EXCLUSIVEApollonia Kotero Dishes On Her Fondest Memories From Filming 'Purple Rain,' Her New Podcast & Things Fans Might Not Know About Prince
Singer, actress and now podcast host!
Apollonia Kotero famously starred alongside Prince in his epic 1980s musical Purple Rain, and it was only one of many incredible projects helmed by the longtime friends.
As the musical nears its 40th anniversary, Kotero sits down with OK! to reminisce about some of her fondest memories with the rock legend, and she reveals how he helped inspire her latest career venture.
Since its debut in 1984, Purple Rain has been renowned as an energetic, passionate and poignant flick that is so timeless, Kotero herself can hardly believe it's been nearly four decades since its release.
"It seems like only yesterday," Kotero replies when asked how it feels to have the movie approach such an incredible milestone. "It's just so strange how the times are today, and of course, we lost two years with the pandemic ... it's just kind of like it was like obscurity there for a moment. It just doesn't seem that long."
Purple Rain
Reflecting back on when she was first asked to be a part of the rock musical, she spills what excited her most about the film was, of course, "working with the rock star, Prince" but also that it allowed herself to showcase so many of her skill sets all at once.
"It enabled me to act, sing and dance, so it was a great opportunity for an actor, and you know," she says, adding playfully, "It made me feel like I was one of those MGM studio actresses."
PRINCE'S VAULT OF SECRETS: SINGER TOOK 'THOUSANDS OF HOURS' OF MUSIC TO THE GRAVE
One of her favorite memories from set was the day they shot the famed Lake Minnetonka plunge where Kotero stripped down and leapt into the freezing cold water.
“I'm a certified polar bear now. That's pretty wild," she tells OK!, noting she never expected to do anything like that in her acting career. "I remember reading it and I thought, 'Ah, that's easy.' It wasn't.”
Seth Neblett and Apollonia Kotero
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Kotero also recalls something fans might not realize about the legendary rocker — his knack for comical celebrity impressions.
"He was really funny. He loved doing voices," she recalls. "Jimmy Cagney, he would try to do Jerry Lewis ... he would even do imitations of Eddie Murphy and then he would do Eddie Murphy doing Prince.”
Although Kotero and Prince enjoyed years of creative collaboration, she confesses the "When Doves Cry" artist had plans for even more projects together before his unexpected passing. Now, years later, the Apollonia 6 singer claims "it doesn't seem like it's been six years."
"I know that the fans know that he lives on forever through his music," she notes. "He speaks through his songs. I say that when God created Prince, he composed the most perfect song of because Prince’s music."
Apollonia Studio 6 Podcast
Just as Prince's legacy lives on through his music, Kotero also still finds herself inspired by the Grammy winner. In fact, she recently launched her Prince-inspired podcast "Apollonia Studio 6" alongside cohost Seth Neblett, who, in her words, "comes from music royalty."
"My mother was in a group in the '70s called Funkadelic," he explains in a surprise cameo appearance in the interview. "She was a very good friend of Prince’s and she was in his film Graffiti Bridge, and he kind of brought me and this beautiful woman together. So, we are continuing his legacy, sharing some great stories on our podcast so people will really enjoy it.”
As far as the theme goes, Kotero puts it simply: "It's about having fun."
"I always have friends come over to my house and we always have food. We have music, people sing and dance, and that's basically what we're doing," she continues, referring to the upbeat and friendly vibe of the show. "We've been isolated for two years, so this is a form of communication for us, a platform to talk."
Throughout the years, Kotero remains grateful to the "Kiss" singer. "Thanks to Prince I have this career," she adds. "It gave me an opportunity to have a podcast and invite my friends and goof around."
Tune in to see Neblett and Kotero on "Apollonia Studio 6," which can be viewed exclusively on her AS6 YouTube channel.
