LeAnn Rimes is reflecting on how she shed her “America’s sweetheart” image and embraced her sexuality after starring as herself in the movie Coyote Ugly.
The singer and actress, who rose to fame in 1996 at the age of 13 with the success of her hit song “Blue,” was only 17 when she appeared in a cameo on “Coyote Ugly.”
At the finale of the 2000 musical drama, Rhimes, wearing a low-cut, backless crop top and snakeskin leather pants, performed a duet of the film’s theme song, “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” with lead actress Piper Perabo, while dancing at the bar counter of the film’s title.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, the two-time Grammy winner recalled that her iconic cameo was a turning point in her career.
“That was kind of my introduction to sexiness and selling sex,” said Rhimes, now 43.
“I mean, really, I was ‘America’s Sweetheart’ until I got hung up on the bar and then that was it all,” she continued. “I mean, I was like, ‘What should I do?’
“Now I know what to do in a bar, but back then it was really good editing,” Rhimes joked. “You’re really good at editing.”
The film follows Violet Sanford, a shy, aspiring songwriter who moves to New York to pursue her dreams and ends up working at a wild bar called Coyote Ugly.
At the bar, a female bartender known as “Coyote” dances on the counter while pouring drinks and whipping the crowd into a high-energy frenzy.
“Coyote Ugly” was a huge hit, earning $113 million worldwide and later achieved cult classic status.
“Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” written by Diane Warren and recorded by Rimes, reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Rhimes recently recreated the famous final scene from Coyote Ugly at Nashville’s Coyote Ugly Saloon in a video she shared on Instagram on February 20th.
In the clip, Rimes lip-syncs to “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” while dancing at a counter with her “9-1-1 Nashville” castmates Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Jessica Capshaw, Mackenzie Porter, Hailey Kilgore and Juani Feliz.
“Nashville, does this bar serve water…” Rhimes wrote in the caption, referencing one of the movie’s famous lines.
“Someone please call 911 because my girls were having a little fun in between filming #coyoteugly #cantfightthemoonlight #911nashville @911nashville,” she added. “A huge thank you to @coyoteuglysaloonnash for inviting us and the ladies of Bada for teaching us the moves!”
During an appearance on “Good Morning America,” Rhimes shared the story behind the viral post.
“‘Coyote Ugly’ will live on forever. It’s been 26 years since we shot this movie, I was 17 years old, and like all the girls, we’ve grown up together,” she said of her co-stars.
“They all grew up with this movie, and it was my idea to bring them to a bar in Nashville,” Rhimes continued. “We sent a group text message and everyone was like, ‘Let’s go. I’ve always wanted to go to a bar.'” They were so excited. ”
Rhimes previously spoke about the most shocking moment she remembers from filming her cameo.
“Here’s the chicken cutlet I got in my top. Here you go,” Rhimes told Entertainment Tonight in 2018.
“I’m 17 years old. My mom was so happy because that was the only bar I danced in. She knew that. Thank you, mom,” Rhimes joked. “And literally, they (said) you were going to dance at the bar, and they said, ‘This is your outfit. This is your chicken cutlet.'” …I mean, literally, it’s like, ‘What do we do with this?’ How do I put this in? I had no idea. That’s what I remember. ”
Rimes also shared his thoughts on “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” after recording a new rendition of the song on his June 2018 EP, Re-Imagined.
“Oh my god. What was really crazy about this song was that it was an international success. It went to number one in 11 countries. I think it was,” she said.
“It didn’t do us any good in the U.S.,” Rhimes continued. “It was revived almost two years later and became a Top 20 hit in the United States.”
“I don’t know, but it’s strange how the universe works,” she added. “It’s weird how things turn around. I didn’t expect it. You never know what’s going to happen. It’s really crazy that it’s been this successful.”
