Megan, it’s been great to see your rise to stardom from the first movie. From your perspective, what’s changed for you since the first Transformers?
Megan Fox: The movie, its success and how well it’s received has opened a lot of doors for me careerwise and I’ve been able to be part of some films that I don’t really feel that I deserve to be a part of and that’s due greatly and solely to the success of Transformers. I just did Jonah Hex with Josh Brolin, Michael Fassbender and John Malkovich and in general actors don’t get those kinds of opportunities and for me to have that is a huge blessing and that’s because of the success of this movie.
Any changes in your daily life?
Megan Fox: Sure, I mean getting photographed at Whole Foods or coming out of Rite Aid with your shampoo bottles and stuff, that’s new for me but that’s not that crazy, you acclimate to that pretty quickly.

Megan is in this movie to get men to see it, but how are you getting women to see it?
Michael Bay: What’s interesting about the first one is that is has relationships, parents and kids. Kevin is actually playing my father. That’s very much how my parents were when I was growing up. What was making the movie accessible to everybody was the humor in it and I think that’s how you make it accessible to everyone. Most women hone in on the humor. I’ve also heard a lot of young women say “I just want to see robots kicking ass.”

This film is aimed at children in some respect, yet the dialogue is a lot more harsh and adult, why is that?
Roberto Orci: Steven Spielberg said in a way the first one cinematically is about losing your virginity and the second one is about stepping into adulthood, so part of that gradient difference is a reflection of that move. (joking) And Michael Bay has a filthy mouth.
Alex Kurtzman: I think also that The Goonies was a movie that really struck us when we were about 12 years old because they were swearing for the first time and it was allowed all of the sudden and it was cool and frankly that was how kids talked, and there was something to legitimize the whole experience of it. I think because this movie falls in somewhat of the spirit of the emblem movies that we grew up on, there must have been some borrowing of that as well.

You showed a lot of skin in this movie, did you ever have those moments where you said, “Do I have to wear this?”
Megan Fox: Yeah, I have those moments on a daily basis, but the process of picking those outfits I didn’t have much of a say. I remember Michael was auditioning Ramone and some of the other characters and there was just a room full of men upstairs in his office and—
Michael Bay: It was two young guys.
Megan Fox: No, it was Shia, Ramone, two other actors and you and I had to come up and down and knock on the door and try on all my wardrobe. And I had 18 different outfits and it was like white jean shorts, pink belly shirt, motorcycle boots and we went through the whole thing and Mike was selecting them in the process of auditioning—
Michael Bay: It’s called multi-tasking.
Megan Fox: I had no say, but clearly he has an eye for what should be and not be in the movie so I just trust him.

You named President Obama instead of having a fictional president in the movie, why is that?
Michael Bay: The Obama thing came about because I was walking in a Vegas airport and he was walking by himself carrying his bag and his hanging bag over his shoulder. This was after I had just seen him at the beginning of his campaign and we were walking side by side and I said, “Hey, I saw you and I liked what you had to say the other night. I really liked hearing your stuff.” I introduced myself and he said, “What do you do?” And I said I’m a director. And he said what movies. And I said all these movies and he said “Oh, you’re a big ass director.” So that’s why I decided to put him in.

Where do you see the Transformers franchise going?
Lorenzo di Bonaventura: We don’t really think about the movie until after it opens up. We’re all a little bit superstitious about it and there’s sort of an arrogance about a presumption of success. Obviously, a movie like this is going to be out there and the audience is going to come and one presumes there’s going to be a certain level. On the first movie, we felt the same way, we never talked about the second movie script well after the movie opened and we’re going to do the same thing for the third. You get two advantages by waiting. One is that you get to find out what the fans really liked and if there were things they missed and things that didn’t land properly. And the other is that you can focus all your creative and emotional energy on this one.

What was the most memorable experience working with members of the military?
Megan Fox: They’re all extremely chivalrous and very respectful clearly because they’re disciplined and they’re so much better behaved than the rest of the cast is, including myself. They listen and take direction really well and we’re all f**king off. It adds authenticity to the movie. I enjoyed being able to walk onto the set and it’s a hundred real soldiers as opposed to a hundred actors from Orange County or L.A. It was overall just a really pleasant experience for me and I have an immense respect for our soldiers and our troops.

Megan, how do you react when you see your image on the big IMAX screen and looking sexy?
Megan Fox: I haven’t seen the movie on IMAX and I just saw it for the first time a few days ago when we were in London. I usually don’t watch myself—I don’t watch playback, I don’t look at still photos, I have a phobia of it. I basically shot through an entire glass of champagne so I could get through the sitting of it and I was really really pleasantly surprised and halfway through I sort of overcome with genuine emotion and I wanted to hug Michael because I had gratitude for him for making this movie. It so far surpassed my expectations. I think my character is sexy but in general women in movies are sexy, especially in Michael’s movies and he knows how to make movies that get people in the theater and if that’s part of the formula—
Michael Bay: If you look at the movie, we got that first shot just to get it out of the way for the young boys and then just move on. The rest of the movie is not about sexy.

You incorporated Shia’s hand injury into filming, how did that affect everything on set?
Michael Bay: I actually read it on CNN online and thought that this can’t be true. And I called my line producer and he said that it was true. He said let’s shut down and I said we can’t shut down because when you’ve got a train going it’s so expensive to shut a picture like this down. We had an action scene in the library that they were shooting on Monday and I just said let’s just go for it, let’s not stop, let’s use the stuntman and try to cover as much stuff as we can. Then on Tuesday we shut down, we had to mix and match everything we were pulling from different scenes we could shoot without him. We didn’t know how long he was going to be down and immediately I had to find the best people in the world to make a special cast that’s never been made with Kevlar fingers that are very thin, so you can photograph it. The problem was that if you were to jam his fingers he could lose his fingers forever so we had some experts of the world come up with this design.
Megan Fox: Did it set things back? I think everyone’s very lucky for Shia’s commitment to this movie because he showed up with his injury and acted as though he didn’t have an injury and still went balls to the walls and completely committed and did things that were not safe for him to do, but he wanted this movie to be as real as possible so I think that helped a lot.
Michael Bay: Yeah, we would have arguments. He would take his cast off and I would tell him to put it back on and he would say, “No, I’m fine.” We were just trying to protect the hand.
Josh Duhamel: Remember when he cut his eye and he wanted to come back to work that day.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is directed by Michael Bay and is a Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures production. Watch the action explode on IMAX screens on July 24, 2009.

Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood and Patricia Clarkson talk about their new film Whatever Works and their experience working with Woody Allen.

Larry, when Woody showed you this script, were you reticent about taking it?
Larry David: Well first of all, I’m reticent about everything, so it’s not unusual for me to be reticent. Yes, I was reticent because it was something unusual for me. I hadn’t done anything like that before, playing a character, memorizing material. I had a lot of self doubts and negative feelings and I thought that I should communicate that to him, which I did.
What did he say?
Larry David: He said, “No, you’ll be fine.”

Evan, you’re a bright young woman, how hard or fun was it to play somebody this clueless?
Evan Rachel Wood: I don’t want to sound pompous saying it, but it was really hard to play dumb. I was worried that she was either going to be really annoying or really endearing, so there was a fine line there that I didn’t want to cross. I think she’s sweet. I had fun actually, it was kind of nice not to have to come to the set and cry everyday.
Larry David: It was interesting because she played someone who was much dumber than she is and I played someone who was much much smarter, so we were at both ends.

Patricia, most men want two women, but you had two men, how did you feel about that?
Patricia Clarkson: How do I feel, I’m thinking of trying it myself. I’ve never done it, but never say never. Yes, it was thrilling, it was exciting and sexy with two delicious actors and men and I was fortunate that he let my character have that. It was a set and it’s acting, it’s not like I lay in bed all day with these men, but I loved the premise.

Did that first scene where you have 2 or 3 pages and talk up to the audience frighten you?
Larry David: That was a very daunting prospect. Yes, I did have to memorize it. I was kind of thinking when I first saw it that maybe there will just be a teleprompter. After I memorized it, it actually was ok. I found it easier to talk into the camera then I did to these people (cast).
Did you get good at the memorization?
Larry David: No, I really didn’t. I tried to use some of the tools that I had learned. I tried to memorize the Gettysburg Address the other day—
Why?
Larry David: Because it’s a beautiful speech, but I had a rough time with it.

Since you’re from the South, is your character based on anyone you might have known?
Patricia Clarkson: I certainly have known women like Marietta, but she is just kind of a mix of many women I have known through my lifetime with southern women. I have met women from every spectrum of the South and I think in my family there is a woman of every spectrum. My four older sisters and my mother—we’re all very different southern women. Woody wrote such a stunning character and I just showed up in some ways.

Do you have the kind of relationship with Woody, where you can improvise or did you just go with what was on the page?
Larry David: Well, he was very open to us changing things. Once I tried to change it, I tried to improvise something but it didn’t work.
Evan Rachel Wood: We didn’t really like to though. I thought it was so good that I didn’t even want to change it.

Evan, did you look at the history of Woody Allen’s young leading ladies and what they might have had in common or different over the years?
Evan Rachel Wood: No. I just wanted to make her my own. I’m very honored to be in that group of women now. I never thought I would have starred in a Woody Allen movie having grown up with actor parents and my mother going, “This is Diane Keaton, watch, learn, live it and love it.” Now, I’m one of the girls and it’s pretty cool.

How different is this character from the Larry you play on Curb Your Enthusiasm and you in real life?
Larry David: (joking) Do I have to throw in the real Larry. The character on Curb is normal compared to this guy ‘cause the character on Curb actually wants relationships and sex, and things like that. This guy wears shorts, but never would the character on Curb or the person talking to you right now wear shorts, so I think that’s a very disturbing thing right there.
How did he get you to wear shorts?
Larry David: It was actually my idea.

There were some great sayings in the films, did Woody come up with all of them, or did any of you add something?
Patricia Clarkson: That was all Woody. We would maybe improvise a “hello” but no it was all him.

(Please open the article to see the flash file or player.)

Now that you’ve been through the whole process of playing a character and memorizing lines, would you do it again?
Larry David: Yeah, I would. Would I do it with Woody Allen again or somebody else? I would definitely do it for Woody Allen again. Would I do it for somebody else– if I liked it.
Patricia Clarkson: (joking to Larry David) I have a script for you.

Woody Allen seems to step back when directing, is that something you prefer or do you want more direction from him?
Evan Rachel Wood: I almost had a panic attack the first day because I was certain that I was going to get fired. I wasn’t use to it. I’d ask him if that was ok and he would say that it’s fine. I ended up liking it and I kind of get what he’s going for after watching the movie, I don’t think he wants to distract you. He wants you to be as natural as possible. His favorite takes were when we messed up.
Patricia Clarkson: He has such trust in you as an actor, it’s a beautiful thing. You walk in and he says he doesn’t feel the need to say much and I like that because he steps in just at the right time. Also, indirectly, you have to know your character so well with Woody because you have to be able to do very long takes, you have to be prepared and cannot be lazy, you have to know how to improve and he really prepares you in this very deep, subtle way.
Larry David: If you’re doing something wrong, he lets you know about it. I was waiting to get fired and was expecting it the first few days.

As an actress, is it liberating to play a woman experiencing a sexual awakening and where can we see your thumbprint on the character?
Patricia Clarkson: I infused my southern matter, my demeanor, my tone and Woody let me put little things here and there in. I know big hair, tight clothes and really bright colors. Although Woody is so specific about wardrobe. They are a day which is again another way of preparing. As you are doing all of these wardrobe fittings, things start to happen to you.

Larry David to Patricia Clarkson: Are you critical of non-southerners when they do southern roles?
Patricia: Yes, deeply. Woody is a very northern man, but he got this character right. Yes, I’m very sensitive about southern characters, but women like this exist, so you have to embrace it.
Larry David: (joking) Because I don’t like when non-Jews play Jews.

Evan, your mother in this movie gets in your business, is your real mom like that?
Evan Rachel Wood: She made every boyfriend in my life miserable. She absolutely gets up in my business and she’s a southern Jewish mother.

Whatever Works is written and directed by Woody Allen and is a Sony Pictures Classics release. The film opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on June 19, 2009.

Q: You’ve done a wide range of films from comedy to action, why did you decide to take on this role?
A: I think initially I loved this script. Stephan sent me a copy with a really nice note saying, “I’d love for you to play this part. Please look at it.” So I looked at it and I just thought it was such a unique experience for a period movie. At times it was almost like a raw comedy. It had all these interesting elements—squashing the dog, did that happen in 1929, you’ve never seen it before, but of course it happened. So there were a lot of really unique elements and I just loved Larita. It was one of those things that after I read it, I wanted to be her. I wanted to have the comebacks, the strength, and the vulnerability she had. I literally said to my agents that I had to do this. Figure it out.

Q: How did you relate to Larita and what did you have to pull out of yourself that’s very unlike you in order to play her?
A: I related to her in that kind of fish out of water feel. I think I always sort of felt that way growing up in general. I went to a lot of different schools. I was always the new kid. You’re on television, you go to college, you’re the kid on television who is in college that everybody knows but you don’t know anybody. So I really connect with her kind of stoic, I’m going to survive in this situation attitude. What was very different for me to grasp were her incredible comebacks which were really clever. I wish I was like that. I’m just too nice that it’s just sooo boring. I want to be more like her in that sense.

Q: Are you the type that would get along with the mother or would there be some conflict and button pushing?
A: Well see, that’s why I wanted to be a little bit more like Larita because I would probably move it around to make her feel a little more comfortable and not stand my ground as who I am and I’m not going to do what you want and this and that. That’s what I mean about being a little too nice.

Q: You sing in this film, what was that like?
A: That happened in the middle of shooting. Ben was singing in a scene and Stephan said to him you have such a great voice you should sing the lead track, we want to do Mad About the Boy. What they found out later is that Noel Coward said no man could ever record this song again. I guess he was in love with somebody and that was it, so no man could ever record it again, so you could only find women singing it. Then he heard me humming and he said you should do it. So it was really very random and I hadn’t planned on it, but it was such a treat to get to do that. Nobody really knows this about me but I really started in music with musical theater like Annie and Sound of Music. I wanted to be Whitney Houston– that was my dream. And I don’t know how it took a left turn or what happened, but I just sort of got into this acting world but it was really fun for me to go back and do that.

(Please open the article to see the flash file or player.)

Q: In a recent interview, you said you’ve been trying to get certain auditions and some people have resisted to having you come in the room. Are you at that point where you’re really trying to do every kind of thing that appeals to you and has it been frustrating for you to try to get people to change their image in their head of you?
A: I’m always trying to do new and different things, simply for me not to become bored. I want to try something that’s scary or challenging. So yes, I am constantly looking for something hard– what is literally going to scare me to death, ok I should do that. Yeah, sometimes I don’t get in the room, that’s frustrating to not be seen for whatever reason. You just want a shot. It is funny that you do maybe one or two things that are somewhat similar and people see you as only doing that. Everyone is always trying to break out of the last box they were in. If you were in a comedy, you gotta do something different. If you do too many similar things in a row, people’s imagination in this business is just not as open as you would think.

Q: Stephan said that everybody has him tied down to the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and he feels very stuck because of it. Did you see that movie and what did you expect from him?
A: I’m sure he was. I love that movie. I just thought it was fantastic and I think that was another reason why I really wanted to do this because not knowing him very well at the beginning and knowing that’s what his previous work was then I knew that he would do something interesting with this. It would be different if you gave this script to somebody who does these period pieces. But when you give it to this belligerent, crazy Australian guy, who has a terrible mouth and is extremely funny—
Q: One of his tests for actresses is to say one of the crudest, vulgar jokes he possibly can when they walk into the room to see how they react. Do you remember him doing that to you?
A: Oh, he’s such a big talker. I don’t think he did that, but he definitely will hit you with some stuff that you would not expect to come out of his mouth. But that kind of person needed to be the director on this type of movie to give it that fresh feel, to give it a unique twist.

Q: What was it like shooting in England and working with these British stars? Were you intimidated at all by them?
A: I was definitely intimidated by them. I terribly look up to Kristin Scott Thomas. There’s such a natural organic quality to Kristin. I believe that she’s within herself, that she’s connected to the earth in a way. She’s very honest—that’s kind of what I took from sitting across the room with her on the couch and having a scene with her. And I love Colin Firth and everybody there. Initially, I felt like I didn’t fit in and gosh, I hope I’m good enough to pull this off, so it was scary. It is nerve-racking going to live in a new place in a different country. (joking) Thank goodness I speak the language—that makes it a lot easier, let me tell you. You do feel like the outsider. You can’t help it. You’re the American and don’t know what a crumpet is, but it’s kind of invigorating and wonderful and it’s good to get out of your comfort zone. I like to get out of my comfort zone and experience new things.

Q: Having done a period piece now, would you have preferred to lived in those times or stay in the present?
A: When you’re living it for two months on and off, it’s fabulous, you want to live there, you want to dress in the beautiful glamorous incredible clothes and actually get dressed in the morning to just do anything and have beautiful parties. It just seems so fun and frivolous. But, life was clearly very difficult living back then. Yes it was fun but I much prefer to live now. There were so many restrictions especially for women. It was so difficult to do what you want, to have a career. You really couldn’t do that very easily.

Q: Do you handle stress similar to Larita, her solution was to always stay positive?
A: Definitely. I’m very positive and I feel like I handle stress very well. I just kind of let things roll off and always look to what can I find positive in a situation and how can I resolve it in a logical way. I’m probably not as cool under pressure as she is. My heart would be pounding a million miles per hour if I was having a confrontation like she was having with her mother-in-law, but I definitely can see the positive and get through a tough situation pretty well.

Q: What do you think about Justin’s (Timberlake) job on Saturday Night Live and about his acting ability?
A: I think he’s fantastic on SNL and he can do anything he puts his mind to.

Q: You worked with Patrick Swayze on Powder Blue. Can you tell us what it was like to work with him, especially since a lot of people are concerned about him right now?
A: He’s definitely beloved for me because I grew up watching Dirty Dancing. I watched it every day after school. I’ve probably seen it eighty times, no joke. He was wonderful. He was involved in the process and literally came to set when he wasn’t even working and came to our director to say ‘here are my scenes for tomorrow. I’ve rewritten everything, what do you think?” He’s just so kind and such a warm supporting person to work with.

Q: You look like in the film that you were born to wear those clothes from that period. Did you feel that way when you were wearing them and have you adopted any of the styles?
A: I definitely did feel wonderful in those clothes everyday. But the thing is that those clothes were made for women’s bodies. They were built to accentuate your waist and give you room in the hips and legs and wear loose beautiful satin silk blouse. It was just such a wonderful time for women’s clothing to suit a woman’s body.

Q: Were you a fan of race cars before playing this role or are you a fan now?
A: No, not really. I’m not really into cars and speed in that sense. It was pretty wonderful to drive that car though, That car was a beauty, she was something really special.

Q: What was it like riding the motorcycle and doing the Can-Can dance?
A: I didn’t actually ride the motorcycle. I love doing my own stunts and I requested to do it but the insurance wouldn’t allow it. The Can Can is so hard that is a really aerobic dance, it’s relentless with the knees up to here and the abs. It’s pretty serious and it was really fun though. That’s one of my favorite scenes, the first time I saw that and Kimberly with her skirt, it kills me every time I see that.

Q: The tango scene is such a great one. What was the training process for that like?
A: If you can believe it, we literally had three or four rehearsals. Colin and I danced together probably three or four times. And I don’t know how we did it, that is a very difficult dance and it’s very sensual. Most of all we wanted to create that feeling of sensuality and mystery which is what it is but we couldn’t cross the line in any sense because of the relationship we had in the movie. But it’s an incredible dance and I wish that I had kept taking classes because it’s so much fun. That was my first tango experience.

Q: Amelia Earhart was one of the role models Stephan wanted you to have in mind. Is that important to you, even though you weren’t playing her, somebody you could look at their pictures or play their attitude?
A: It’s usually not one person in particular. For this one it was Amelia, Katharine Hepburn, and a couple of other women from that era that was sort of watching their stuff and listening to their voice and just how they delivered their sarcastic amazing put downs with a smile. So it is helpful especially when you have to embody this person in a different time and the speech is different and how do we do that without it being an affected speech.

Q: God forbid that you have such a terrible mother-in-law like you did in this movie, how would you deal with someone like that?
A: I think there are two ways of thought on this one. You just be confident being you and if you don’t like me, then you don’t like me, too bad. Or you kind of do what Larita did and you try and I think that’s what I would do. I think I would give my best effort to try to be accommodating and respectful but I would definitely maintain my integrity of who I am and not going to be pushed around by someone which is in a ridiculous sort of scenario. But I also don’t think I would start a war with someone’s mother.
Q: Have you ever had any friction with the relatives of anyone you’ve dated?
A: Oh sure. A long long time ago. You can’t please everybody and I think you have to remember that.

Easy Virtue is a Sony Pictures Classics release and opens in theaters on May 22, 2009.

Be sure to check out exclusive clips from the film here.

Chris, what did you find intimidating about taking on such an iconic character played by such an iconic actor?
Chris Pine: I think it was two fold in that it’s a big ten fold studio big budget movie and the pressure is that a lot of people are expecting it to make a lot of money and that it is Star Trek which comes the added and protective fan base. But once I met J.J. Abrams and I got a sense of what he wanted to do with it and he wasn’t looking for a bad impersonation of what Mr. Shatner had done and realizing what Mr. Shatner had done was so unique, was so specific and was so iconic—in many ways it was very liberating because I knew that I had to run in the opposite direction to kind of make any mark of my own.

Eric, you usually play the good guy but here you’re the villain. What does it take to go from one extreme to the other?
Eric Bana: I don’t make the distinction in my head actually. Every film I’m in I try to play a character that I find interesting, and whether it’s good guy, bad guy, villain or hero. I don’t know that it’s more fun playing the villain, it keeps the girls, that’s for sure. I don’t know there’s that much of a difference. I just try and do what’s right for the character.

Mr. Nimoy, this Star Trek takes place in an alternate timeline and the younger Spock is very different from your Spock, he’s much more emotional, much more human, and he has the relationship with the girl. How did you feel when you first read the script, were you resistant to that because he’s quite a significant character?
Leonard Nimoy: He does, doesn’t he (have a relationship with the girl). I was bemused by it when I read the script and I was amazed by it when I saw it in the film. I thought it was incredible.
I think there’s more of a human Spock than a Vulcan Spock–
Zachary Quinto: I don’t necessarily agree with you. I think there’s a duality and internal conflict because he’s really split between the two halves of himself but I don’t think he’s gained control over that duality that Leonard had when he played the character. That’s the journey of this character. It’s not that he won’t allow you there and it’s not that he possesses more humanity than Vulcanity.

Have any of you met your counterparts and what was that experience like?
John Cho: I met George Takei. I wrote him a letter after I got the role and we had a meal and talked. He has become a little bit of an icon himself because the character is an icon. I mostly just avoiding doing an imitation of him.
Anton Yelchin: Walter came on set and he was pretty complimentary. I felt like what was essential for Chekov naturally was the accent so I tried to stay as true as possible to that accent and messing around with it a little but still maintaining that general kind of spirit that he created because I really think that’s what made his character special for 40 years.
Chris Pine: I saw Bill last night actually for the first time at a charity show in Burbank and it was a very short meeting because it was a big event and he had a lot of people to see. I sent a letter very early on in the process explaining to him who this punk kid was taking on the role and he was very kind and wished us well. And I know Leonard was the same way. There was a wonderful feeling of handing over the mantle to us. It was more about allowing us the freedom to make this character our very own.

J.J., you took on one of the most beloved franchises in the history of television, why did you feel so compelled to do this and why now?
J.J. Abrams: Because I was not a Star Trek fan my initial reaction in producing was to try to work on a version that did appeal to me. The other producers and I started talking about what Star Trek could be because Brian had never seen an episode but Alex and Bob were big fans so we had a range of relationships with Star Trek. Star Trek was a story about survival, about working together, cross-cultural, political and racial lines, yet we wanted to maintain that and go back to the origins of Kirk and Spock and find a way for people like myself to love these characters. To tell the story was optimistic and with a big heart felt like the movies we loved as kids and that was one of the things that was most exciting to me.

Are any of you big Trekkie’s and what does Star Trek mean to you personally?
Clifton Collins: I wasn’t really a Trekkie, but anyone who lives in America knows who the characters are. Everyone knows how the theme song goes. We all know what the U.S.S. Enterprise is. For me personally, I didn’t know anything about the Romulans and just kind of followed J.J’s lead. Star Trek to me was part of Americana.
Chris Pine: I was not a Trekkie fan, but my grandmother was a huge William Shatner fan so when she babysat me we ended up watching reruns of T.J. Hooker and Star Trek, so I was a casual kind of observer and not a fan. It’s startling that this one story has held such an intense hold on so many people for so long and I can’t think of another thing that has and I think quite possibly the reason for that is that when it came out originally in the late 60’s that the idea that many people can work together as one and achieve great things. The Enterprise was a sort of United Nations of people from disparate backgrounds and hopefully the resonance it had in the late 60’s will have a similar affect in a world similarly torn by economic crisis and wars.
John Cho: That’s probably what struck me the most growing up. I didn’t grow up a Trekkie, but I was very impressed with the multi-ethnic cast and of course with George in particular made a deep impression on me. It was really nice to see him on television at that time in the late 70’s.

Zoe and Zachary, your relationship didn’t at all exist in the series so how did you approach the relationship in the film? What did you see in an older emotionless character since it’s not a normal romance?
Karl Urban: From my Star Trek knowledge, there was an episode where Uhura was singing and caressing Spock’s ear. I think while that relationship wasn’t developed, it certainly was there in subtext in the original series.
Zoe Saldana: I try not to publicly announce that the film or storyline I’m in is my favorite, but in this situation it was. That whole relationship for me gave me the desire to have the newer generation completely fall in love deeply with these characters and after reading it and doing research and going to fan sites, I realized that Spock and Uhura had more in common in terms of their characteristics than any of the other characters in the script. She’s an apt pupil, she loves to work and study and wants to be the best at what she does and all of the sudden here is this mentor that is a couple of years older than she is and he’s witty and has pointy ears and is sexy. He allowed only Uhura and not even his father to see his human side and she only let him call her by her first name I thought was kind of awesome.
Zachary Quinto: For me the relationship provides a great sense of levity in the film between Kirk and Spock and Kirk and Uhura. Between Spock and Uhura it provides a really interesting depth in that Uhura ultimately represents a canvas in which Spock projects emotions that he can’t really ever project. That dynamic to me was really rewarding as an actor and the scene that Zoe and I played in the elevator was definitely one of the most pleasant experiences in shooting and that’s due to Zoe and her emotional availability and openness.

Karl, I love how you manage to say the classic line “Damn it Jim, I’m a doctor not a physicist” which is so part of the doctor in the original series. Was that your choice to do that? How did you decide to incorporate that line?
Karl Urban: No, I had no choice when that line came out. But I must say that as a long-term fan of the series, it was quite surreal to be in that position of delivering that iconic line. I had such a huge admiration and respect about the wonderful contribution Mr. Kelley made to Star Trek and developing the character so well for forty years. It was a real privilege to be given the opportunity to develop a younger version of the character and a challenge because I certainly did not want to make him or develop some sort of caricature that would insult the character or sell Mr. Kelley short. So really the challenge for me was to go by the spirit of that character and then funnel it through my interpretation of what a younger version of that character would be.

Anton, you are actually Russian. What conversation did you have with J.J. about how far to push that accent because it seems like it verges on caricature but not quite?
Anton Yelchin: There really wasn’t too much of a conversation. It was just trying to stay true to that original accent and trying to capture that general spirit.

Zachary, you have a “Heroes” fan base. Some people are pissed that Sylar is Spock and I know some Trekkies are pissed that you’re going to be Spock. There may be some backlash on either one of your fan bases– what do you think about that?
Zachary Quinto: Fan reaction isn’t something I really pride myself on very much. I care about the work that I do and I’m grateful on so many levels for the opportunities I’ve had over the years. But my focus is my work and people’s reactions to my work falls under the category to that I have absolutely no control over. I would certainly love to have my “Heroes” fans join us on this journey.

William Shatner did play Captain Kirk on and off for almost 30 years. Thirty years from now, do you want to play Captain Kirk?
Chris Pine: I think it’s a little presumptuous to start talking about 30 years in the future when this movie has yet to come out. I had a lot of fun playing this character and this current incarnation of this story. I’m signed up for two more like I think everyone else is in the cast. And I’m having a lot of fun right now and I’m not going to count any chickens before they pre-verbally hatch.

Zachary, you probably play one of the most iconic of all the characters in the Trekkie world. How intimidating was it for you to do that and when Mr. Nimoy was present?
Zachary Quinto: Well, I think all of us were faced with a certain level of intimidation stepping into these roles theoretically. Although, J.J. did a phenomenal job of diffusing that from step one in terms of really dictating that we were encouraged to use the original as a point of departure, but from there we were expected to really develop our own points of view. For me Leonard’s involvement was only liberating… I knew it was with his blessing. From there, we developed a relationship. I was the first one cast in the movie—I got cast in June and we didn’t start shooting until November so over those months Leonard and I spent a number of times hanging out and talking about just life and about the character and just getting to know him personally was incredibly freeing and helpful in the process.
And Leonard, what do you think of the new Spock?
Leonard Nimoy: (joking) I think it’s appropriate when the old-timer walks on to the set that everyone finds him intimidating. I use to be the kid on the set and I was intimidated, why shouldn’t they be.

What was it like to be the girl amongst all these male characters?
Zoe Saldana: For me personally, I loved it! And what I loved most was that Uhura was very comfortable in her own environment. She needed to be that way in order to hold court and have authority and still be very very feminine and demanding and deliver her job.

You didn’t necessarily go with actors who looked like the original characters, what were you looking for when casting?
J.J. Abrams: The only one we needed to cast that really had to resemble was Zachary because he was playing the same character in the scene with Leonard and if they looked nothing alike, it would just be too tragic. The actors who played these characters needed to be inspired by what was created years ago and the only way it would work is if they owned it. It was about finding great actors who could make those roles come alive. In finding John Cho, I was a little worried at first because he’s not of Japanese descent but I thought this is ridiculous because he’s right for the part. Uhura didn’t have to be of African descent and she didn’t have to be exactly like Nichelle Nichols. Everything on the set whether it was the characters or props, it was about how to make it work for now but inspired by a half century ago.

For Eric, I think this is one of the first Star Trek films where the villain doesn’t proclaim Shakespeare or give a speech when you introduce yourself. Can you talk about that characterization for that villain between you and J.J?
Eric Bana: The thing that really drove me to the project was the film wasn’t taking itself too seriously. When you read the script you really got the sense of humor that I was very hopeful that it would make its way to the film. In that case, it was really more of the director allowing the actor to mock around so I saw no reason why Nero had to be scary in every single moment and thought he could be a bit of a smart ass. J.J. let all of us do pretty much anything and everything we wanted. He’s an unbelievable collaborative filmmaker and he knows exactly what he wants himself.

Did you have any hesitation going back to this after all this time?
Leonard Nimoy: It was a combination of the script and J.J’s enthusiasm and they gave me a sense of what the Spock character would be about. I hadn’t been asked to be in Star Trek for 17 to 18 years and this felt like somebody said “we value you” and it felt good. Frankly, I appreciated it.

Zachary, did the any of the Vulcanism give you any trouble?
Zachary Quinto: I spent a little time training my hands to be able to do the salute. That didn’t come particularly easy so I would rubber band my ring finger while I was driving around Los Angeles. But that was about it, everything else was fine.

Chris, you said you weren’t a fan growing up? Are you now?
Chris Pine: I am. I gained a lot more of an appreciation now. As a kid I found it to be campy and kind of absurd. Growing up in the “Star Wars” generation, there was just something kind of visceral and fun about the “Star Wars” world because it had more to do with the special effects. The world Gene Rodenberry created was much more of an allegory of these social things. As a kid, I had no concept of what was going on. Watching the original series now, you get a great sense of how really radical what Gene Rodenberry was doing back then and now I have a great appreciation of that. His vision is what we are capable of is quite a wonderful thing.

Mr. McCoy is the character that gets the most laughs, how do you define him?
Karl Urban: What worked for me was to come up with a simple mantra that I could develop—McCoy is this cantankerous grumpy character, but you also have the most compassionate altruistic loyal dedicated friend. He is a complete traitor of his character because he often gets to do the complete opposite of what he says like when he goes on the Enterprise, he’s grumpy but what he’s actually doing is helping his friend and that to me is actually a wonderful trait.

What are your memories of Gene Rodenberry and what can you recall?
Leonard Nimoy: He was a brilliant complicated man and we had a complicated relationship. It was like a father son relationship. Sometimes it was great and sometimes it was really bad and sometimes we felt really strongly about certain issues but obviously he had a very special mind.

Did you get Greg Grunberg into this movie?
J.J. Abrams: Yes, you know when young Kirk is driving and his step dad calls him, that’s his voice.

Zoe, your character is very studios, apt and smart. For the sequel where would you like to see your character go?
Zoe Saldana: I’d like to kick some butt, be more physical and be more part of the action. How the story unfolds with Spock I really leave that up to J.J. and the writers.

What did you have to do to prepare for the role in which Spock’s Vulcan side is emotionless?
Zachary Quinto: I didn’t really see it that way actually. I think Spock experiences deep emotions especially in the relationship with his mother and I think there’s a real depth of feeling. The only thing I had to strip myself of is having the ability to express it in the conventional way. If he doesn’t feel emotion, then there’s no conflict within him. The conflict of the deeply rooted emotion without having the opportunity to do much with it other than hold it is really challenging and painful.

Chris, Captain Kirk and Spock are kind of fighting over the girl, do you think that will develop further in the next movie?
Chris Pine: I certainly hope I might be able to get a girl in the second one. I’m not sure, but there was a lot of humor we were able to explore in my relationship. But one thing that would be interesting to explore is that Kirk is a work-a-holic and there’s a reason he doesn’t have any sustained relationships.

Is there something you wanted this movie to touch on that the series didn’t?
Leonard Nimoy: When we were making the series, I was always curious about what issues the writers wanted to tackle. In this film, I think it’s a question of vengeance, the defeatism and emptiness of vengeance. That makes it meaningful to me. We’ve had various issues over the years, race issues, economic issues, psychological issues, all kinds of issues.

Zoe, did you talk to Nichelle Nichols at all or watch some of the key episodes?
Zoe Saldana: I did not see the series. As actors, we’re prone to imitation and I was very afraid of falling into that pattern because Nichelle did not deserve that and primarily Uhura deserves better. I definitely did want to have a clean slate with her because she’s young, she can’t be this confident woman who has it all together all the time and she’s infatuated. When I met Nichelle there was this complete and utter support and pride. She was happy that I was playing Uhura and she told me to follow my own instincts and whatever my gut was telling me to do about Uhura to do it but do it right.

You incorporated a lot of iconic things about the characters in the show, but you did it in a way that seemed natural to the audience. How did you manage to do that?
J.J. Abrams: There are certain lines that if I saw the Star Trek movie and didn’t see those then I would feel like I was cheated somehow, but the brilliance of Bob and Alex’s script is that it did have those lines for situations that were real and urgent and specific and necessary. And those lines organically came out of those moments, you had those kind of little peaks of recognition but they were justified and intrinsically connected to the scene. The byproduct of including those lines would be the appreciation and nod to what people loved about Star Trek.

How did you come to cast Tyler Perry in this role?
J.J. Abrams: Tyler is someone I’ve admired for years. He’s just amazing. Quite frankly I’ve been jealous of him for a long time. We had some people in common and I just used those connections to send him an email to ask him if he would be interested in playing a role in this movie and he was intrigued but he had never seen Star Trek. I sent him the script and he said yes, but again he never saw Star Trek before and he never acted in anyone else’s movie. The way that he’s created his business is unbelievable and I’m just a fan, so working with him was an honor as it was with Leonard Nimoy and Eric Bana.

Star Trek is produced by Paramount and based on the original series created by Gene Roddenberry. It opens nationwide on Friday, May 8, 2009 and should only be seen on IMAX to appreciate the action and special effects.

Don’t forget to watch video interviews with the cast here.

Congratulations on the show, so tell us a little bit about your character(s)?

Christian Slater: I play two characters and they’re both very fun—Edward Albright and Henry Spivey. Henry is sort of an every man, got an office, two kids and a beautiful wife, and Edward is a highly trained operative.
FUSN: Which character do you prefer to play?
Christian Slater: I think initially I enjoyed the aspects of the espionage qualities of the Edward character but as they cast my family and they put that sort of nucleus together, I’m enjoying being Henry as well.

Saffron Burrows: I play a woman named Dr. Norah Skinner and she is quite something. We are part of a military intelligence unit, a kin to the CIA in certain ways and we (Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell and myself) are all operatives in the system. What you see about me in the first couple of episodes is not at all that is there– definitely the water runs deep. You meet me as Christian’s therapist as the civilian man and then his alter ego Edward has this very big relationship with me that we discover a little later on.
FUSN: Would you say that you’re a good person or a bad person?
Saffron Burrows: I’m a good person but I just do some bad things.

Bella Thorne: She’s Ruthy Spivey—she’s smart, sweet, precocious, she loves spying on her neighbors, she’s probably most like her dad. She loves her dad probably the most, but she loves her family, she’s really sweet.

Michael O’Malley: I play two characters on the show—Tom and Raymond. I’m Christian’s best friend in his suburban life and his partner and somewhat rival at work in his operative life. Tom is a suburban dad, plays fantasy football, the joker in the office and kind of a clown but good at his job. Raymond who works for the government agency is a real by the book soldier, somewhat sinister, has seen real dark things humans have done and has contributed to the dark things that humanity has done to other people.

Alfre Woodard: Her name is Mavis Heller and she is the head of Janis, that’s the covert operation that Christian’s characters Henry and Edward are my operatives for.

Madchen Amick: I play Christian’s wife Angie on the domestic side of his two personalities.

Any similarities between you and your character(s)?

Christian Slater: I think in certain aspects, but for the most part I would say that I’m down the middle between the two.

Saffron Burrows: (mischievous laugh) I’m suitably private and she’s got a lot of secrets which I do enjoy, some of them I have not found out yet.

Bella Thorne: Oh yeah! I love spying on my sisters.
FUSN: Did you learn anything from the show?
Bella Thorne: When you’re following somebody, do not stop when they stop, just go right ahead so they won’t notice you.

Besides “My Own Worst Enemy”, what other projects can we expect to see you in?

Christian Slater: This show is all consuming situation right now—it’s taking up all of my time.

Saffron Burrows: I just finished a film with Kevin Spacey called Shrink which is an ensemble shot and set in Los Angeles, a little like Crash where these characters come together— it’s very much about people from all walks of life in L.A. relating to this one therapist, which is Kevin Spacey’s character. I play a woman who goes to him for therapy and it’s kind of a darkly humorous film.

Bella Thorne: I also play Billy Baldwin’s daughter in Dirty, Sexy, Money. I have a few films coming out in 2009. One is with Cody Linley (Hannah Montana), The I Scream Man which I haven’t shot yet, Taxidermist, and One Wish.

Having done both tv and film, do you prefer one over the other?

Christian Slater: With movies, it’s a little different where you go to work and you end up sitting on the set for 3-5 hours a day and some months you don’t even work. In this particular scenario, it has been not a lot of time spent in the trailer, particularly playing two different characters. I respond to that kind of pace and that kind of energy and I enjoy it.

Saffron Burrows: It depends completely on the project.

Bella Thorne: That’s hard. It depends who you’re working with. I love both—they’re really great.

Alfre Woodard: I prefer wherever the good script is.

And of course we have to know what you’re wearing today?

Christian Slater: This is Tom Ford.
FUSN: You’re always such a snappy dresser, any style tips for all the men out there who need help?
Christian Slater: Oh thanks—I would say Tom Ford.

Saffron Burrows: This is Jenny Packham—she’s a British designer.

Bella Thorne: The shirt and skirt are Kaya E—they’re really good. This jacket is Guess and the shoes are Shooby Doo.

Alfre Woodard: The dress is Bianca Nero and Oprah gave me the earrings.

Madchen Amick: Zac Posen.

View Photo Album

FUSN: You look absolutely incredible! Your skin is glowing and you’re in great shape–you have to share some of your beauty secrets with us.
KA: I guess a lot of it is preventative, eating correctly and working more sort of on the inside out, happy home life, that type of thing.

FUSN: As a lot of women get older, they make the mistake of wearing clothes that are sort of more youthful, what advice can you give them to dress more appropriately?
KA: I think it’s good to talk with your girlfriends while looking through magazines because you get more of a double permission that you don’t have to look good in everything. I was doing this the other day with one of my girlfriends. We looked through a magazine and it was like “oh that’s cute but I couldn’t wear that because of this or I love that color and that would look good on you but I couldn’t wear it.”

FUSN: With that said, skinny jeans are still in. What do you think? Yes or no?
KA: If you’re skinny, skinny jeans are good, if you’re not I think you should stay away from them.

FUSN: Younger models are looking to be on the runway but we don’t see that with older models, so what can the winner expect in addition to receiving the Wilhelmina contract and Self spread?
KA: I think some of the young girls only want to be on the runway because they see some of these tv shows and again you have certain bodies that are good for runways and certain ones that aren’t and runways are meant for the really really tall thin willowy people. As we get older, most of us don’t stay in that shape. I think for a woman that’s older it would be better to do more beauty or certain types of fashion– not the bikini running on the beach, there’s just those people, especially guys, who don’t want to see an older woman running on the beach in a bikini (laughing).
FUSN: Well if they look like you, I’m not sure about that.
KA: (graciously) Well, I don’t know.

FUSN: So if these women are most likely not going to hit the runway, then why did a judge tell one of the contestants who is 5’5″ that her height would be a challenge for her?
KA: It’s because in this business what you’re talking about is not a beauty contest. It’s about finding a model and models really have a standard of 5’7″ when I was working 30 years ago and now it’s more or less 5’8″ or 5’9″ as your minimum height and clothes look different on someone who’s short than someone who is taller.
FUSN: One woman who auditioned was 6’1″ and I believe they rejected her, so what is too short and what is too tall?
KA: I think 6’1″ would work and I’m not sure what came out but some of that rejection was from other things and we don’t want to give that away. But it’s really a complete package as you know with the models, it’s not just a look, or the whole body, or all that, it’s almost like the inner confidence, the self-drive, the way they present themselves, and all those things were covered in our show by putting them through different tasks.

FUSN: Ok, I guess then you’ve answered my next question – what is the look?
KA: A complete package and it’s a woman who is together, feels good about herself, confident, knows how to carry herself and walk into a room, knows how to present the clothes she’s wearing, knows how to enhance the aspects of her beauty, and maybe hide, conceal and minimize those parts that aren’t perfect.

FUSN: Obviously this show is looking for older models, but as we age we get fine lines and wrinkles, does the show at all encourage to hide these by getting injectables such as botox?
KA: No, no, no – the show did not encourage or talk about any hiding of wrinkles or anything. I think the show was more encouraging in celebrating a woman getting older. From my point of view, wrinkles are a reward for getting older and it’s okay to have a certain amount of wrinkles – it brings out some elegance, wisdom and self-confidence. We didn’t have anyone on the show who was like “ooh, look at your face, you have to go to the dermatologist.” None of that stuff at all.

FUSN: A lot of the contestants are in good shape, but they’re not skinny-skinny, what kind of body image are you looking for?
KA: That was another thing I found very interesting. Never once did we mention weight on the show – it wasn’t an issue where as for a younger model I think that’s much more important. Some of these girls were very very fit and I think what we’re trying to do is set an example for an older woman saying “look at these girls, these are regular normal women but look at what they can be or will become with a little bit of work or a little bit of thought behind the dressing or behind the workout or behind the skincare, all of those things.” If you take care of yourself, yes you can be older but you can look your best.

FUSN: How are models at this age different from younger models?
KA: I found that when we spoke to a woman we spoke to her with more respect. A young girl really needs a lot more guidance and from watching other shows and from my son’s girlfriends and other stuff you speak to younger girls differently and they listen differently. As a woman matures and becomes older she has her own family and responsibilities, so you wouldn’t speak to that woman the same way you would to a young girl. You’re trying to instruct or teach young girls and even admonish them for something they did wrong. With older women, it came from more of a respect and more of a reverence for already living these many years versus ripping her apart too much.

FUSN: If you could, what would you change about the modeling industry right now?
KA: That’s a good question. I think what would be nice and I can’t see it necessarily happening is to look at a model as a human being versus looking at her as a piece of meat.

FUSN: During the pilot episode, the narrator says “this is a second chance for some of these women,” do you think this is a second chance for you as well?
KA: Yes it is. I stepped aside for years to raise my children. I have 5 total, I have 3 sons and 2 stepdaughters. Our youngest son is 14 and he’s 6’1″ or something like that and it’s my time to look and say you know what I’ve been a great mother, I’m a great wife, I’ve been there for my family and it’s okay to step back into the business and maybe help some of these younger girls themselves.

FUSN: Some of these women are married and have children, let’s say one of them wins the contract, will she have to leave her life and move to New York City?
KA: I don’t think she has to move but being far away can make things more difficult. A lot of times, you need to go in and see a client and then the next week you may get the job, so it’s not going to be practical for some. There aren’t many women who would leave their family and say I’m moving to New York for a year just to do your own thing. So a woman who’s married and has children I would think is always going to put the children first but try and make both of them work.

FUSN: What advice would you give to women who want to try out for next season?
KA: My advice is to get into the best shape of your life and maybe read the magazines. I think as a woman and I know this myself when you’re a mother, you can get comfortable in your own tiny little area and life is safe. You don’t feel bad going to the store in a pair of sweats, and you don’t see high fashion or how other people perceive you and you’re stuck in your little world of carpools and PTA’s and nothing’s wrong with that but if you want to get into this business, you have to step outside that comfort zone and start learning some of the things women in bigger cosmopolitan cities already know, like how to dress, handle an interview, or present yourself to a client, that type of thing.

FUSN: Besides She’s Got the Look, what else can we expect to see you in the near future?
KA: I’m working on a couple of things, but right now I’m a guest host on The Balancing Act on Liftetime. It’s a product driven show for women from 7-7:30 in the morning from Monday through Friday. It really talks to different women about a lot of different aspects such as finance, health, how to manage your job, just a lot of different tools to help a woman become more balanced, well rounded, and informed.

She’s Got the Look premieres on TV Land on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 10pm EST/PST.

FUSN: You have so many talents – acting, now singing & songwriting. Which hat do you like to wear most?
ER: Music has always actually been my first love. I think I’m more known as an actress but I started singing when I was 7 after my second grade teacher sent me over to the Metropolitan Opera in NY where I grew up and I sang there for 6 years. The only reason I actually got into acting was because I got too tall for the children’s costumes. I’ve always loved playing music and I’ve always loved playing characters but this record for me is the first time where I don’t have to say someone else’s lines and I really get to express myself and my heart in that way. The lyrics are extremely personal but I also wanted to be completely honest without being confessional or self-indulgent in any way. I think it speaks for not only me but for a lot of women in today’s society who can be strong, vulnerable and sensual, and don’t have to be objectified the way that women are a lot in top 40 radio.

FUSN: Are there any other career paths you’re looking to jump into – such as producing or directing?
ER: I’d love to be an astronaut – just kidding. No, I think music and films for me are the ultimates and whenever I can combine the two it’s the ultimate endeavor. I’d really love to tour and perform live. I think that sharing your music with people live is the most kind of intimate and direct connection you can have with them.
FUSN: Are you nervous about performing live at all?
ER: I think nervous-excitement, not nervous-dread. People work really hard to try to afford to go to a concert and I respect and appreciate that and want to give them everything they want.

FUSN: Do you have a personal favorite song on this EP?
ER: Right now I’m responding to the single Slow Me Down. I wanted to write it because I think in today’s contemporary society the world moves so fast and we’re so kind of overscheduled and overpaced and whether you’re a mom holding down three jobs to support your kids or studying, I think everyone moves so quickly. The message is slow me down just for a second so I don’t miss the things that are beautiful in life like falling in love and even things that are so much simpler than that.
FUSN: You’re so young to think about all that.
ER: (laughs) Only human.

FUSN: Your music is very different from what’s out there – where exactly do you think it fits in or does it in today’s music culture? For example, Norah Jones is more of a jazz artist, but her debut album found it’s way on to pop radio stations for which she won multiple Grammy’s.
ER: I think when people do something that’s different or outside the box, people realize they’re looking for something other than anything that sounds like everything else. When Amy Winehouse and Norah came out, they weren’t immediately played on the radio, but after the public really started to like them, they got on the radio. If radio comes, that’s great, but I really want to touch people directly.

FUSN: Is there a certain audience you want to capture with your music?
ER: I think all. I know everyone says that, but lyrically I appeal to people my age and older and I think musically it’s kind of bigger than me. I think it’s also kind of sensual and sexy in a way that will appeal to guys too. I try to express women the way I think women really are in contemporary society as strong and sensual and not just one or the other.
FUSN: Even the album cover looks sensual with how your hair and makeup is done.
ER: It’s not overdone in anyway. I don’t think you really have to show anything– it’s a lot about imagination.

FUSN: Inside Out is quickly making its way up the charts on iTunes. Soon enough, you could be up for a Grammy. Have you thought about the Grammy’s at all?
ER: I never thought about the Golden Globes or anything and when that came, that was a big surprise. I don’t do things for awards – that’s kind of a cherry on top, but if not I like it just the same as it is.

FUSN: Should we expect to see more of Emmy – the actress or Emmy – the singer?
ER: I think both actually. I hope to do a film later this year but right now I’m really focusing on the record. I really want to see this through and hopefully be successful and touch as many people as I can.

myspace.com/emmyrossum

FUSN: What’s it like touring with the Goo Goo Dolls – were you guys already fans of the band?
RW: When I was in high school, I heard of the Goo Goo Dolls and I was a fan then, so it’s kind of cool to be going on the same stage with them because now it’s like we’re peers.

FUSN: Is there any other band today you would like to work with?
RW: There’s many. Right now, I’m really hip into Amy Winehouse. Mainly because I’m into the old motown funk recording process & she’s kind of bringing that back.
FUSN: So how are you going about that one?
RW: (laughs) I don’t know, we have to spread the word like wildfire.
FUSN: Ok, I’ll be sure to help with that.

FUSN: I noticed you co-wrote The Joke on this album, how did this song come about?
RW: That too was kind of a fluke. We were pretty much complete with the album at that point and we were coming back from a concert and Jason started strumming on it and we ended up writing it right away and really fast. The next morning in the studio we laid it down for real and it had this exciting kind of sound to it that was much different from what we’ve had in the past. It was kind of nice to put on a track that was more outside of the box for us.

FUSN: Do you write a lot of songs or do you plan on doing so in the future?
RW: No, not really. I mean, Jason is pretty much the main writer in the band. If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. He’s just a phenomenal writer. I’m a drummer but every now and then I’ll kick some ideas out.

FUSN: What was the inspiration for this album?
RW: Well, the whole vibe of the way this album was recorded is that we came off the road and pretty much went directly into the studio with no songs, no material. We kind of like set up all the gear and literally recorded while we pretty much wrote the songs on the spot and kind of just flowed with the vibe than coming up with a song and planning out all the parts and all the direction. It was more about just kind of feeling it.
FUSN: So how long did it take you to put this album together?
RW: This album in a round about way took maybe 6-7 months. We took a year off total, we cut two songs and finished them, then we’d take a week off, and then we would come back in and try another two songs – there was no high pressure really, it was more of what we were feeling and we laid it out on tape and went with it.

FUSN: How did you come up with the title Who We Are, which is also one of the tracks on the album?
RW: Well, the title and the art work and the campaign is about the 6-7 years we’ve been around. We’ve kind of been pigeon-holed to being this kind of band and we’re either this or that, that by this point in our career, we’re like circus freaks, everyone has their own vision of what we are, but we just make music and albums and put them out and tour. We feel that this album is the closest representation of us.

“this album is the closest representation of us.”

FUSN: Do you have a favorite song besides the one you wrote?
RW: (laughs) Yeah right, that would be my first choice I think. The single First Time is one of my favorites surprisingly. Normally I don’t love the singles, I’m more of the outside of the box guy in the band. That one particularly has got an electricity to it that it sounds like something fresh, we went back to sounding like a young inspired rock band playing in a garage.

FUSN: Who are your musical influences?
RW: All the greats – The Beatles, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones. Right now we’re way into The Rolling Stones. We got lucky a few years ago, we got the chance to open up for them for a few shows and that was amazing.
FUSN: I was thinking maybe even Green Day, I don’t know if you’re a fan of theirs?
RW: I’m a big fan of Green Day.
FUSN: Ok, ‘cause I see a little of influence there.
RW: Oh wow, cool.
FUSN: Have you ever met them or played with them?
RW: We’ve shared the stage with them at some radio festivals and they’re really one of the greatest live bands out there in my opinion. They’re very focused and they know how to play ball.

FUSN: A lot of musicians are diving into other careers, do you have any aspirations of maybe acting or modeling?
RW: Modeling – no. Acting, sometimes I guess. I had a brief stint when I was kind of getting involved in that but at this point the blinders are on and we’re focusing on playing arenas in the next couple of years, but other than that, who knows.
FUSN: What about a clothing line, a lot of musicians are doing that now, or what about producing?
RW: I use to make my own clothes a couple of years ago, but I was making some pretty far out there stuff and I think I started to scare the rest of my band. I was really into cutting my own stuff and making everything really wacky and years later I look back and I was taking the style out. I’m still proud of it.
FUSN: So you know how to sew?
RW: Well actually, I don’t know how to sew, but I was taking my things to a seamstress. She would pretty much put together shirts just out of fabric I would buy.
FUSN: Why were you making them, did you not find clothes that you liked or were you just too creative and had a lot of energy?
RW: For the most part I like to wear stuff that’s pretty tight, not tight as in too tight, but I’m like a pretty petite guy, so to find stuff that fits me right is pretty hard. It’s more of the Euro cut clothes that fits me better than the bigger American stuff, that’s why I started taking it to the seamstress and getting it all cinched up.

FUSN: Is there anything you want your fans to know?
RW: That I love them. I love them all.

Who We Are is now available nationwide and check out the following sites to find out where you can see Lifehouse in concert:

lifehousemusic.com
myspace.com/lifehouse

FUSN: It’s been three years since the release of your last album, were you working on Ex-Sensitive all that time? BJ: It’s been a crazy three years for me – it’s been a while, but I’m so excited about this album. We decided that I would do a new album and I started writing and then went through a breakup with Maverick and met Linda Perry and started recording with her and my sister suddenly died. It put a rift in the whole thing, I went home for a while and it sort of took a year all together for everything to come back after that. I’m so excited because it was so much work and it means so much to me now that this goes well, but I’m getting a really good response to it.

FUSN: The album is really different from what’s out there today – it actually seems to have some kind of a Celtic influence to it?
BJ: Yeah, I like Celtic music. I was born in Scotland, not that I was really influenced back when I was born, and I play violin.
FUSN: Okay, so you answered one of my other questions, you don’t just do vocals, you do play musical instruments.
BJ: Oh yeah, on the album, I played the piano, the violin, and I played the guitar too.

FUSN: You were born in Scotland, but you don’t have a Scottish accent or any trace of it.
BJ: Yeah, I was raised in England, moved to Texas when I was 11, and then we moved to New Jersey when I was about 16.
FUSN: Then shouldn’t you have an English accent since that’s where you spent your first years?
BJ: That’s the Texas part, they beat it out of you really quick.

FUSN: Do you have a favorite song on this album?
BJ: My personal favorite to listen to is the first one, Pulse. It was one of the first tracks we came up with and then one of the lasts we finished. I just like the tone of it and I like the production with all these cool instruments.

FUSN: Ok, so we all know what the word insensitive means, but you call your album and the third track Ex-Sensitive, how did you come up with that title?
BJ: It’s kind of a word that we conjured up to deal with the idea of how we use to be so much more sensitive to issues and things going on and then we’ve kind of been overexposed in this flashy somewhat materialistic world, so that’s what that word deals with, a lot of us are ex-sensitive.

FUSN: I love the cover art, but I have no idea what it means or where it’s coming from, can you give us some insight into this?
BJ: The monkey and baby is a thought provoking image of evolution, to get people thinking about where we come from. The tv’s unplugged and still working, that’s trying to deal with my idea of alternate energy and one day we won’t need to be plugged in and we’ll just have things work on alternate energy.

FUSN: This is a tough business, one day you’re on top and the next day, no one’s returning your calls, have you ever considered another career?
BJ: Not so much, I really love being in the studio, I love touring, I love playing with my band. I have a biology degree but I’m hoping I won’t ever have to fall back on that, but at the same time I’m pretty concerned about the environment and global warming which I still talk about a lot on shows or blogs and in my songs too.

FUSN: How is this album different from your debut album?
BJ: Give It All Away were songs that I wrote from the age of 16 to early 20-something and the themes were much more about love, loss, breaking up, and loss of innocence. On this new record, I thought much more about the world, globalization and those kind of issues, and there are also songs about materialism and the way we live and what will fulfill us and what won’t, that kind of life and death ideas.

FUSN: You said you went with a breakup with Maverick and now you’re on Linda Perry’s label – what was it like working with Linda?
BJ: With the first album I really had to struggle to get creative freedom, it was a constant battle and this album was the polar opposite of that. Linda was absolutely amazing. When I met Linda, I think we could both tell about each other exactly what we wanted to do. I just have to giver her kudos, she never pushed anything on me and always wanted to go with what I wanted. I have to say that’s been rare in my experience with producers, so I’m extremely thankful for that and she was great, so production-wise, rather than having a hodgepodge album like Give It All Away was with 12 different producers and throwing these songs together on the record and calling it an album, this one really is a record. It has a constant sound to it, we did it all in one place, all with one producer, and all with the same band. It sounds much more like a cohesive album than Give It All The Way did.

FUSN: Is there someone you’re dying to work with musically – another band, singer or performer?
BJ: There are so many people I admire such as Imogen Heap of Frou Frou. I got to write with Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon – that was really cool and something I really got excited about and that song made the album which is called Counting Down. There are so many people I’d like to work with given the opportunity.

FUSN: What are your musical influences, past or present? You said you play the violin, so do you like classical music as well?
BJ: I do like classical music. I listened to it a lot when I was a kid and that definitely did have an influence on me, but I think the influences for this album were probably more of the 60′s and 70′s bands like Pink Floyd and The Beatles – we revisited all of the catalogs. I listened to a lot more of that music than I did before. Also, Jackson Browne. I get weird comparisons to Jackson Browne all the time, I think it’s the long hair.

FUSN: Can you tell me a little more about your charities, I know you’re involved in quite a bit.
BJ: Something I’ve been involved in for quite a while is the NRDC – that stands for Natural Resources Defense Council. I had a big chunk of money through publishing and I had this personal commitment to give it away to something I believe in. I was looking around at environmental groups and I decided that political groups is what was going to do the most and I think I’ve been right. They have consistently been on the Bush administration and not letting them get away with complete murder and really protecting America and its resources, and more people should definitely appreciate what they do. What I did most recently with them is a video for Pulse, which is coming out on my website in a week or two. The Pulse video is a statement. It’s about the environment and warns people about what can happen and the effects of environmental collapse like war and famine and what drought can lead to. That video will also be on Itsyournature.org, which is their new website to get younger people involved in the environmental movement.

FUSN: Do you think this album will garner any Grammy or American Music Award nominations?
BJ: That would be quite an amazing honor for me, but one step at a time, that would be incredible as somewhat of a new artist if I was recognized like that. I’ve been to the Grammy’s, I think The White Stripes were playing and Christina Aguilera was singing and I was thinking how incredible it would be to play to this

Ex-Sensitive will be available in stores nationwide on July 17th. Check out the following sites to learn more about Ben Jelen’s summer tour with Pete Yorn:

benjelen.com
MySpace.com/benjelen

FUSN: Congratulations on your new album – it’s a big hit!
MG: Thank you, I had a lot fun making it.

FUSN: I have my own ideas as to why you named this album BIG, which is appropriately titled, but what’s your reason behind the name?
MG: You know, it’s named after my big butt and big heart (laughs).
FUSN: Well, definitely your big heart.

FUSN: How is BIG different from your other albums? Do you think your music has changed or evolved?
MG: It’s definitely evolved. It’s different ideas and a different time. I think it’s definitely a progression and it’s my favorite album.

FUSN: You have a lot of great songs on this cd, actually there’s not one song I didn’t want to listen to over and over again – do you have a particular favorite?
MG: I mean I love the whole album, but I listen to Ghetto Love a lot, I listen to Okay, I love Everybody – the whole album’s my favorite.

FUSN: Are any of the songs on this album true or do they have any special meaning to you?
MG: Every single one of them is true. My songs have been things that I’ve been through, things that have been on my mind – every song tells a story.

FUSN: You just have one hit album after another – what’s your secret?
MG: I’m growing, I pray a lot, I do the best I can. There’s really no secret, the best thing you can do is really love what you do, and the rest will fall into place.
FUSN: Well said.

“the best thing you can do is really love what you do.”

FUSN: You have some really amazing leading artists featured on this album – what made you want to work with Natalie Cole, will.i.am and Fergie?
MG: I’m on Will’s label actually. We were all in London working and I was out on tour with the Peas and Fergie was hanging out, and Will just suggested it, and that’s pretty much it.

FUSN: How was it different working with each of them – Natalie’s music is so different from Will’s and Fergie’s?
MG: Well, Natalie’s a veteran. They’re all totally different people. There were just a lot of great ideas.

FUSN: You just seem so grounded, how do you stay that way with all your success?
MG: (My) kids are very grounding, they even come with me when I’m touring. And I’m around my friends and family a lot.

BIG is now available in stores nationwide. Log onto www.MacyGray.com for more information and to preview her cd.