Marla Sokoloff Interview
By: Rachel O'Malley

My interview with Marla Sokoloff gets off to a rocky start. I drag a cameraman and a boatload of video equipment to the interview spot to get some footage of Sokoloff -- who's most well-known as The Practice's pretty, feisty receptionist, Lucy Hatcher. Unfortunately, her PR folk tell us she's not doing video interviews (she hasn't been gussied up for video appearances by a hair and makeup crew). We're disappointed, but we understand -- perhaps Sokoloff just looks like your average civilian without the added Hollywood glitz. Hardly. As pretty as she appears on the tube and in her new teen romance flick, Whatever It Takes, with shiny dark brown hair (with a strand or two of hot pink), striking blue eyes, and baby doll skin, Marla Sokoloff is by no means in need of an airbrush. Working her way through various spots on popular television shows like Third Rock From the Sun, Party of Five and Home Improvement, Sokoloff landed on the Emmy-winning show The Practice in 1998. The young up-and-comer is now surrounded by the likes of television's hottest stars -- from Dylan McDermott to Laura Flynn Boyle to Camryn Manheim. And while one might think it easy to get lost in that kind of starry shuffle, Sokoloff says she picks up an acting tip a day. Easygoing and friendly, Sokoloff chatted with iCAST about getting the part of Maggie in Whatever It Takes, life on The Practice, and a penchant for folk music/lifestyle. We also found out that Sokoloff's ill-matched screen romance with actor James Franco as the not-so-slick stud Chris in Whatever It Takes has blossomed into a real-life relationship. From Emmy-winning shows to the big screen, it seems Sokoloff's romp with stardom has gotten off to smooth start.

iCAST: How old were you when you got into acting?
MS: I was seven when I first started doing theatre, but my first main thing was when I was 12.

iCAST: What was that?
MS: Full House.

iCAST: You were Stephanie's mean friend?
MS: Yes, mean friend.

iCAST: And you were in Party of Five too. The mean friend again?
MS: Yes.

iCAST: In this movie, you're the nicest person in the world.
MS: I know, it's very strange. It was good though. It was a chance for me to do something different. I've never played a girl like Maggie. I've never played the sweet girl.

iCAST: What was the atmosphere like on the set of Whatever It Takes? Most of the cast are up-and-comers. Were people nervous?
MS: I'm sure people were nervous, but it didn't seem that way. We had the best time. It was just a lot of young people hanging out -- but we were working. We got along really well.

iCAST: How did you end up on Whatever It Takes? Were you sought out?
MS: No, I auditioned. There was a lot of convincing to do on my part, because they didn't really want me for the job. I went on seven auditions for it. They weren't sure if I would sell the movie because the people that are going to go see it, aren't going to be watching The Practice.

iCAST: Why were you so interested in doing it?
MS: I just really liked it. And I've always had this strange connection to Cyrano, because it was the first play I ever saw. I really wanted to do it.

iCAST: What's it like being the youngest person on The Practice?
MS: It's awesome. I have like 200 brothers and sisters.

iCAST: Are you babied at all?
MS: In a good way. They don't talk down to me or anything. They look out for me. It's nice.

iCAST: Is Dylan McDermott as good-looking in real life as he is on TV?
MS: He is. He's so cute. If we come to work at five in the morning, he walks in and he still looks awesome. He's just a good-looking guy.

iCAST: Was it nerve-wracking in the episode where you had to kiss him?
MS: Yes. It was really nerve-wracking. I was 17. It was my fifth episode.

iCAST: Do you get recognized on the street?
MS: No.

iCAST: Does that idea in the future make you nervous at all?
MS: Not really. The only thing that makes me nervous is -- I live by myself so it gets kind of scary sometimes. I was followed home one night and that was kind of freaky. Little things like that where you're like, I don't have anyone to go home to -- "Mom?" So that's the only thing that scares me. But if the people who come up to me are nice, that's all that matters.

iCAST: Do you have any preference when it comes to TV and film?
MS: Not really. They're both a lot of fun. The thing about film is that I get to play different parts, whereas on TV, you do the same thing all the time. But it's nice to come to a set where you know everybody and it's familiar.

iCAST: Do you want to continue in TV, or do you see this as the start of a film career?
MS: I would like to do both if possible. But I think, after The Practice, I don't think I would do another TV show -- because where do you go from being on The Practice -- that's such a cool show. So I'd probably chill with TV for awhile and stick to trying to do films.

iCAST: What do you think of all the teen shows that are on TV right now?
MS: I don't really watch that much TV. I have to be honest. And the shows that I do watch, I'm really fanatical about. Out of all the teen shows, I'd have to say that the only show that I'm into is Felicity. And Freaks and Geeks -- but that's because my boyfriend's on it.

iCAST: No Dawson's Creek?
MS: I'm not a Dawson's Creek girl. Don't really dig it.

iCAST: So you'd never want to star in shows like those?
MS: Probably not. Maybe before The Practice it would have been something cool, but I love working with these people. It's so cool for a young actor to be able to work with older actors -- it's a learning experience. Every day it's like I have an acting class. I get tips from them all the time. Last week I was doing this scene with Camryn [Manheim], and after the third take, I really felt like I wasn't doing as good a job as I could have. And I was just like, "Okay, help me. I have no idea what I'm doing." And she helped me out. It's cool to have those people there to go to. Even for everyday life situations, I'm like, "Had a fight with my boyfriend, help me out."

iCAST: If you could pick who you would star with in your next movie, who would it be?
MS: Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie.

iCAST: So you'd like to do something more serious?

MS: Yeah. But the show's so serious, so it was nice to do a comedy.

iCAST: Do you feel like you're the comic relief on The Practice?
MS: I think that's what I'm there for -- I think that's why he brought me on -- to have somebody funny. I know that annoys a lot of people though -- they're like, "Shut-up! There's this great serious moment on the show and then Lucie's like, 'Blah-blah-blah!'" And they hate it. I get some mail that's just mean. Not this season, but last season, I got a lot of harsh mail. People didn't like Lucy in the beginning -- they didn't know what to do with her. They just didn't dig her.

iCAST: Do you look at your Web sites at all?
MS: Not really. Too traumatic.

iCAST: I heard that you collect guitars too? And you play and sing?
MS: Yup.

iCAST: Do you have any interest in doing an album?
MS: I'd like to. I have good friend of mine who has a record company. He's a producer, and it's cool because he's a very young producer. He's in the teen scene of music. And he's always like, "Marla, please, I want to sign you right now." That makes me so nervous because the actor/singer thing doesn't always work. It works for some people, but I'm not willing to take that risk. I love my music so much and I'm so content with having it just be mine and some therapeutic thing that I get to do when I come home from work. For right now, that's not really something I'm looking for.

iCAST: What kind of music are you into?
MS: It's folky. It's between Jonie Mitchell and Fiona Apple.

iCAST: No pop?
MS: No. NO.

iCAST: Who would you do a duet with if you were going to do some kind of musical performance?
MS: Jonie Mitchell. Or Stevie Nicks.

iCAST: Since you've been on many different TV shows, who's been your favorite TV star to meet?
MS: I don't know. I've met a lot of cool people. I think one of the best people I've worked with -- excluding The Practice, because they're all great -- I did a movie [The Climb] with John Hurt a few years ago and David Straitharn played my dad and he was such a talented, nice guy. He was one of the most amazing people I've ever worked with.

iCAST: This is a job interview question, but where do you see yourself in five years?
MS: Wherever. I'm going with the flow. I'm one of those people that if I think about tomorrow, I'll go crazy.