Post by TutorGirl on May 5, 2006 20:57:47 GMT -5
Xpose (UK) - November 01, 2004
Whether it's evil warlocks, worried boyfriends, or blood sugar levels, there's no problem Charmed's Rose McGowan can't conquer, Ian Spelling discovers. Just don't ask for episode synopses...
Sitting in her trailer on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, as the Charmed production crew readies the next shot, Rose McGowan is chowing down on a cookie and making pre-interview small talk. "I'm So Sorry," she says. "I'm having low blood sugar problems. "I'm so embarrassed." she says, laughing., "but if I don't eat something I won't have any energy." McGowan finishes her snack and pronounces herself ready to chat. "OK," she says. "Let's go."
McGowan arrived on the Charmed scene four years ago, at the beginning of Season Four. It couldn't have been easy. A veteran of indie features - from Scream to Jawbreaker, Southie to Going All The Way - she was suddenly thrust into a weekly TV series, with its relentless schedule. Plus Charmed came with a set of other unexpected challenges. First, there were special effects aplenty with which to deal. Second Charmed was a show in transition; some might call it turmoil. When it began, it starred Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano as Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, aka The Charmed Ones, sisters and witches who took it upon themselves to protect people from evil in all its manifestations. Doherty exited after Season Three, reportedly under less than ideal circumstances, and McGowan was called in to replace her.
McGowan was introduced in fourth season premier Charmed Again as Paige Matthews, half sister to Piper and Phoebe, who was by an adoptive family but always knew she was a little different. Just as Paige's presence restored the Power of Three, McGowans presence helped steady the Charmed ship; the ratings stayed bewitching and a sense of calm enveloped the production.
"I would say that I've definitely tried to make her more of a comic foil on the show," says McGowan, who's attired in a camel-coloured mini-skirt and an Army-green tank top. "I think it was some reviewer that actually said it best. This reviewer said that she's like 'Baby Lucy', with a big dash of vulnerability. I find that to be a good summary of the character. I think the vulnerability factor is what connects people to the character, and to the show; that and the fact that we try to base it in reality. Certainly, we've got a lot of bizarre dialogue. And certainly we're dealing with unreal situations all the time, but it's ultimately about the three sisters. Person to person, when people (meet) me they usually say, ' You're nothing like your character.' My voice is different. I can certainly be goofy, but I'm not as goofy as the character. You need some sort of levity, I think, but I do like that she is rooted in reality."
Last season, Paige figured into the comedy, drama and action rather frequently. She got a job as a dog walker - one of several temp jobs she'd go on to hold - in the two-part season opener, Valhalley of the Dolls. In Love's a Witch, she began to romance Richard Montana (Balthazar Getty), but become possessed by the ghost of his first love. Later, in Soul Sister, she sold her soul, and in Stormy Leather she conjured Mr. Right (Gabriel Olds) on purpose, only to also inadvertently give rise to Mr. Wrong. Then, in the season finale, It's a Bad, Bad, Bad World, Paige and Phoebe battled evil versions of themselves.
So how did Season Six rate with McGowan? "I barely remember it," she replies, bluntly honest as usual, "I guess it was good, I do them and they're gone. Honestly, I can't tell you what I did two weeks ago. I used to remember everything, but it's crazy. It really is. We do 22 episodes a season, pretty much one after the other. We're sometimes finishing one show and starting another at the same time, I'm sure for the people on ER, they'll say, 'I saved somebody.' My boyfriend (a New York City-based men's health magazine editor) will say to me, 'What did you do today?' and I'll say, 'I kicked some demon ass in a miniskirt.' If you need any actual details about what the hell goes on I am not your girl. I don't know. [Executive producer] Brad Kern has it all in his head. They either tell me and I forget or they just don't tell me any more."
Season Seven has now kicked off with A Call To Arms, but asked what else is to come, McGowan provided what few details she was aware of, "I think that Paige finally gets a real boyfriend," McGowan says, not clarifying why Richard didn't count as a 'real boyfriend.' "So that's exciting. That's going to be fun. Kerr Smith," of TV's Dawsons Creek and the film Final Destination, "is playing that character." Smith's role is Brody, an FBI agent who discovers the girls' secret, "And my off-screen boyfriend hates it, but I, for the character, like it. It's true. It's been kind of ridiculous. Everybody else has had a guy or two or more. Are you kidding me? You know what I mean? So it's about time. But I haven't even met Kerr yet. He's already been in one episode, but I just had no interaction with him in that episode. I actually get to see him from across the street today for the first time. All I know is that I'll get to make out with him pretty soon.
"What else? Oh, I'm in magic school, and I become a teacher. That I actually quite enjoy. I'm wearing a black robe. And I'm hearing that there's going to be a 1930's-themed episode coming up. That should be fun."
Earlier, during short breaks on the set, McGowan and Combs read a newspaper article together or joked to one another, McGowan teased Combs, who'd been complaining \about the traffic she faced coming to the studio that morning; Combs lives in the Valley, where Charmed used to shoot, while McGowan resides in Los Angeles, not far from Paramount, Milano, for the record, has a day off. "We've certainly found a groove," McGowan says "They've certainly changed. Holly has had her own personal arc., if you will," she says, referring to the birth of Comb's first son. Finley. "So that's been interesting and neat to watch. I don't know; all I do is buy and sell houses," she laughs. "No children. People ask me all the time if we hang out after the show. We often work 14 hours a day, so there is no after the show. You go to bed and you come back. So, there is no after the show. I go to sleep and then I'm here."
McGowan will likely be back here next year, too. The show kicked off Season Seven with it's usual robust ratings and, if those hold in the coming months, chances are that The WB will renew Charmed for one more year. If that happens, if there's an eighth season, then that will then likely be the shows last. It will absolutely be McGowan's swan song. "I will fulfill my five-year contract." she says. "We're in year seven of the show, which is my fourth year. If they do and eighth season I have to do an eighth season, because I have a five-year contract. So if the ratings are there this year I'll be back next year." And if she's back next year, expect to see McGowan listed in the credits as producer. "The other girls were made producers in their fifth year then I'll automatically be a producer. Certainly, then, I'll have some input. Hmm, I should check with my lawyer, maybe it's more money! Ha-ha-ha! Somewhere there's gotta be an upshot."
A knock on the door interrupts the conversation. An assistant director informs McGowan that they're ready on the set and that she'll be needed in a minute or two. So there's time for just a couple more questions. The first: before it's all over, what does McGowan want to know about Paige, or what's she not yet played in terms of the character that she's eager to play before the wrap party? "I can do comedy with my eyes crossed and my hands tied behind my back," the actress responds. "And that's great. It's great fun, and we do a lot of it on the show. But if you meet anyone who only does comedy, they want to do some drama, and visa versa. So yes, I would like to do a lot more dramatic stuff. But you can only pop it in here and there because ultimately this is not that kind of show. So I tend to like the dramatic arcs when we do them, but they don't have them all that often. And that's OK. Character-wise, I just want her to get more confident, but to still stay sweet and zainy."
Charmed isn't even over yet - Season Seven has just begun and there's every reason to believe that an eighth year is in the cards - but already fans are asking about TV reunion movies or a possible Charmed feature. McGowan seems surprised by the concept. It's mentioned to her that there's already been a Farscape mini-series, that The WB hopes to resurrect Angel as a series of TV movies, though David Boreanaz would prefer to see a feature, and that Serenity, a feature based on the series Firefly, is on the way. "You never know what will happen," McGowan says. "But I can't see a feature being done. I don't know if Brad came to me in a few years... You never know. All Things are possible."
Whether it's evil warlocks, worried boyfriends, or blood sugar levels, there's no problem Charmed's Rose McGowan can't conquer, Ian Spelling discovers. Just don't ask for episode synopses...
Sitting in her trailer on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, as the Charmed production crew readies the next shot, Rose McGowan is chowing down on a cookie and making pre-interview small talk. "I'm So Sorry," she says. "I'm having low blood sugar problems. "I'm so embarrassed." she says, laughing., "but if I don't eat something I won't have any energy." McGowan finishes her snack and pronounces herself ready to chat. "OK," she says. "Let's go."
McGowan arrived on the Charmed scene four years ago, at the beginning of Season Four. It couldn't have been easy. A veteran of indie features - from Scream to Jawbreaker, Southie to Going All The Way - she was suddenly thrust into a weekly TV series, with its relentless schedule. Plus Charmed came with a set of other unexpected challenges. First, there were special effects aplenty with which to deal. Second Charmed was a show in transition; some might call it turmoil. When it began, it starred Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano as Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell, aka The Charmed Ones, sisters and witches who took it upon themselves to protect people from evil in all its manifestations. Doherty exited after Season Three, reportedly under less than ideal circumstances, and McGowan was called in to replace her.
McGowan was introduced in fourth season premier Charmed Again as Paige Matthews, half sister to Piper and Phoebe, who was by an adoptive family but always knew she was a little different. Just as Paige's presence restored the Power of Three, McGowans presence helped steady the Charmed ship; the ratings stayed bewitching and a sense of calm enveloped the production.
"I would say that I've definitely tried to make her more of a comic foil on the show," says McGowan, who's attired in a camel-coloured mini-skirt and an Army-green tank top. "I think it was some reviewer that actually said it best. This reviewer said that she's like 'Baby Lucy', with a big dash of vulnerability. I find that to be a good summary of the character. I think the vulnerability factor is what connects people to the character, and to the show; that and the fact that we try to base it in reality. Certainly, we've got a lot of bizarre dialogue. And certainly we're dealing with unreal situations all the time, but it's ultimately about the three sisters. Person to person, when people (meet) me they usually say, ' You're nothing like your character.' My voice is different. I can certainly be goofy, but I'm not as goofy as the character. You need some sort of levity, I think, but I do like that she is rooted in reality."
Last season, Paige figured into the comedy, drama and action rather frequently. She got a job as a dog walker - one of several temp jobs she'd go on to hold - in the two-part season opener, Valhalley of the Dolls. In Love's a Witch, she began to romance Richard Montana (Balthazar Getty), but become possessed by the ghost of his first love. Later, in Soul Sister, she sold her soul, and in Stormy Leather she conjured Mr. Right (Gabriel Olds) on purpose, only to also inadvertently give rise to Mr. Wrong. Then, in the season finale, It's a Bad, Bad, Bad World, Paige and Phoebe battled evil versions of themselves.
So how did Season Six rate with McGowan? "I barely remember it," she replies, bluntly honest as usual, "I guess it was good, I do them and they're gone. Honestly, I can't tell you what I did two weeks ago. I used to remember everything, but it's crazy. It really is. We do 22 episodes a season, pretty much one after the other. We're sometimes finishing one show and starting another at the same time, I'm sure for the people on ER, they'll say, 'I saved somebody.' My boyfriend (a New York City-based men's health magazine editor) will say to me, 'What did you do today?' and I'll say, 'I kicked some demon ass in a miniskirt.' If you need any actual details about what the hell goes on I am not your girl. I don't know. [Executive producer] Brad Kern has it all in his head. They either tell me and I forget or they just don't tell me any more."
Season Seven has now kicked off with A Call To Arms, but asked what else is to come, McGowan provided what few details she was aware of, "I think that Paige finally gets a real boyfriend," McGowan says, not clarifying why Richard didn't count as a 'real boyfriend.' "So that's exciting. That's going to be fun. Kerr Smith," of TV's Dawsons Creek and the film Final Destination, "is playing that character." Smith's role is Brody, an FBI agent who discovers the girls' secret, "And my off-screen boyfriend hates it, but I, for the character, like it. It's true. It's been kind of ridiculous. Everybody else has had a guy or two or more. Are you kidding me? You know what I mean? So it's about time. But I haven't even met Kerr yet. He's already been in one episode, but I just had no interaction with him in that episode. I actually get to see him from across the street today for the first time. All I know is that I'll get to make out with him pretty soon.
"What else? Oh, I'm in magic school, and I become a teacher. That I actually quite enjoy. I'm wearing a black robe. And I'm hearing that there's going to be a 1930's-themed episode coming up. That should be fun."
Earlier, during short breaks on the set, McGowan and Combs read a newspaper article together or joked to one another, McGowan teased Combs, who'd been complaining \about the traffic she faced coming to the studio that morning; Combs lives in the Valley, where Charmed used to shoot, while McGowan resides in Los Angeles, not far from Paramount, Milano, for the record, has a day off. "We've certainly found a groove," McGowan says "They've certainly changed. Holly has had her own personal arc., if you will," she says, referring to the birth of Comb's first son. Finley. "So that's been interesting and neat to watch. I don't know; all I do is buy and sell houses," she laughs. "No children. People ask me all the time if we hang out after the show. We often work 14 hours a day, so there is no after the show. You go to bed and you come back. So, there is no after the show. I go to sleep and then I'm here."
McGowan will likely be back here next year, too. The show kicked off Season Seven with it's usual robust ratings and, if those hold in the coming months, chances are that The WB will renew Charmed for one more year. If that happens, if there's an eighth season, then that will then likely be the shows last. It will absolutely be McGowan's swan song. "I will fulfill my five-year contract." she says. "We're in year seven of the show, which is my fourth year. If they do and eighth season I have to do an eighth season, because I have a five-year contract. So if the ratings are there this year I'll be back next year." And if she's back next year, expect to see McGowan listed in the credits as producer. "The other girls were made producers in their fifth year then I'll automatically be a producer. Certainly, then, I'll have some input. Hmm, I should check with my lawyer, maybe it's more money! Ha-ha-ha! Somewhere there's gotta be an upshot."
A knock on the door interrupts the conversation. An assistant director informs McGowan that they're ready on the set and that she'll be needed in a minute or two. So there's time for just a couple more questions. The first: before it's all over, what does McGowan want to know about Paige, or what's she not yet played in terms of the character that she's eager to play before the wrap party? "I can do comedy with my eyes crossed and my hands tied behind my back," the actress responds. "And that's great. It's great fun, and we do a lot of it on the show. But if you meet anyone who only does comedy, they want to do some drama, and visa versa. So yes, I would like to do a lot more dramatic stuff. But you can only pop it in here and there because ultimately this is not that kind of show. So I tend to like the dramatic arcs when we do them, but they don't have them all that often. And that's OK. Character-wise, I just want her to get more confident, but to still stay sweet and zainy."
Charmed isn't even over yet - Season Seven has just begun and there's every reason to believe that an eighth year is in the cards - but already fans are asking about TV reunion movies or a possible Charmed feature. McGowan seems surprised by the concept. It's mentioned to her that there's already been a Farscape mini-series, that The WB hopes to resurrect Angel as a series of TV movies, though David Boreanaz would prefer to see a feature, and that Serenity, a feature based on the series Firefly, is on the way. "You never know what will happen," McGowan says. "But I can't see a feature being done. I don't know if Brad came to me in a few years... You never know. All Things are possible."
