ROLLING STONE – MARCH 2008
"Alicia Heidrun: Carving Out A Place in a Man's World"
by Regi Kenwood
It takes a lot to get an interview with Alicia Heidrun—a lot of innovation, and a very flexible schedule. It's only with the promise of strawberry daiquiris that I'm able to lure her out of her photo shoot for a few minutes' break. She's an endlessly busy woman, and she's been at it for hours. But she still looks like she's fresh out of the makeup trailer—nerve-wrackingly gorgeous.
She's all smiles as she joins me and the frosty treats at the table. "Thank you so much for getting these! They're my favorite. I've only got a couple minutes while they set up the bikes for the next shoot. Kind of a tradition."
This obviously isn't the first time Miss Heidrun has been featured in the magazine. The only daughter of energy tycoon William Heidrun and model Nina Kasun, she's been in the spotlight since she was born. At three years old she was already doing commercials, and by age seven she was flying solo in her own magazine cover shoots. After graduating summa cum laude from UCLA, Alicia produced and starred in her own television series, Recess Global, an educational science program for children and adults, covering subjects from basic geology to advanced robotics. The series is critically acclaimed, and is now reaching its tenth season on air. Even with all that media attention, the tabloids never seem to frown at her. I freely call her the golden child of the family, but Alicia is quick to disagree.
"Oh no. I'm the face, but that's just cause I was the girl. Andy's always been the pride and joy, but he works for it."
Andrew Heidrun, 38, is both her brother and partner at Heidrun Global—the energy company he and Alicia inherited from their father. She openly describes them as the head and the heart of the company, with Andrew consistently working on new, more efficient designs while she directs the business decisions and public face. The company is one of the world leaders in energy supply, and gained a new influx of customers after Cyclone Per last year. In an industry of opportunists, Heidrun Global's reputation is as clean as Alicia's media record. They have won a sweep of awards for global peace and assistance, helping the world's inhabitants when the world turns its back.
It's a far cry from modeling, but Alicia says she couldn't be more comfortable after five years. Her brother has been an acting CEO since 2000.
"It's always been a bit of a patriarchy," Alicia admits. "It was my grandfather's company, and then it was my dad's and then it was my brother's. It wasn't until Dad passed that my mother really encouraged me to go to Stanford to finish my education. It's been nice to take a bigger role in the family business. Growing up, I always sort of felt on the fringe, like I hadn't really done anything to earn my name. Now I feel like I'm living up to it."
As far as her relationship with her father goes, Heidrun steadily refuses further comment. She seems completely uninterested in the neglectful relationship the media has painted over her life, but she doesn't swoop in to defend William either. In her memory, he remains a loving and caring father, even if his idea of gender norms were a little outdated.
"I know it seems absurd to say I wouldn't be here without him, but it's not just about the name. If he hadn't been as supportive as he was, there are hundreds of other roads I could have gone down. The television show was sort of a compromise for us. I was still in modeling in acting like he wanted me to be, and at the same time I was learning the aspects of business and science that I wanted to learn. It's been an incredibly formative experience, and I couldn't be more proud of what the show's become."
That's not hard to believe in the slightest. Recess Global has steadily grown to be available in seventy different languages, at least ten of them still performed and voiced by Heidrun herself. Her team has worked to make the program available all over the globe, focusing especially in areas with less global income. This past week, the production crew made a very exciting announcement.
"We're hoping to begin an outreach program to produce the show in different countries," Heidrun says, almost bouncing with excitement. "There's a very hardworking team of professionals organizing with some of the world's best scientists. The idea is that some episodes will take place in other countries, and there will be more chances to bring children onto the show. We really want to make sure that this education can reach the corners of the world, and that we can learn something from the rest of the world in exchange. This isn't just about spreading American knowledge. The show is really trying to live up to its Global name. It's just a really exciting time. It's so relieving to know that I left the show in the right hands."
Heidrun is no longer the star of the show, but she remains a close consultant and observer of the production team. When I ask her if she misses it, she answers without hesitation.
"Absolutely. It was just such a family, you know? Any good production really is, and it should be. Recess just helped me to grow so much as a person, to meet so many people. I'm in the family business now, but I'd go back in a heartbeat if they wanted me for an episode or two."
Many fans would love to have Alicia guest star on her own show, but in the meantime, the show has quite the celebrity line up. Episode specials have been announced with returning guests Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, Mildred Dresselhaus, Jane Goodall, and even some rumors about Tony Stark.
That name spins us off into a new conversation, and I finally get to ask the question I've been dying to ask since she confirmed the interview: Has she heard about People Magazine's poll pairing her with the dreamy CEO of Stark Industries?
"Oh my God, you know I did read that," she laughs. "My PA left that on my desk for me the other day. I don't know where people come up with this stuff. Did the magazine whip that up and have people vote on it or did people actually write that in?"
I tell her that I don't know. Between you and I, I did know. I went online to type in Alicia Heidrun and Tony Stark more than once.
"It's really hilarious," she goes on after laughing for a few more minutes. "I mean, people can hope and dream for what they want, but you should know that it's not real. I've only run into Tony a handful of times at one benefit or the other. I promise you guys will be the first to know if that changes."
It's only another minute or two before her PA returns to retrieve her. Miss Heidrun has a long day ahead of her—photos to shoot, a business to run, and a world to change. Just before she leaves, I run a few title ideas by her. We decided on this one with one condition.
"I really don't like the phrase 'man's world,'" Alicia Heidrun says as she drains the last of her drink. "It's one thing to recognize all the privileges men have, and the rampant discrimination, but I don't like saying it like that. The more we use that phrase, the more control men think they have now. Saying it's a man's world makes it sound like men have owned the world and women have just been guests, and I don't think that's ever been true. Women are powerful—we're just not being given the credit where credit is due. Make sure you say that. It's our world too."
Regi Kenwood, 2008
"Could you possibly be any more vain?" Andy asked, straightening his tie as he walked into the living room.
"It is not vain to read articles about yourself," Alicia said from the couch, not even glancing up from the magazine in her hands. She flipped a page, then took another sip of wine from the glass beside her. "I just like knowing what's being said about me."
"Ali, you are the one that said it."
"Yeah, but I didn't say all of it. I mean, 'helping the world's inhabitants when the world turns its back?' That's a little much, don't you think?"
"Yeah. I thought the same thing when I read it." He winked at her, and patted his pockets for his keys.
"See? You read them too! How is that any different?"
"I'm just looking out for you. I need to know how to protect my little sister from the big bad world. It's a very different thing."
"Please. Like you don't have every episode of TMZ recorded where they even mention you."
Andy shrugged, but didn't make any attempt to deny her claim. "Anyway, thank you for lunch. I'm headed back to my place. I've got some new designs I want to get to Creed before month end."
"Alright. I'll come by to pick you up on Wednesday."
"Shit. That's this Wednesday, isn't it?"
"Yeah, Andy. We've been talking about it all afternoon."
"I know, but…Wednesday. God."
Alicia looked over at him as he stared out the wide window. His cheeks were already hollowing out as he chewed at the skin inside of his mouth, a far away look in his eye. She uncrossed her legs and stood up from the couch, walking up beside him to hold him by his shoulders. "Andy, we've got this. We are more than prepared for this presentation. If they take the bait, then we are literally set for the next ten, twenty years of this company. And if they don't, then we keep working. We've got a good thing here. They'll see that."
"I know it's good. I know it up here." He tapped at his forehead, which he promptly rested on Alicia's shoulder. "I just know I'm shit at getting it to come out of my mouth."
"Well that's why you've got me." She ran a hand over his hair, hugging him lightly. "I'll go over the notes, and I can head the presentation if you need me too. You're the brains, I'm the face, remember?"
"You're the mouthpiece," he corrected. "And the energy, and the heart. I don't know how we got along before you joined up."
"Just luck, probably." She laughed and dodged his poke at her ribs before kissing the top of his head. "Go on. Go work on your brainiac designs. I've got a speech to brush up on."
"Alright, I'm gone." Andy kissed her on the cheek, spinning his car keys around his index finger as he walked toward the door. He paused when he opened it, turning back to her with a sly grin. "All kidding aside, it's a great picture of you." Alicia couldn't help but chuckle as he bowed out of her apartment.
She paced back across her living room, grabbing the abandoned magazine and wine glass and heading for the window. The California sun was shining, glinting off the buildings and cars outside of her penthouse apartment as it sank behind the horizon. They'd had a late lunch to go over the generator pitch, but she still had a considerable amount of the evening ahead of her. She thought about calling Prisha, asking her to set up a reservation for dinner, maybe even a trip to the spa. Or she could go down to the beach to surf or read. It looked like the rain that had plagued them for the last couple of days was finally starting to roll past the city. It'd be clear skies through and through.
But the pitch still weighed in the back of her mind. It would be better to stay in and get some work done. She'd finish her wine, and then start making plans for the layout of the presentation. Work out, take a shower, order some take out, and watch a movie in her pajamas while she ate. She was feelings a comedy tonight. She needed to wind down.
Alicia swirled the liquid in her glass before downing the rest of her sweet wine. She looked down at the issue of Rolling Stone, her own face looking up at her from the cover. They'd gone with the bike photo shoot for the cover. There she was, half-sitting and half-lying down on the black and chrome motorcycle. It looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, all chrome pipes that helped it run on a combination of charged electricity and air power. The shoot manager had promised to send her the specs on it by the end of the month. It was fascinating.
She herself was dressed in black leather—typical of the Rolling Stones style. But the leather pants looked good against the bike, and while the cropped leather jacket wasn't at all practical, it looked nice enough. All that mattered was that she was smiling, caught mid-laugh by the newbie photographer. It made the whole thing feel genuine. Despite all the make-up and the scanty clothes, she looked like a real person. That was really what she tried to hang onto when she got caught up in the media whirlwind. She still wanted to feel like she was real.
The magazine fell back to the coffee table and she rinsed out the wine glass in the sink. Instead of sitting down in her office, she grabbed her tablet of notes and headed to her bedroom, flipping through the pages as she walked. It was more of a precautionary measure than anything else. Andy and she had been prepping for this presentation for months, even over a year. She knew exactly what she wanted to say. It was just a matter of figuring out the best way to say it.
She stripped out of her casual clothes, pulling on a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra. Her hair was clipped up on top of her head, and she grabbed a work out towel from the pile sitting next to her closet.
The gym was on the west side of her apartment, with a wall of glass that looked out over the ocean. Already there was a line of bonfires sprouting on the coastline, and the sky was tinged with purple. Alicia laid the tablet aside, pulling up the same file on the screen in front of her elliptical, ready to read as she ran. It was peaceful for her. Running focused her mind. It was her favorite way to multi-task her responsibilities by far—except for maybe drinking.
She grabbed a water bottle from the fridge by the door, and allowed herself a sip before dropping it next to the machine. She plugged in her playlist and cranked up the volume. It was time to get to work.
"All you women who want a man of the street
Don't know which way you wanna turn
Just keep coming
And put your hand out to me
Cause I'm the one who's gonna make you burn."
A/N: Hey guys! It is I again! Returning to the fic world now that my college career is complete. This story happens to be coming out first simply because Civil War just came out, which I've already seen twice, but I assure you that none of the other stories will be discontinued. I'm already working on the next chapter of Right Beside You, and we'll spend some time here with Tony as well.
I don't want to bombard you guys too much, so just know that I'm super glad to be back, and can't wait to hear from you guys! Thanks for showing your interest while I've been on hiatus, and welcome if you're a new reader! You can check out the companion visuals for these stories on my tumblr blog - thetenthdoctorscompanion.
Hoping to talk to you guys a lot more in the coming months!
Brittney