| How did your career start? At
the time I started, I was living in Connecticut, and my aunt got me into children’s
modeling. My mom agreed to take me into the city for modeling try-outs and it worked. I
started doing commercials shortly after, and I did my first feature film when I was 11.
After that, everything just kind of evolved from one project to another, but after the
first film project, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
Your first film was That Night, with Juliette Lewis and C. Thomas Howell.
What was it like working on a feature film at such a young age?
It’s hard for me to remember it now, because it was so long ago, and I
haven’t seen it for such a long time. But I remember that it felt very normal for me.
I never felt out of place. I felt like this was my thing – I loved it.
How did you get involved with The Tempest?
I was actually pretty lucky. I had just finished making The Bride of Chucky, and
I was at home in Connecticut visiting my sister and (her) baby. My agent called and wanted
me to make a quick round-trip to Los Angeles to audition for this project. So I came out
to LA and I was put on tape. I read the script, and I really liked it, but I had just
finished making Chucky, so I wasn’t really pushing for it. They had a week
before filming started, and, like I said, it just happened. I loved it though.
What was it like making such a drastic role switch from playing in The Bride
of Chucky, a horror movie, to playing in The Tempest?
That was so great, because now it’s like I’m not just the horror film queen.
I got to play a role so completely different in The Tempest. I really think that
it’s every actor’s dream to go from one spectrum of role playing to another. The
only thing that was hard for me to grasp was the southern accent for Miranda. It took a
while to get used to. I would walk around the set speaking with the accent all the time.
What was it like working with Peter Fonda and John Glover?
It was wonderful, they were both so much |
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fun. Peter was so interesting. He would
sit down at dinner and tell so many great stories, and John was hilarious. Peter told me
something that he had been told about acting: "If you’re in the theatre as an
audience, and someone’s crying on the screen, you really don’t cry with them,
you just watch them, but if they hold it back, and don’t let themselves go, the
audience cries first, and that’s acting, that’s the way to portray an
emotion." Are there any actors that you most admire?
Well, I have a few. Definitely, Jessica Lange. How brilliant and amazing she is. Just
like crying on the screen, she can do anything and make it so believable. My theory is
that you have to bring a part of yourself into every character, you can’t eliminate
that part, because then there would be nothing to draw from. I just think she does that so
well. And Robin Williams, because he can do anything, too, and I like Harrison Ford.
Is there any particular role that you prefer to play?
Well, right now I like just about everything, but I always find those quirky,
interesting people fun to play, who just kind of say what’s on their mind, but not in
a malicious way.
How does your family feel about your success in Hollywood?
My entire family is supportive, and my mother is a very big part of it. My mom and I
have been together since the beginning of my career. She has a real grasp on the business
side of things, so she handles that, and I focus on the creative side, so we balance each
other out. She’s the best support I could have in a town where you really need it,
someone actually on your side. The rest of my family is not that much involved. Everyone
is different – my brother and sister watch in puzzlement, because they can’t
figure out why I love it so much. We’re all different in our own little ways, but
that’s what’s great about my family. Let’s just say, there’s always
something to talk about at the dinner table.
There wasn’t much time between your last two projects. Is there
anything in the works now?
I’m reading a few scripts, but pretty much I’m just waiting for that perfect
project to come by. I would love to do a romantic comedy/drama, but right now I can’t
be limited. I guess I just have to wait and see what happens.
Interview and article by David Beebe |
