TV Guide Chat: Shane West March 7, 2001

TV Guide Online: Tonight we are chatting with Shane West star of the new movie Get Over It and the ABC series Once and Again. Hi Shane! Thanks for joining us!
West: Hey. Hope everybody is doing good.

Question: Shane, are you anything like Eli???
West: Let's see. Basically I'm similar to Eli in a laid-back manner. We're both pretty much laid back about things. I think that's the extend of the similarities.

Question: How many auditions did you make in order to land the role of Eli on Once and Again?
West: It was about 3. It took me 3 auditions.

Question: Whose idea was the Blue hair? Yours or the people on Once and Again?
West: They actually took the idea of the blue hair from my real life. I had come to the set with blue hair occasionally because I like to dye it on my own from time to time. So suddenly they just surprised me by putting it in an episode.

Question: How amazing is it to work with Billy Campbell?
West: LOL. Billy is great. He is like a big kid. He still plays video games and reads a ton of books. A very friendly guy.

Question: why did they change the movie title?
West: It originally used to be called Getting Over Allison. It was changed because of the success of Bring it On. The studio was worried that the audience would think the character of Allison was played by Kirsten Dunst. She wasn't. That was their reasoning. I think it's silly, but that was their reason behind it.

Question: Did he like working with Sisqo in the movie and Ben Foster?
West: They were all great. The cast was very easy to get along with. I've been friends with Ben Foster for about 5 years now. And Colin Hanks for about 2. So I had some friends right off the bat.

Question: What is one of the funniest moments on the set of Get Over IT
West: I just think not too much in particular, I just think when Ben and I were trying to learn how to do the boy band dance. Usually all the cast members would come and watch us and make fun of us. Kind of embarrassing.

Question: How did u, Shane get your big break and do u have a girlfriend??
West: I did theatre in LA of the Cider House Rules for about 4 months. That job helped me book Liberty Heights and Once and Again. So I guess that would be my first big break. And yes I have a girlfriend, just recently.

Question: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not working
West: Besides the band, I like to just chill out with friends, play video games and sleep. That's always fun.

Question: I heard that story is a little like Midsummer's Night's Dream. How does it fit into the story?
West: Well, the play isn't the total focus of the movie. They use the story of A Midsummer Night Dream to detail what is going on with the characters in the movie. The characters in the play and the characters in the movie are quite parallel.

Question: What is the hardest part of fame? What is the most rewarding part of fame?
West: The hardest part is all the work you have to do once you start succeeding. All the interviews, the photo shoots. The most rewarding part are the letters you get and the people coming up to you tell you that they enjoy your work.

Question: What is your character in the movie?
West: I play the character of Striker. He is basically a Backstreet Boy wannabe with a really bad British accent.

Question: Do you know if Once & Again has been renewed for a third season?
West: I don't know yet. It's looking pretty good, but I don't know yet.

Question: Have long have you been playing music? Is touring something you'd like to do in the future with your band?
West: I've been playing music for about a year and a half now and touring is something that I would definitely like to do sometime in the near future.

Question: Who has been your role models in the entertainment industry?
West: The work of Johnny Depp. Sean Penn and probably Montgomery Cliff.

Question: What do you have planned for the hiatus? Any other movie work?
West: I've booked a film called A Walk to Remember. I booked the lead role in that and it's a dramatic love story that's kind of depressing.

Question: Who do you look up to as an inspiration in music?
West: Probably the Clash. I'd have to say the Clash, the Kinks and maybe more recently, Green Day.

Question: Who would you most like to do a movie or show with?
West: Al Pacino, Angelina Jolie. Probably Sean Penn.

Question: Is your band's CD available at local stores are just from your website?
West: Definitely only available from the website because it's only a demo. A four song demo. The web site is http://www.maxpages.com/averagejo

Question: Have you given any thought to direction or writing?
West: I've actually written a script about teenagers that I might give a whirl to producing next year. No directing aspirations just yet.

Question: Can you give us any hints about upcoming episodes of Once and Again??? I LOVE you on that show.
West: Well, the families start to move in together which causes a lot of tension and Billy or I guess, Rick Sammler is brought back to court because of the Atlantor Project and is almost thrown in jail. My character is going to not make it into college, but I won't say more than that.

Question: I know there are a lot of inside jokes on set? What are some of the recent ones to look for?
West: It's hard to remember. Billy has a water cooler that's called the big pink. It's a water cup that he hides in scenes so it will show up on camera. It's kind of like his practical joke. It's shown up in some pretty dramatic scenes.

Question: Will Kimberly McCullough be back on Once & Again this season?? I love Eli and Jennifer!!
West: Good question. Not this season. No. I'm hoping she at least appears once next year.

Question: Shane, do you prefer making movies or working on television shows?
West: So far movies. It seems like there is a lot more variety.

Question: What are you reading now? Anything good?
West: That's funny. Actually, I just started reading The Catcher in the Rye for the first time.

Question: Do you like the direction that Eli has been going in this season?
West: I do. I know it's been kind of controversial. But I like his more rebellious attitude compared to his preppier ways last year.

Question: Once & Again is loaded with literature and literature references...do you go back and read some of the books mentioned in the episodes?
West: I've thought about it quite often, but most of the time, I really don't have much time.

Question: Do you plan to make a CD for wider release? If so, do you know when?
West: I definitely do. We have to get a deal first before we can do that. And it looks like we just found a producer who wants to produce us. I don't know, maybe by the end of this year.

Question: Is Carla going to remain Eli's girlfriend through the rest of the season or does Eli see what she's like and they split up?
West: I can't really say, but in the episode we're about to shoot, something goes awry with Carla.

Question: Hi Shane, how long did the production of your new movie "Get Over It" take?
West: It was about eight weeks in Toronto, Canada.

Question: What has been your favorite movie to be in (so far)?
West: Get Over It, I believe.

Question: Have you ever gotten tongue-tied when you met someone famous??
West: Oh, um. Not so far. I almost did with Kevin Spacey.

Question: Do u have a fan club or website?
West: There's a bunch of people that have started fan clubs for me, but I don't really know the names of them too well. Just use Go.com or something like that.

Question: What if you weren't an actor what would you be doing?
West: Full time musician.

Question: SHANE WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART FROM THE MOVIE?
West: Watching Martin Short practically improvise all of his scenes. You never knew what he was going to do next.

Question: Is that really you singing on Once and Again?
West: Yes and in Get Over It.

Question: Do you ever write some of the songs you sing?
West: I write most of them. Jerry, my drummer, has written a couple.

TV Guide Online: Thank you Shane! We're Looking forward to the film, and please come back soon!
West: Anytime. I hope everybody has a great day and I hope you go to see the movie. It comes out this Friday.