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Rosanna Arquette is known for many things, including being the eldest of the Arquette family of famous actors and for her roles in pop culture touchstones such as 1985’s Desperately Seeking Susan and 1994’s Pulp Fiction.
But Arquette, 66, told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that while Toto’s famous song “Rosanna” isn’t necessarily about her, it was definitely inspired by her.
“People come to me about that all the time,” she says with a laugh, explaining that the song was written by Toto’s David Paich in the early 1980s, when she was dating founding member Steve Porcaro.
Although Arquette says the song is not an homage to herself, she believes Paich, 71, definitely borrowed her name for the title. “I was always around them. They were great musicians,” she says.
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While “Rosanna” may not be about her, Arquette admits that one of her popular ballads is actually Peter Gabriel’s 1989 hit “In Your Eyes.”
“It was about me,” she tells PEOPLE of the song, which shot to fame when it was played in a key scene in the movie “Say Anything.” (Arquette and Gabrielle, 75, have been dating for several years and lived together in England for a while.)
“I love musicians. Most of my friends are musicians. Chrissie Hynde is my daughter’s godmother,” Arquette said of the Pretenders’ lead singer.
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“There’s something about the power and energy of music. Music really heals. It’s a language we all understand, and it really communicates without words,” she continues. “It’s just a feeling and I love it.”
Arquette was also briefly married to film composer James Newton Howard in the mid-1980s, and they remain great friends.
Arquette tells PEOPLE that when it comes to being a muse for artists today, she wants to leave that in the past.
“Unless they’re really evolved, in a sense they drain your energy and you just keep giving and giving and you just leave crumbs left for yourself,” she further explains.
Arquette is currently back in the spotlight as she stars in Charlie XCX’s new film The Moment, which is partially inspired by 1984’s This Is Spinal Tap.
She added that while she’s happy to be busy with work again, she’s also happy to be at peace on a personal level after a tumultuous four years, including a divorce and moving to the East Coast.
“I feel like I’ve been released from prison in a way,” Arquette says of her revamped life. “I know I’m ready for anything.”
“The Moment” is currently in theaters.
