Star - October 2000 Interview

HAVING ATCED SINCE YOUR WERE THREE, DO YOU EVER REGRET HAVING GROWN UP UNDER THE PUBLIC GLARE?
No, for so many reasons.You have to understand that my notoriety only came about for years ago, it didn't come until I was ready to handle it.
When i was growing up in New York, I worked on, you know, mabye one project a year - wheather it was a Broadway show or a soap opera - so I was really able to grow up completely and had a pretty normal childhood, away from the spotlight. When I was about 12 or 13, I wanted to move to L.A, but my family and agent decided it would be best for me to grow up in New York and have a full teenage life.
And I am so greatful for that decision.

ABSOLUTELY NO REGRETS?
None. Really. I've seen what can happen to people who sort of grow up in the spotlight and it can be so difficult. Also, I didn't grow up in a wealthy household by any means, and it was my career that afforded me the education that i hade. If I hadn't worked, I wouldn't have been able to go to the private school I went to in Manhattan. I'll forever be greatful for that.

YOU TRAVELLED A LOT WHEN YOU WERE YONGER, TOO?
I lived in France for three months and i went to Canada for a while - all thinngs my family would never have been able to afford if I hadn't been working. I got to meet so many interesting people. I basicly learned how to work hard and I truly believed that if I ever gave up acting, no matter what job I did, I would have a good work ethic because I learned how to hammer myself like that.

DOES FAME STILL SCARE YOU?
It used to. Fame is a double-edged sword because it's a word that encompasses everthing. A couple of years ago, I was terrified of everthing. Every time i went to an airport i would shake, I couldn't walk out in front of the press without literally shaking and having tears roll down my face because it was all too much. You live your life a certain way for 20 years and then all of a sudden, all the world's changed and your supposed to act differnt overnight and you can't.
Now, a couple of years down the line, I've learnd how o emjoy what comes with fame.

HOW DO YOUR FRIENDS DEAL WITH YOUR FAME?
My friends have been amazing through all this. I've had the same friends forever and I'm very greatful for them because it puts a lot of pressure on them as well. I'm lucky. I always say this is something I chose to do, but my friends and family aren't choosing to do it. I hate that what I do can become and invasion into their lives. I get problems at home: people showing up on my doorstep, going through my garbage....

WHAT ABOUT ROMANCE - IS IT HARD TO FIND LOVE IN THIS BUSINESS?
It's very hard to be serious. A few couples find it. Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon are very, very lucky in that they found eachother so early on in their careers and are entirely committed to one another. I saw that at close range when i worked with then on Cruel Intentions. It's very, very difficult for me whenever i get into a relationship because of the insane hours i work on Buffy. I can go for three weeks and not speak to anybody, which can be really difficult. It's getting better now that I'm in a relationship and a little older.

WHAT KIND OF ROLES WHOULD YOU LIKE (OR NOT LIKE) TO PLAY?
I think I'll pass on playing, 'a hooker with a heart of gold'! I want to play a white trash American - I don't know, I just have this desire to make fun of that, like a character from a Jerry Springer show.
I'd also like to play a nerd. I think there's alot of neard in me that I'd like to bring out. Also, the whole big budget movie thing? I'm not sure thats for me. I mean I look at the big action movies and I think it would be very hard to react to a green screen (onto which all the special effects are added afterwards) all the time. I think that takes special talent.

WAS IT FUN PLAYING SUCH A BITHC IN CRUEL INTENTIONS?
People kept asking me, 'was it fun playing a villan?' but for me it wasn't really a release. I went home at night feeling really bad. It was interesting for me to play a character with that much overt sexuality, because again, I think it's something women have in them, but not something I use.

TV PRODUCER AARON SPELLING (90210. MELROSE PLACE. SUNSET BEACH) SAID HE WAS MORTIFIED AT THE SEXUAL EXPLICITNESS OF THE MOVIE...
Has he seen is own TV shows? In 90210 they where all sleeping with each other, getting pregnant, doing drugs I mean, who is he to make a comment like that? Obviously, from what I've said, you realise that I will never be working for Spelling as long as I live.

BUFFY AND THE SPICE GIRLS BOTH TOOK OFF AT THE SAME TIME IN THE USA - DO YOU BELIVE THAT GIRL POWER STILL EXISTS?
Absolutley. I think Spice Girls where so popular because 'Girl Power' was a really good phrase. It's a wonderful statement that says women can handle things and be perfectly capable. That's the reason why I think Spice Girls or Buffy or Ally McBeal are doing so well. Women can really look up to these people.

DO YOU LIKE BEING CALLED A 'FEMINIST ICON'?
I hate the word 'feminist' - it brings up such a horrible connotations and makes me think of women who don't shave their legs - but being called that is an honour. When I was growing up I wish there had been a character like Buffy for me to look up to. She's not the prettiest girl in school, she's not the most popular and she's not the most smartest but she's okay with who she is. The horrible thing about hight school is that it's about conformity: you do what the most popular person does. It never stresses individuality, which is unfortunate beacuse it's the time when you really should be developing who you are as an individual.

LIKE BUFFY, YOUR ALSO INTO MARTIAL ARTS....
I studied Tae Kwon Do for four years before getting the show and now I sort of do a combination of everything. I spend a lot of time at the gym. *