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Martha Hayes, we want your job! // The Entertainment Editor

Martha Hayes, Marie Claire’s Entertainment Editor

The career equivalent of being an ‘It girl’ but actually using your brain; being the Entertainment Editor at a glam glossy like Marie Claire combines all the things we love in one delicious fashion cocktail.

Parties? Check. Premiers? Done. Chewing the fat with James Franco? YES PLEASE.

Martha Hayes explains how travelling the world, meeting Tom Hardy and going VIP at Coachella is all in a day’s work. Plus what to wear when meeting your Hollywood heroes and how L’Wren Scott pays an intriguing compliment.

Martha Hayes Marie Claire

Entertainment Editor at Marie Claire is a dream job title; what does your average day look like?
There is no average day! Often though, I’m at my desk reading emails, chasing PRs for interviews, dreaming up ideas with my team and creating features.

Is it hard to focus on one thing?
Well, I write about everything from TV to film, music to culture, trends and food and drink. No week is the same and I have to keep up with the latest releases. My evenings are never quiet. I might be trying a new restaurant or checking out an up-and-coming artist. I could approach Monday thinking I’ve got quite a quiet week but by Wednesday I’ll have interviewed a Hollywood star.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an actress, but my nerves always got the better of me and I realised I preferred writing to performing. I was obsessed with magazines as a teenager, cutting out pictures into scrapbooks and refusing to throw any away but for some reason it took me until I had finished studying to realise I could actually make a career out of them!

What’s been your career highlight so far?
Every time I interview somebody really famous, I have a bit of an OMG moment, and hopefully that’ll never change and I won’t end up too jaded!

But what’s been a real career bonus has been the opportunity to write travel features for Marie Claire. I hadn’t been out of Europe when I joined the magazine nearly three years ago. Now I’ve been to Vietnam, Belize and the States. Having a VIP experience of Coachella has definitely been the highlight so far. It was like another world.

Mixing with celebrities must mean you occasionally come across a difficult one. How do you put a positive spin on that?
When a celebrity is difficult, your heart sinks (especially if you were a fan!) and it feels like the worst thing in the world. But actually, I’ve come to realise it often makes for better copy. People don’t want to read gushy interviews and it’s hard not to be gushy when they’re totally lovely.

I’ve interviewed actors like Tom Hardy and James Franco who aren’t ‘easy’ interviews because they don’t ‘play the game’ as such. It makes the whole experience slightly unsettling, but without that spontaneity, it wouldn’t be half as interesting.

Joseph Gordon Levitt

Which celebrity has surprised you?
I was nervous before interviewing Joseph Gordon Levitt. Every article I read in preparation gave the impression that he didn’t like talking to the media. With 1,000 words to write, I obviously panicked. And I liked him too, so I didn’t want to be disappointed. I did my research, we found common ground to chat about and he seemed to relax. He was just really normal and private but up front about it and had a really dry sense of humour. I came away liking him even more.

Who’s the most stylish celeb you’ve interviewed?
I’ve interviewed Scarlett Johansson (much to my boyfriend’s delight) and Jessica Chastain who I love, but Elizabeth Olsen really stands out. It’s not just her style, she’s just so pretty. I was slightly obsessed with her afterwards. Nothing to do with her complimenting the cheap vintage dress I was wearing at all!

How sweet! I imagine it makes you even more style conscious as a result. As a general rule then, do you think a lot about what to wear for important interviews? Any tips?
I always have a slight sartorial meltdown before an interview, but ultimately I think you have to dress as yourself because you’ll look and feel more comfortable that way.

Remember, that scraggy but much-loved vintage blouse might feel a bit boring because you’ve worn it to bars, meetings, festivals, you name it, but the person you’re interviewing has never seen it. So team it with that new skirt, statement accessories and hold your head up high.

I remember asking (Mick Jagger’s other half) L’Wren Scott about her style and she replied, ‘I want to talk about yours…’ It was a compliment. I think…

Is there a Marie Claire ‘uniform’? Does everyone stalk the office top-to-toe in Jonathan Saunders?
No one person looks the same in the office and that’s what I love about it. There are certainly some super stylish types, and generally people are very polished with the standard manicure and good hair. There’s also a lovely sense of ‘dress how you want to dress’. The vibe is overwhelmingly positive meaning that team really experiment with their individual looks and compliment each other.

How does Marie Claire differentiate between ‘fashion’ and ‘style’? How important is style to actors and musicians you speak to?
I’d say they go hand in hand. Marie Claire features fashion to inspire readers to develop their own sense of style. Style is definitely important to most actors and musicians – it goes with the territory – I love hearing about their different interpretations of style.

Drifters E4

Finally, what are your insider entertainment tip-offs for this year?
The remake of Carrie, starring Chloe Grace Moretz will create a buzz. I’m looking forward to that. I also can’t wait for Drifters on E4 later this autumn written and starring Jessica Knappett. It’s dubbed the UK’s answer to Girls so expectations are high.

Follow Martha on Twitter: MarthaHayes_MC

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