Oh Eartha!

The famed Catwoman, still sexy at 79, spoke to the Enquirer about everything under the sun, by phone from her Connecticut home. Here are some of Eartha Kitt's gems that didn't fit our story that will run in tomorrow's Enquirer (the photo above is courtesy of Gannett):

Favorite songs – I like to sing songs that are simple but very profound – the way they used to write songs, (like) Gershwin and Cole Porter. Sondheim writes very profound songs, but they’re very, very difficult.

Today's best songwriters – Sondheim is one of the most intelligent writers for stage production. For pop songs I think Sting is very good. He wrote a song for me for Yzma, the character I played for Disney’s (animated feature), "The Emperor’s New Groove." And I like Elton John.

On getting inside a lyric – Finding a way to connect it to something that I'm aware of, or of feelings that I have been through before.

The lost art of communication – It's no longer a world where only you and I have a conversation. You connected with one person. ... Recently, I went to see a pop artist in an arena. (People) were going to get beer and popcorn. It was like being at a baseball game. These big arena things – I don't see how you would ever get connected with anything.

Growing up in Harlem – The only music that I heard in Harlem was from the jukebox – Billy Eckstine and Lady Day (Billie Holiday). And Fats Waller, a piano player. Earl Hines, going to the Apollo Theater. But I don't think that made such an influence on me, because I was also a member of the Salem Methodist Church Choir.

An ear for language – Because I was at 115th St. and Madison Ave., where all these immigrants were – Cubans, Puerto Ricans, from all over the world in that neighborhood. So you want play with the kid next door, you’ve got to learn the language.

Survived Hollywood – It was because I could also go off and do theater. I didn't need Hollywood. I don't need Hollywood. I had a beautiful house in Beverly Hills just for me and my daughter, with two acres of land, and I never had to leave my reservation. I did not become a part of Hollywood. And I didn't think of myself as a black person doing the character – I just thought of me as Kitt doing the character. And I still think that way.

On being a role model – Once you start thinking of yourself as an African-American, as a Chinese-American -- we're just American. I go in to do a character as an American, and I'm Eartha Kitt. I have refused to do characters that have been stereotypes, because I'm not a stereotype person.

On being blacklisted for her anti-Vietnam views and finding work in Europe in the 60s – I never left America. I went where I could get a job. ... There are both sides of a coin. And I get ideas from both sides and then I come to my own conclusions. I am for the good of America, and I'm for the good of any religion. There is good and bad in everything.

How she researched Catwoman – I am Catwoman, so there was nothing to research! Because I love cats. I have a lot of cats and love Burmese cats, particularly. They're so teasing.

Listens to opera – Maria Callas is my favorite. My favorite opera was (Puccini’s) "Suor Angelica" with Maria Callas. Not that she had the greatest voice in the world, but her interpretation of the words was so good.

Memory tool – Needlepoint. It's a memory connecting thing that helps me also learn my lyrics. My whole house – rugs, pillows furniture – everything is needlepointed. I hope when I'm gone that somebody auctions them off. I do things that are very simple.

How she'll spend her 80th birthday, Jan. 17 – We're talking about doing Carnegie Hall in the year of my 80th birthday.

80 is the new 40 – I have the potion that makes me feel like I'm 40. I try to live without a lot of pressure. Know when enough is enough, because having more than enough is bringing on pressure.