bit of the Dolce Vita in him even then. He exuded happiness; he was bronzed, free, easy, warm and great.

My father was not very well for many years, and I think Danny and I really became very close over his situation. We were working on the film Mr North together, but Dad was dying while we were making it. One time when things were really bad I showed up not one, but two hours late. Danny just put his arms around me and said it was OK. The idea of being late on the set was a complete nightmare for me.

We were all in Rhode Island together when he died. Danny suffered it with the deepest love and anguish. I think he had a better relationship with my father than all of us because he was the baby. My father was just delighted with Danny. And I think he’s had to take some hard knocks along the way; he’s had his criticism, but he goes for the bigger things. He reminds me of my dad that way, he doesn’t like the petty details. I would work for him any time in any way.

Danny’s always been comforting to me, and we now live very close to each other and I see him all the time; he’s an integral part of my life. He’s grown very wise, he’s a great sounding block, he has great perception, he’s instinctive, a very clear thinker. And he’s very well disposed… very protective of me in a way that moves me. He makes me feel like his younger sister, which I really appreciate.

I remember saying to my father ‘if ever I was to consider incest, it would definitely be with Danny’. You can’t help but love Danny.

DANNY HUSTON: I remember quite a few years ago Anjelica and I driving towards her ranch and the sun was setting and it was a beautiful light. We both looked in each other’s eyes and got lost for a moment. It was a wonderful romantic moment to have with sis.

Her name is Angelica, and she’s exactly that in my life – an angel. She’s my oldest sister and she protects me, guides me, doesn’t mince words - like my father wouldn’t - and so when I have a compliment from her it’s the warmest feeling in the world. She’s somebody who’s always been there for me through any time of crises and also shared joy in my life. She’s beautiful in every aspect.

I feel more of a buddy, a friend, but the protection and safety I feel with her is that of a baby brother. I also feel she’s like my baby sister at times – I feel protective towards her. If, say, a man pays her too much attention I don’t hesitate to grab her hand and drag her away as a jealous boyfriend would.

I also feel she’s like a daughter to me, even if she’s doing something like hosing down the porch in her country place and I see her in the dappled sunlight. I have a feeling that a father would have towards a daughter. I think the Huston gene in a way is what’s happening. Since we don’t have a father we’re both possibly fatherly towards each other and children towards each other.

My first memory of meeting her was in Ireland; this beautiful girl with these long lanky arms and jewellery on her fingers. She would be there for moments, and at that time I believe she was a model in London. The occasion that’s most vivid in my mind is my brother’s wedding in England, where the whole family were spending two or three days together. I remember her being very glamorous: she was going out with Jack Nicholson, and I had all the Hollywood imagery to go with that. I was about 15 and in boarding school in Somerset. It looked very exciting, but then she was very warm and kind towards me, which made me feel there was a safety zone there.

She really took a larger role in my life later on when my father died. My father was basically always in hospital and dying in one way or another. A journalist once asked to what he attributed his longevity, to which he replied ‘surgery’. So I was visiting him in hospital and my sister was there. We drove to the hospital together and she was immediately looking after me. I think us sharing the pain and concern about my father’s health was the first time we became close.

We were summoned once to the hospital by him, and it was always a little scary to be summoned by my father, like being summoned by God. He said to us ‘there’s a certain vulgarity, a bravado that I see in both of you that I also have myself, and it’s not a good thing. You should both stop smoking’. We were so relieved that that was all he wanted to talk about, and we both rushed out to the side of the hospital and immediately lit up cigarettes.

It was around that time I first worked with Anjelica, directing her on

Mr North. She graced my film with her cameo performance, which enabled me to cast other people because she’d said she would do it. She was an ace in our hands. And she was very generous towards me and respectful, so it wasn’t difficult to direct her at all.

I don’t think it changed our relationship working together, but the experience around that time did. We were doing this wonderful light comedy and our father was dying. I remember her arriving late on the set one day because she’d been up all night dealing with various things, and she was so apologetic and like a little girl trembling. I remember holding her in my arms until the trembling subsided. Moments like that were moments we knew we could trust each other and we were close and we were family.

Later on in the filming he passed away and we had to travel back to Los Angeles for the funeral, then back to Rhode Island to finish the film. The way my sister was proud of me for continuing to work in those conditions again sealed our love for each other. It’s not even trust, it’s love.

Now we see each other practically every day. I literally have to cross my street and she’s there. And I’m also very close to my brother-in-law, and she has a lovely relationship with my wife, who’s pregnant. I’m vegetarian and Anjelica loves feeding her meat, which is good.

It’s really turned into something quite wonderful, this nucleus of family. I almost see it as a gift from my father.