Thanks very much to Bonnie for typing up this Katie article/interview for us It is from the January 2004 "secret" issue of the UK magazine i-D. BTW, if anyone who has this magazine got a scanner for Christmas, we'd love to see the pics :D ==================== How conscious were you of the need to take on substanially different roles after all that time on the 'Creek'? It's always a conscious thing because to play someone so completely different like April is gonna be an enourmous challenge. But Peter, the director, was very kind and helped me through the process. How did this experience compare to the kind of shoots you are used to? I think we shot it much more quickly than most films are made, which was advantageous in many ways. We filmed it on digital, meaning that we could do a bunch of takes in a row and not waste any film. Because the pace was so fast it meant that you had to stay really focused. You couldn't take too many breaks to get outside of your head. For me particularly, it was a really inspiring environment to be in. I heard there was no money for things like trailers. Where did you hang out between takes? Um if there was a chair I'd sit on it. Or maybe on the stairs. It was fun. And it was for such a limited time that it was ok. If it has been for longer then things would have been a little different. Have you got a taste for this guerilla-style film-making now? Is it an experience you would like to repeat? Yes, if the script was amazing and the director was really great. I'm not opposed to this style of film-making. I heard you didn't like April's street-punk look very much, comparing it to a dirty Pippi Longstocking. No, that's not true. I liked the look a lot. I just wanted to make sure that I could pull it off. It's so foreign to me that I hoped that people would believe it. But I did have these straps attached to my socks which I really hated. Like suspenders? Yeah, a bit like suspenders and those were uncomfortable. Other than that, it was fun to have such a different look. As soon as I put it on in the morning, I felt completely different. I was already halfway there as a character. How did you prepare for the more 'intimate' scenes with Derek Luke? [laughs] Well, we didn't really havetime to prepare or worry about it. We met a couple of days before shooting, had lunch together and that was about it. There wasn't any time to question it or feel a bit wierd. It was a bit like, 'Nice to meet you...let's go for it!' Are you glad Dawson's Creek is over? It's such a bittersweet thing for me. I miss it alot. I miss Wilmington, the location where I lived for most of the year and I miss the people. By the end, it was an entirely safe experience for me. I knew what I was doing. So going out from there, I was naturally nervous because when you play someone for so long it becomes very comfortable. But I think that it was time to move on. The show had explored the characters as far as they could go. We all felt good about how it ended and we all wanted to move on and do other things. How much acting did it require in the end? [laughs] You didn't really have to think abotu it so much. It was kind of an easy job in that I knew the character inside out, so I didn't really have to work at it. Obviously, all the actors wanted to be doing something artistic and pushing more boundaries, but it was good to have that stability. It was fun. It was a really fun show to work on. What was the smartest line that you got to say? What a choice! When Joey was first introduced she was a very angry young girl and she got a lot of great one-liners, but as she got older she seemed a little soft. She cried too much. Did you want to slap her sometimes? (Small gasp) No! Do you like the idea of a community? I do. I like some kind of small-town atmosphere to everything. Knowing everyone when you leave the house and go to particular stores. Bigger cities have different things to offer, but I do love living and working in smaller communities. I feel very much at home in them. Which must be difficult in LA I think you just have to find your own space. You have to define your own little world. When I spoke to Michael Pitt, a former cast member on Dawson's Creek, he said that he felt incredibly confined within that closed environment. Have you ever felt the need to kick against it? [Pause] Um no, I like it...Sorry, that probably wasn't the answer you wanted! What pisses you off? People honking at me. Sorry? People honking their horn at me. I felt that a lot. I'll be driving along, drinking my coffee, doing my make-up and driving all at once, and people get mad. Well, that's kind of understandable. Yeah, I guess so. Anything else? Dishonesty. Dishonest people really piss me off. Are you shy? [very quiet] I guess I am a little shy. It takes me a while to process a situation, so I tend to hold back at the beginning. I like to observe to being with. Just be quiet and still. Looking at people such as Meg Ryan and Julianne Moore, it seems that mainstream actors are taking on much grittier, almost aggressively edgy roles. Being so reserved, are you comfortable with that idea? Yeah, I want to try as many different roles as I can. But I'd rather find a good script than take on a role just because it was edgy. I just want the opportunity to play as many varied parts as possible. Are there any lines that you personally draw? I'm pretty open. It just has to be good material. I need to be surrounded by good people and I need to feel protected in what I do. That's what matters to me. That is just the direct interview part with Katie. There are some bits where the interviewer just babbles on about the usual ie: Catholic school blah blah so I didnt wanna bore you with that (excuses, excuses I can hear you all say!! hehe!)

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