On April 17 2002, David Williamson spoke to news.com.au about working with Madonna on her West End debut in Up For Grabs, and how she prefers to be called M, not Madge.
Williamson told the new site that Madonna hates the nickname British newspapers have given her:
“They call her Madge to try to domesticate her and she hates it. One of the actors didn’t realise and called her that in rehearsals and got a fairly sharp response.”
What is your favourite Madonna nickname? What do you call her?
On January 29 2002, Madonna attended the opening of photographer Mario Testino’s exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England.
On November 18 2002, Madonna met Queen Elizabeth II at the world premiere of Die Another Day at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.
Isn’t Madonna adorable when she’s nervous?
On November 16 2002, Madonna’s Die Another Day hit #1 in Canada, Italy and Spain.
On October 10 2002, the music video for Die Another Day premiered on MTV. Helmed by Swedish directing team Traktor, the action-packed short for Madonna’s James Bond theme remains the second most expensive music video of all-time, with production costs surpassing the six-million dollar mark. The clip made its debut as part of an episode of MTV’s Making The Video – Madonna’s first appearance on the series.
Traktor’s Ole Sanders spoke to Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet about Madonna’s involvement in the clip’s development:
“We received daily e-mails with feedback that was concise, unambiguous and occasionally entertaining. She works extremely hard with gumption and detail, and it was clear to us how she has remained on top for twenty years. It was no use being unprepared with vague ideas disguised as creativity, as there was no place to hide.”
The video was filmed at Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California between August 22 and August 27, 2002 – an atypically lengthy shoot by Madonna’s standards, likely due to the complexities of capturing the special effects and stunts featured throughout the Bond-influenced clip.
On August 27 2002, Madonna was listed in Guinness World Records (2003) for Best-Selling DVD Single for What It Feels Like For A Girl.
On April 29 2002, Madonna was featured on the cover of People magazine, because she was a mother over the age of 40.
Today In Madonna History 