TILTING THEIR HOT FACES TOWARD SUMMER FANS : ‘Spaceballs’ ’ Zuniga Commits Free Time to Worthy Causes

Many people spend their off time regrouping for the next day’s work. But Daphne Zuniga spends her free time trying to head off ecological disaster in California, helping the Los Angeles homeless and similar not-so-small projects.

Zuniga, visible this summer as the precious Princess Vespa in Mel Brooks’ “Spaceballs,” says environmental and social ills are “my No. 1 concern, and my No. 1 joy when I accomplish something useful that way.”

A founding member of Young Artists United--a group of young actors that Zuniga describes as “a bunch of guys my age trying to shake things up”--and an activist for nuclear disarmament, the 24-year-old brunet says her political commitments don’t detract from her concentration on her acting career.

“In fact,” she adds, “the energy I get from keeping an eye on the world really helps in being creative in my acting, keeping the juices flowing and the eyes open. It’s another way of trying to reach people.”

As a child, Zuniga was surrounded by the muckraking, conscientious milieu of Berkeley in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s (her father is on the UC faculty), so her concern about environmental issues was at least partially formed by her childhood environment.

“But trying to deal with these issues in a more adult way--not just being a rebel--is a lot more frustrating, because now I’m beginning to see how so much of the way government is run is so ridiculous and wasteful,” she says. “In a way, the roles have been reversed: Now that I’m a little older and--I hope--a little wiser, the methodology of government seems so childish.”

An admirer of Jane Fonda--a more recognized actress/activist--Zuniga sees the risk of maintaining a vocal political commitment while seeking greater acceptance as a film actress. “You’ll always alienate some people when you step out on a limb like (Fonda) did,” Zuniga notes. “But my first gut love is acting--I don’t think that will change. I don’t want to jeopardize any part, any chance to do good work, by publicly speaking out and using my work as a soapbox. I’d rather work underground and help that way, if the decision came up.”

Rather than a time crunch, Zuniga finds the split between concerned citizen and creative artist difficult, mostly because she feels making movies often isolates her from the rest of the world.

“Sometimes I’ll be working on a part in something or other, and start thinking, ‘What am I doing, sitting around here, waiting for the next shot?’ I feel like I should be out there doing something, you know? But then I figure that those little frustrations are the price I pay for the visibility I might get.”

After her slpashy debut in “The Sure Thing,” Zuniga learned that entertainers could use their visibility in film and TV to create public awareness.

“And so much of the time that power to shape minds is not even recognized by the people in the business,” she goes on forcefully. “I went to read for something recently and there was a Russian in it who was automatically made into a villain. I asked the writer, ‘Why does he have to be evil? Because he’s Russian?’ And the reaction was actually surprise. It’s the unwillingness to recognize the power these images have that really frustrates me.”

Although Zuniga is deadly serious about making the world a more livable place, she admits to regarding much of the work of acting as fun.

“That’s not to trivialize it or anything,” she hastens to add, “but it really is a lot of fun. It always strikes me as false when actors get so involved in their approach to their art, because so much of it is play. I mean, what the hell are you doing it for if you’re suffering so much?

“It’s the business end of it that’s tough,” Zuniga continues. “I don’t really get off on shelling out 30% of what I make to retain an agent and a manager and a press agent . . . but I couldn’t handle that myself. I realize I’m going to have to pay more attention to it as I go along. . . .” Currently, she’s reading over several scripts and looking for the next good role.

She sighs and leans back, looking at the ceiling. “All the expectations that everybody has of me are tough; that’s what I’m trying to deal with now,” she says. “I mean, as a film actress you’re supposed to be this incredible human being, so intelligent, so self-assured, so beautiful and witty and dedicated . . . when really I’m feeling like this little geek who throws a big shadow.”

But Zuniga smiles. “But I really can’t take all that pressure too seriously when all those people are starving and everybody’s doing the best to kill the planet. Things like that put my temporary fears on the back burner-- way back.”