- Daphne Zuniga (Victoria, One Tree Hill) is spearheading a charity auction to support the Los Angeles River. Among the packages you can bid on: lunch with Zuniga, Sophia Bush (Brooke, One Tree Hill), Austin Nichols (Julian, One Tree Hill), Lisa Goldstein (Millicent, One Tree Hill) and Allison Munn (Lauren, One Tree Hill). Who has $1,000+ they can loan me?
- Zuniga also recently joined Twitter. She has been added to the Twitter Directory.
- Forbes named Chuck (Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl) one of the wealthiest fictional characters and did an interview with “him.”
- News of the World has an interview with Eric Daman (costume designer, Gossip Girl) about the Miss Selfridge collection of Gossip Girl-inspired clothes that will be available in Britain later this month.
- Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan, The O.C.) was shooting the movie Sin Bin in Chicago last week. Why couldn’t he done it when I lived there?
News Roundup: One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl and The O.C.
17 04 2010Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: Allison Munn, Austin Nichols, Benjamin McKenzie, Britain, Brooke, Chicago, Chuck, Daphne Zuniga, Ed Westwick, Eric Daman, Forbes, Gossip Girl, Julian, Lauren, Lisa Goldstein, Los Angeles River, Millicent, Miss Selfridge, News of the World, One Tree Hill, Ryan, Sin Bin, Sophia Bush, The O.C, Twitter, Victoria
Categories : Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, The O.C.
Exclusive: Meet The MunnRoyds!
1 03 2010In my Real-Life Relationships series, I wrote how One Tree Hill held the honor of being the only teen drama to ever have married cast members. But they also held the dishonor of being the only show with divorced cast members when that same couple split. I’m happy to say honor has been restored this season with the introduction of Scott Holroyd as David. Holroyd’s recurring role meant he was starring on the very same show his wife, Allison Munn, has been on as Lauren for more than a year now.
Munn and Holroyd haven’t yet had the privilege of sharing scenes together but the excitement of just working on the same set has pleased them both. They were also more than enthusiastic about doing a joint interview and officially introducing everyone to the MunnRoyds.
TeenDramaWhore: Is this your first joint interview?
Munn: This is our first joint interview–except for the man who married us. We had an interview with the man who married us and that was equally as fun.
TDW: I am very honored, then, to be your first professional joint interview.
Munn: It’s very exciting. We’re having some wine and sitting down. This is fun.
Holroyd: You got the exclusive.
TDW: I’m very excited. Allison, we covered a lot of ground in our first interview, but something I forgot to ask you was how you got involved with One Tree Hill in the first place. Was it the typical casting call-audition route?
Munn: It was. The part came down the pipes and I went in. It was cool because I was sitting in the room waiting for everyone and I didn’t know who was actually going to be in the audition but [creator] Mark Schwahn walks in and I had known Mark back when I was on What I Like About You. Mark used to come by our set a lot so I was excited to see him again because he was always so nice. And then my friend Joe Davola walked. He’s one of the producers on One Tree Hill but he was also one of the producers on What I Like About You. So it was just a little mini-reunion and it took a minute to have the actual audition because we had to catch each other up on our lives. So that was fun. Then I auditioned and I think I found out that night that I got the part. It was kind of perfect because the day I flew in, I got into Wilmington at night and it was the show’s Christmas party. I went in and I went straight to the Christmas party and got to meet everyone there, which was a lot of fun.
TDW: That’s a great way to ease the stress of having to meet everyone when you first get on set.
Munn: Oh, yeah. It’s stressful when you guest-star on a show because they’re a tight-knit group and you’re a stranger coming into their world. But these people could not have been more accommodating or nice. It’s truly been a blessing to meet these people.
TDW: Your first episode was when Jamie [Jackson Brundage] asks you out on his little date [Episode 6.16, Screenwriter‘s Blues]. Did you sign on to do just that one episode or did you know there would be more?
Munn: I was only booked for that episode and when I read the scenes, the way they originally read, there was supposed to be a flirtation with Dan [Paul Johansson]. But they were very careful to not make it that way. I don’t know if they had it in their minds that I would go on. I finished that episode and I came home over the holidays and Mark Schwahn called me and pitched me the [storyline] that I would start dating Skills [Antwon Tanner]. That was really exciting. That was a great call to get.
TDW: I’m sure. So, Scott, last year did you visit Allison on set at all?
Holroyd: Yes, actually. I knew Joe from the What I Like About Days. I met Schwahn during Allison’s work on One Tree Hill and Mark was familiar some of the work I had done. I went and visited the Jerry Rice episode [7.01, 4:30 a.m. (Apparently They Were Traveling Abroad)]. I was in North Carolina during that time and Allison texted me and said, “Hey, do you know who Jerry Rice is?”
Munn: No, I think I texted you like, “Hey, have you ever heard of some guy named Jerry Rice?” Clearly I had no idea who he was.
Holroyd: And I was like, “Uh, yes! He’s only the best wide receiver in the history of the NFL.” And she was like “Well, I’m playing football with him right now.” I turned the car around and went to set. That was the first time I was on set and hung out with everybody there.
Munn: The greatest thing also about these people is that we also got to know a lot of them back here [in Los Angeles]. When they’re not in production in North Carolina, we tend to hang out and go to dinner here in Los Angeles. So he had met them socially as well here.
TDW: So then when the part of David came up, did you have a formal audition?
Holroyd: Yeah, I went in and read for Mark. It was a typical audition and then I got the call when I was in North Carolina to visit Allison and visit family. I got the offer when I was there so I ended up not leaving North Carolina and staying for the rest of the summer to shoot [my] first four episodes. It was actually perfect timing and a perfect situation because it’s always nice to work with friends. Mark had become a pal through all of this when Allison was in season 6. We’d hang out, like she said, go out to dinner with he and his wife. It was just a fun situation for us both and it was also fun to be home because Allison and I are both from that area. My mom and dad live in Myrtle Beach, which is 45 minutes away from Wilmington so that whole summer Allison and I were there with both of our dogs and it was the best summer on record for us.
Munn: It really was. We always say there’s very few times in your life when you’re having a wonderful time and you’re aware of how lucky you are and aware of the fact you’re going to look back on this moment in your life and reflect on it and say, “Wow, remember when we got to do that?” We were very aware of how good we had it this past summer. It was wonderful.
Holroyd: Was this the first time you were working on the same project?
Munn: Well, technically no. We were both on That 70’s Show. We were never on set at the same time. Scott did an episode and I think I did the episode after him. So technically we had but not like this.
TDW: On One Tree Hill, Lauren is a much a happier character than David has been. Scott, as someone who is happily married in real life, is it difficult to get into David’s frame of mind or do you embrace the challenge of playing someone so different from you?
Holroyd: You always embrace it. It’s fun. You can kind of empathize and understand. We’ve all had disappointments and adversity in our lives and you grasp onto that to figure out where the character’s coming from. So the challenge was fun.
Munn: Believe it or not, this is one of the nicer characters he’s played. He usually plays like rapists…
Holroyd: Murderers, wife-beaters.
Munn: Wife-beaters. So, yeah, this has been a departure from his normal roles.
Holroyd: Yeah, so when I got the offer from Mark, he was like, “Yeah, this is not like the things you normally play” because he had seen some of my work before. He was like, “Gosh! There is no vigilance in [David]. He’s a nice guy.”
Munn: I think Joe Davola was surprised, too, because Joe knew mostly his work when he on Dirty Sexy Money. I don’t know if you saw his arc on that but he ran the gamut. He hit women–
Holroyd: Pistol-whipped a woman.
Munn: Pistol-whipped a woman, he shot a person, he killed a person. It was a lot for them to wrap their head around, to have Scott be the nice guy for a change. I loved seeing that. I mean, yeah, he was in pain but it was really neat for me to see Scott play that role.
TDW: At what point did you know you’d be coming back for the Taylor [Lindsey McKeon] storyline?
Holroyd: Mark called and he was happy with how things had turned out and the arc of the story. He said there’d be some more stuff coming down the pipe. That’s all I knew. I didn’t know in what way I was going to be used or what way David was going to come back but he said there’d be more stuff for me to do. So when I got the call for the next little bit with Taylor and when I read the script, I was like, “Ohhhkay. Okay.” That’s when you see a little bit of David’s…kind of vindictive side. Maybe vindictive isn’t the right word.
Munn: No, he was kind of vindictive.
TDW: I was going to say vindictive, too.
Holroyd: Yeah, but it wasn’t really honest vindictiveness. It was more…
TDW: It came from a place of hurt.
Holroyd: Yes. It came from hurt. And when he realized it was all a lie, that’s when he kind of bailed on the whole thing because he was really just relying on Taylor. I think Taylor was honest in her approach to her sisters and I think David was just kind of going along with that, like “Okay.” I think David was looking at it as “Quinn hurt me. How can I hurt her back?” Taylor was the way to do that. I think that’s how that all came about. I think David kind of relished the moments, like at the dinner scene. I think David was just relishing watching Quinn [Shantel Van Santen], even though Quinn stayed above it all. But I think he relished it until he found out she didn’t really sleep with Clay [Robert Buckley]. That’s when his world really came crashing down again. David just got–
Munn: He got kicked. He got hammered.
Holroyd: He got kicked on all sides. Even when he tried to be forceful and be a little vindictive, he got hit again. I felt bad for David and I fought for David and I thought he was right in how he approached things. I agreed with him.
Munn: I really loved seeing those flashback scenes with him and Shantel [Episode 7.07, I And Love And You] because it was nice to see David happy and in a good place. That added, for me, a lot of depth to both their characters.
TDW: It did. It gave us the point of view of where David was coming from–what was the marriage he had with Quinn like? You would think anyone would be upset they’re getting divorced but we didn’t know what Quinn was leaving behind.
Munn: Right. And it’s hard because they had such a great thing. I think a lot of people were like, “Why is Quinn leaving this great marriage?” but, being in a relationship that actually works, you do really change a lot as people. If you don’t grow together, the growing apart feels so lonely and I think that’s what Quinn was really haunted by, her loneliness. David wasn’t the man she originally married.
Holroyd: Of course, I’m gonna side with David. I don’t think he necessarily changed.
Munn: I think he grew up.
Holroyd: I think he was thinking ahead and he was growing up and evolving and thinking, “Hey, I have a passion”–which was Quinn’s thing, “Stick to your passion”–“but if the passion doesn’t pay the bills, let’s be honest. You don’t want to be motivated by money but money is to an extent a necessity, so let me get a job that affords us a life that we can live on and grow and have a family.” So I saw where David was coming from. I don’t think he necessarily changed who he was; he just wanted to better his family. That’s my opinion on David but, of course, I’m going to stick up for my man.
TDW: I think the fans saw it from both sides. I think there were people were questioning, “What is Quinn doing?” and they wanted to see more of David. And there were people who accepted she wasn’t happy and wanted a change and to move on. I would also venture to guess a lot of the fans are younger and not married, so it might’ve been hard to understand. Maybe because they’re not married, they think that moving on is an easier thing to do.
Munn: Yeah, that’s intuitive.
Holroyd: A lot of people were asking, “Why?” A lot people were getting frustrated with the Quinn storyline and asking “Why would she want to move on? She has no reason.” And my explanation for the storyline was when you grow, you either grow together or you grow apart and sometimes you grow apart. It’s as simple as that. I think that frustrated people. It’s so simple that it frustrated people. It would’ve been a lot of easier had there been infidelity or something else. But it was just a matter of just growing apart. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.
TDW: I’ve been wondering where Quinn and David lived. I think the implication was that you guys were out of town. But I think people liked David and I know I would’ve liked to see him stick around and I came up with a way to have him stick but I didn’t know if he actually lived in Tree Hill or not.
Munn: I don’t think he does live in Tree Hill.
Holroyd: I don’t think he does either.
Munn: But what’s your way to make him stick? I want to hear it! I like it!
TDW: Well, David was in his own way a filmmaker. I guess documentary was more his style but he liked filmmaking. And you have another filmmaker in Tree Hill–you have Julian [Austin Nichols] making his movie. And I can easily see David trying to get a job on the set to be near Quinn, even though she’s moving on with Clay. You can just extend the length of that triangle, where Quinn has to deal with having her ex-husband living in town with them and working with her sister’s friend’s boyfriend, ‘cause everybody in Tree Hill is connected.
Munn: And Julian needs a good guy friend to hang out with.
TDW: He does.
Munn: And David needs a nice girlfriend who, perhaps, is a schoolteacher.
Holroyd: Named Lauren.
Munn: Named Lauren.
Holroyd: That’s a petition! Petition it! David and Lauren!
TDW: That would be great! Could you imagine if we got that going?
Holroyd: That would be insane.
TDW: I think working on Julian’s film is a totally plausible way to have David stick around and evolve into more than just Quinn’s ex.
Munn: I think you’re right.
Holroyd: Put it out there, Shari! Put it out there!
Munn: It’s up to you! I think you’re right. I think the Julian connection makes a lot of sense.
TDW: With Lauren, in 7.12 [Some Roads Leave Nowhere], that was the last episode before a hiatus for us and we saw Skills go to L.A. and people thought that was it for Skills and that therefore that would be it for Lauren. Did you think that, too, or did you know about the plans to tie her in with Mouth [Lee Norris] later on?
Munn: I didn’t know it was going to be with Mouth. I knew something was going to happen. They had the idea to have Skills come back and I would be dating someone else. I didn’t know it was going to be Mouth. So during those first scenes when I hang out with Mouth [Episode 7.14, Family Affair], I come and clean up the apartment and all that–
Holroyd: CSI-style.
Munn: Yeah, the CSI kind of stuff. We didn’t know we were going to be paired off. What I was told is that the writers watched those scenes and they could see a lot chemistry between the two of us and wrote to that.
TDW: Wow! I never would’ve guessed that it happened in that order!
Munn: I know! Me either. I remember actually talking to Paul Johansson, who directed that episode. I was like, “Look. I’ve been hanging out with this guy all day”–and typically on shows like One Tree Hill when that happens, usually romance springs from it–and I remember saying to him, “Do we need to be really careful to avoid any sort of romantic tension?” And he said, “Don’t play to it and don’t play against it. Just play the scene as it is. You don’t need to think that far ahead.” And I was like, “Okay, fine.” But I still didn’t expect us to end up having any sort of liaison, that’s for sure.
TDW: That’s such a treat to know because people watched those scenes and said, “Oh, I know what’s coming! Mouth and Lauren are getting together!”
Munn: Right! They saw it before us. That’s what some of the writers told me. It’s kind of neat that they do pay attention to that stuff and they write to it. I love that.
TDW: So then you did find out and what was your reaction?
Munn: I felt bad! As Allison, I felt bad because of Millie [Lisa Goldstein]. I didn’t feel bad because of Lauren’s relationship with Skills because of what had come out in some of the scenes. Skills moved. He didn’t ask me to move with him. When I pressured him, he was like “Fine, go with me” but that felt like it was half-hearted so I said no. And then we kept up a phone relationship for a while but then it just petered out, like he stopped calling me. I think it had been from the time Skills left and Lauren started having feelings for Mouth, I think it had been a while. It wasn’t just like a month. I think it was 3-6 months in the way the linear storyline goes. So I think that’s enough time for a relationship to peter out. Lauren kind of knew the relationship was done. We’ll see what happens with Skills. Maybe it wasn’t done on his end.
TDW: I do have a question about that but I want to go to back to something you just said. You as Allison felt bad for Millie?
Munn: Yeah, because I think their relationship has been so sweet. I love Mouth and Millie together. Of course, over the course of this season, she has treated Mouth very, very poorly and I do think Mouth deserves better. I’m pulled in both directions. When I was watching it–it’s funny, because I don’t watch it as the actress; I watch it as a fan. I love the show. So when I was watching the episode when he asked Lauren out, I was rooting for him. I wanted him to ask Lauren out because I cared for Mouth and I feel like right now Lauren is much more stable choice than Millie–however, that being said, I really do like him and Millie together.
TDW: I’m already seeing two fandoms brewing. People who not only think Mouth and Millie are the endgame for Mouth’s character but just have been attached to this couple since season 5. And then there’s other people that are just tired of the drama, tired of the back and forth and also really like Lauren and see potential in the coupling with Mouth.
Munn: Mouth is such a stand-up guy. He’s so good. And so far what we’ve seen from Lauren is that she’s grounded and good as well. I can see why the fans who are really protective of Mouth would be glad that he gravitates towards Lauren now because she seems safe. Millie’s not safe right now.
TDW: In the last episode [Episode 7.18, The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance], we first saw Lauren say, “I’ll be your partner-in-crime but I’m not going to be your rebound.” And at the end of the episode, she kind of says, “Okay, I was kind of lying. I was worried that you were going to be my rebound.” Where do you think she was coming from there?
Munn: Well, actually, in that–Joe Davola was directing that episode and he had a really great note at the beginning of that scene. And what you guys didn’t see because I think it was cut out of the episode was that a lot of us were at the funeral. You didn’t see us all at the funeral for Haley’s [Bethany Joy Galleoti] mom.
TDW: Wow! Thank you for telling me that! Keep going, please!
Munn: There was a moment in the script that was cut out of what you guys saw. Mouth looks over at Millie and Millie smiles at him and I look at that. No, wait, I don’t think Millie’s smiles at him. It was just a moment where they pan across and they see Millie, they see Mouth and then Mouth sees me. And pretty soon, like I don’t think it’s the next scene but it’s pretty close to that, I come and knock on the door and I say my piece to Mouth. So Joe had a really good note for me. He was like, “Look. You’ve just been to a funeral. You’ve seen that life is short. You’re feeling lonely. Carpe diem.”
TDW: Nothing against the way they do the show or anything but that’s so helpful to know. That would’ve enhanced things, because you two only had two scenes in that episode that aired.
Munn: That’s true.
TDW: You had the first scene where you’re walking in town and the scene when you come to his apartment. It was very little of you two and some people said it felt weird having that second scene mixed in with the trauma of Lydia’s [Bess Armstrong] death and the funeral and what Haley was going through afterward. But there’s such another layer to it when you tell me now that you guys were at the funeral and that kind of motivated Lauren.
Munn: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I see what you’re saying. I guess it did help them [in how it aired] because they wanted the audience to be surprised by her actions but you’re right, character-wise, it did seem to come a little bit more out of nowhere.
TDW: Let me just ask you another question about the funeral. Was there any planned dialogue for that or was it always just supposed to be montage-style with a song playing?
Munn: Actually, now that you say that, I remember when we were shooting it the only dialogue was this woman who did the service. It was the typical “ashes to ashes, death to death” speech. It was sort of chilling. I was surprised to see how short that sequence was. But I think the sisters did such a great, great job–Joy and Shantel and Lindsey. They did such a great job. They made me want to cry when I saw that. But I did notice that the “ashes to ashes, death to the death,” that whole speech was taken out. So there was definitely that dialogue and there were other moments. I know you got to see Brooke [Sophia Bush] and Julian. I forget who else they showed at the funeral but they did film me and Millie and Mouth also.
TDW: That’s good to know.
Munn: It made a lot of sense for me when I read it. I hadn’t even thought about that [since] because sometimes when you’re watching the episodes, you forget what you originally said or the original flow. I didn’t even think that that might be a little jarring. That makes a lot of sense now.
TDW: In the promo for the next batch episodes, there’s a really quick scene of Skills punching Mouth. Can you tease a little bit about what gets them to that point?
Munn: Well, I think you can probably guess what might lead to that, as per what we just talked about.
TDW: Well, you mentioned before how to you it seemed the relationship with Skills petered out because he stopped calling. But when he walks in the door in that last episode, he’s back to calling you “baby” and I got the sense that maybe things weren’t so over.
Munn: Yeah, you might be right with that. It’s funny how things can be miscommunicated but from what I knew and what Lauren knew, he had stopped calling. Lauren had called him more and he had quit returning her phone calls. And she had relayed that information to Mouth, not to lead him on but because they were friends. She was confiding in him, like, “We don’t really talk anymore. He doesn’t call me back. I don’t even know how he’s doing.” She was actually finding out more of how he was doing through Mouth than through actually talking to Skills. So when he walks back in the door and he’s like “Hey, baby!” completely casual, I think Lauren was really taken aback by that.
TDW: I think we were, too. So now I guess you’re going to have these two friends pitted against each other.
Munn: Yeah, and it’s a shame because they have a really solid friendship. I hate that for them.
TDW: And their friendship goes back to the very first episode of the show.
Munn: Yep, the pilot. That’s a shame. Never let a lady come between you, boys!
TDW: Well, if the show lived by that, we would’ve missed out on countless storylines!
Munn: Scott just whispered “bros before hos.” That’s a twist on the “Clothes Over Bros.”
TDW: Well, that’s something Brooke and Peyton [Hilarie Burton] used to say to each other. They used to say, “Hos over bros” and once it became “Hos over psychos” [Episode 4.16, You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love]. Anyway, I know Antwon tweeted that he’s in like three of the last four episodes.
Munn: Yes, I think so. I’m forgetting how many we shot. I know he’s around, definitely. I don’t know that he’s in all of the last ones. I don’t know how much I can say without giving away too much. He’s in–sorry, I’m counting–yep, you’re right. It’s three of the last four, correct.
TDW: Can you say how many more you are in?
Munn: I just wrapped for the season and they have another one to shoot. I don’t think they’ll get mad at me for saying this but I’m not in the last two.
TDW: Oh, you’re not in the last two?
Munn: No, but I don’t think that has anything to do with the story. They’re just wrapping their season and I’m not one of the main characters, you know?
TDW: Okay, so you’re not in 7.21 or 22.
Munn: Right. But that’s not a big spoiler anything. It’s not like I get shot or I drown or anything.
TDW: What are you hearing about a season eight?
Munn: You know, nobody really knows what quite to think yet. I look at the ratings versus the ratings of other shows on the network and I think we stand a pretty good chance.
Holroyd: If you’re asking me as a fan, I think it’s definitely going to get picked up for an eighth season.
Munn: I like that. I like where his head is at! I really hope so.
Holroyd: But that’s me as a fan.
Munn: That’s Scott as fan. Honestly, I talked to the major players this week and nobody really knows for sure. But everyone is very optimistic, if that helps.
TDW: Do you know if you have a future on the show if there’s an eighth season?
Munn: You know, I never know. I would hope so but I never know.
Holroyd: David and Lauren!
Munn: David and Lauren all the way!
TDW: I would totally buy it. You guys already have the chemistry.
Munn: I know. Lauren and David and David and Skills. Oops, sorry, not David and Skills–that would be a whole different show! Who else can David date? Hmm…
Holroyd: David and Haley, what?!
Munn: Aw, no! That would be a disaster!
Holroyd: All the Scott sisters, yes!
Munn: No way!
TDW: Scott, We’ll see you next on Chuck, right?
Holroyd: Yes.
Munn: It’s very exciting. He has a really good arc on Chuck.
Holroyd: Here’s the only problem: it airs Monday nights at 8!
TDW: I know!
Holroyd: So people have to be able to record two shows at once or have two televisions. They have to watch One Tree Hill.
Munn: They have to watch One Tree Hill! If you have to choose, choose One Tree Hill but if you have another option, choose One Tree Hill and Chuck.
Holroyd: Right, there you go. I think my stuff starts in a couple of months, probably mid-April, late April. I don’t know when the season ends for One Tree Hill.
Munn: I don’t know. Shari, you probably have a better idea than I do.
TDW: The show comes back from hiatus April 26 and if it airs the last four episodes in a row, that takes through May 17.
Holroyd: Uht-oh, there’s gonna be an overlap. You need to be able to record two shows at once.
TDW: So right now the next step for you both, besides Chuck, is pilot season.
Munn: Oh, good lord, it’s a nightmare!
Holroyd: Yes.
TDW: Can you tell me a little bit about that nightmare?
Munn: It’s a nightmare in the best way. The networks are buying a lot of pilots this season. So we have been completely inundated with auditions. Sometimes it’s up to three a day and it’s exhausting. It’s one of those where you have a change of clothes in your car and you go to one and you either change in the bathroom of that one or in the car on the way to the next one. It’s been pretty crazy.
TDW: Are any of these for leading roles?
Munn: Oh, yeah. They’re all for leading roles.
TDW: That’s awesome!
Munn: Yeah, it’s great. We’re reading some really good scripts. There’s good stuff out there right now. It’s an exciting time for actors in L.A.
TDW: By chance, any of the same projects?
Munn: No! I wish!
Holroyd: That’s why One Tree Hill was such a blessing. That doesn’t often, if ever.
Munn: The planets really have to be aligned for you to even get a job. So for you to get a job co-starring your husband, it’s pretty close to impossible.
TDW: I sincerely hope it happens. It’s great having you both on One Tree Hill but it would be even better to see you in a scene together.
Munn: It would be really fun to act with Scott. I’m a huge fan of his. It would be a lot of fun. And it would be really fun to continue to get to do interviews this way because we are having a blast!
TDW: I am, too! Are you guys still drinking your wine?
Munn: Yes, we actually just poured more!
Holroyd: Cheers! (glasses clink)
TDW: I heard that! That’s great. I really appreciate your time.
Munn: Absolutely, Shari. I have to say I really respect what you do. I’ve been to your site and I think you have really great interviews. You ask such great questions. You get some really cool interviews and I just have to say I’m super-impressed with you.
TDW: Wow, thank you very much! That means a lot to me. Can I print that?!
Munn: Print it and reproduce it anywhere you want! I’m very much impressed with your journalistic skills.
Holroyd: And we’re excited that this is our first dual interview. You got the exclusive.
Munn: Yeah, you’ve got the MunnRoyds.
TDW: The MunnRoyds! Do people actually call you that?
Munn: Yes!
Holroyd: We do!
Munn: We call ourselves that and we forced our friends to call us that. It could be the title of a sitcom, “Hangin’ With The MunnRoyds.”
Holroyd: There’s Brangelina; we’re the MunnRoyds!
TDW: That works!
Munn: It sounds like a terrible infection you’d get on your foot.
Holroyd: “Oh man, I’ve got a terrible case of the MunnRoyds!”
Munn: But it works for us.
TDW: Allison, have you thought about changing your name professionally?
Munn: I haven’t.
Holroyd: No.
Munn: Holroyd is a pretty difficult name. I’m taking it personally and it’ll be on my driver’s license and all that eventually but professionally, as Scott can tell you–he’s begged me, “Honey, I promise you, you don’t have to take this name!”–it’s a burden sometimes.
Holroyd: She’s worked very hard to make a name for herself as Allison Munn. She’s made a great name for herself. It’s hard enough to have a career in this business but it’s even harder with a name like Holroyd. I’m proud of my name–
Munn: I love your name!
Holroyd: But it doesn’t make things easier.
Munn: You have to spell it about five times with each person.
Holroyd: My name is not Scott Holroyd, it’s “Scott Holroyd, H-O-L-R-O-Y-D.”
Munn: “No, it’s H-O-L-R-O-Y-D. No, not I-D, Y-D. H-O-L-No, yes, H-O-L-R-O-Y-D, yes, that’s the name!”
Holroyd: That’s my goal. I just want people to know my name.
H & M: (singing) “Say my name, say my name”
TDW: Can I make a little request, Scott? Actually to both of you. You both need to tweet a bit more.
Munn: I know! It’s hard. I get nervous. And I know Scott gets even more nervous than I do.
TDW: Why are you nervous?
Munn: Because it goes out there to a lot of people! I get shy, Shari, I get shy!
TDW: I think fans just love it because it’s really unprecedented access. Before this, we were lucky if people had official sites and actually updated them. So this is a great connection. If we don’t interact with you, we’re still hearing from you and the fans just feel closer to you.
Munn: You’re right. It’s true. And I like having that kind of access, where I can write fans back. I usually direct message fans. You feel like you have access but you don’t feel completely accessible, which is nice. I think Twitter’s really great for that.
TDW: There’s actually a fan account on there for you, linked to a fansite, I think.
Munn: Really? I’ll google myself later and find it. Awesome! I’ll do that tonight.
TDW: You guys should start a joint Web site, how about that?
Munn: Babe, we should start a joint Web site and then we could do Flip videos of us hanging out.
Holroyd: That wouldn’t be boring.
Munn: That wouldn’t be boring at all. I think it’s the need to feel creative that’s a little bit stressful.
Holroyd: The need to be witty.
Munn: Yeah, I have to think of something smart and funny to say. That’s where I get stymied a little bit.
TDW: Two suggestions.
Munn: Okay, perfect.
TDW: Mike Grubbs [Grubbs], he has a blog. And he does little blog posts but he also does short little videos from the set or other places in his life. They’re maybe, like, a minute long but they’re funny. And Jana Kramer [Alex] and her fiancé, I guess it’s his Web site but there’s like episodes of their life on there and we actually got to see footage of his marriage proposal.
Munn: I saw some of that and that was incredible! That was so cool to be able to see. I love Jana Kramer. But I haven’t seen all of their videos. I have to check those out.
TDW: I have to admit I haven’t seen all of them either and it’s kind of weird that I don’t actually know them but I saw them get engaged.
Munn: I know, right?
TDW: But, anyway, I think people love to think the characters on their show are together in real life and that can be a blessing and curse but here we have two people who are together and I think people would be interested in seeing more of it if you guys were willing to put it out there.
Munn: That’s a cool idea. Maybe we will. Babe, what do you think?
Holroyd: Shari, you may have a point.
Munn: I forced him to get the Twitter account. He’s been very hesitant to do any of the social media stuff.
TDW: I know it’s hard for some people who worry about it being a big invasion of privacy and the stalking that happens in real life is transferred to online.
Munn: Yes. And I think for people who are in a position to be stalked, like pretty famous people, I can understand why they’d be scared of that stuff. It would stink I think to be a celebrity and say I’m at a certain place for lunch and have people show up. I think that’s where some people should draw the line.
TDW: The whole service is what you make of it. People say, “I don’t want to know when so-and-so is going to the bathroom.” Well, then don’t follow the person who tells you when they’re going to the bathroom.
Munn: Exactly. You’re right. It’s like when people are upset about something that’s on television. Well, then change the channel. You have a choice.
TDW: Right. People forget what is actually in their control.
Munn: Scott is so excited he can follow Conan [O’Brien] now. That was a big day.
Holroyd: He just joined. He tweets once a day. He doesn’t follow anyone. He’s got like 500,000 followers. His first tweet was…
TDW: With his squirrel!
Holroyd: “Today I interviewed a squirrel in my backyard and then threw to commercial. Somebody help me.”
Munn: I love the fact that in his picture he’s got a full beard.
Holroyd: He’s embracing his unemployment.
TDW: If Conan can tweet once a day, Scott, so can you!
H & M: Oh!!!!
Munn: Way to bring it back, Shari. Shari for the win!
Holroyd: Alright, I got you. I accept your challenge.
TDW: I’m going to hold you to that! I’ll give you tomorrow off because I’m going to publish this Monday night. Monday can start your Twitter Challenge!
Munn: Can it be a week? The Twitter Challenge Week? I’ll force him to do it.
Holroyd: Okay.
TDW: Okay, starting Monday, I’ll see if you do it.
Munn: It’s on, Shari. He just said he accepted.
Holroyd: Yeah, I accept. You throw it down and I will accept it!
Munn: I’ll make sure he follows through.
TDW: Well, thank you guys so much. If nothing else, I’m just honored to be in your history book as your first joint interview.
Holroyd: There you go!
Munn: We’re the ones who are honored. We had a good time. We really did. This was fun.
TDW: Well, thank you so much. Keep drinking your wine, relax, have a good night.
Munn: Thank you so much, Shari. You, too!
TDW: Goodnight guys!
Come back Sunday for another exclusive interview!
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Categories : One Tree Hill
Exclusive: One Tree Hill’s Lee Norris Answers YOUR Questions!
8 11 2009This was the third time I’ve interviewed Lee Norris (Mouth, One Tree Hill) but I can’t say “third time’s a charm” because he’s been charming every time. And this time around, as we caught up on the phone, he was gracious enough to answer questions submitted by YOU!
TeenDramaWhore: Since we just spoke a few months ago, today I thought I would do things a little bit differently. I asked my readers, your fans, to send in questions. So this is coming directly from them.
Lee Norris: Alright, very cool.
TDW: So Em wants to know: Do you hang out with any of your One Tree Hill costars in your free time?
Norris: Yeah, absolutely. We’re a tight-knit family and we’ve worked together for going on seven years here so we definitely hang out. Sophia [Bush, Brooke] is a great friend of mine and we have new faces now like Austin [Nichols, Julian], who’s a good kid. You know, pretty much everyone. We all hang out when we can. We work different schedules.
TDW: Okay, and Zella wants to know: In last week’s episode, Mouth got the idea of doing his own sports webshow/website as his new career path, and she’s wondering what web-series, podcasts, and websites do you pay attention to in real-life. And if you are into web 2.0 & social media like we are.
Norris: That’s a good question. I’m not a huge blog-follower. Other than, of course, TeenDramaWhore, a big shout-out there.
TDW: Thank you!
Norris: But I don’t go to too many blog sites. My girlfriend reads some of that stuff and will send interesting things to me so I pretty much rely on her. But otherwise, I’m pretty typical, you know, ESPN.com viewer and I try to keep up with a couple of my favorite bands’ blogs in terms of their upcoming concerts and things like diaries that they’re doing and stuff. So that kind of thing. I’m not a huge–like I don’t do Twitter. I think it’s a really cool thing and I just don’t think I’m exciting enough to have a Twitter personally.
TDW: Awww.
Norris: I don’t. I just feel like, I don’t know. Maybe people would be interested. I guess they probably would considering I have a really cool job and work with some pretty cool people but otherwise I don’t think they really care about me eating my chicken sandwich from Chik-fil-A.
TDW: You never know. Lauren wants to know if the cast is planning on doing anymore tours or charity events?
Norris: You know, those kinds of things have always been driven by our producers. They’re really the force behind that, and the network. So it’s not typically up to the cast, but, that being said, I would love to go out and do any of those kind of things because anytime we get to go out and see the fans face-to-face, it’s obviously the best part of the job for me, to get to meet all of our fans because they’re the reason we’ve been around for so long and it’s nice when you can step outside of this little world we have in Wilmington and see that what we’re doing on this little soundstage is affecting people that live in other countries. It’s just amazing to see that it affects people in a real-life way. So I’d be all for that. And I really want–I’d really like to some, you know, we’ve been over the states quite a bit but it’d be nice to sort of go out and do some international stuff.
TDW: And Lauren also wants to know if you are interested in directing an episode.
Norris: Yeah. I would eventually like to move into directing. It’s been really fun to work with James [Lafferty, Nathan] and Soph and [Bethany Joy Galeotti, Haley] and Paul [Johansson, Dan] and watch them do it. I’m the kind of person–I’m like a major organizer and preparer. I don’t typically like to take something on until I feel like I’ve learned every possible thing about it, and directing is such a huge task that I feel like I’m still sort of figuring that whole world out. I’m observing a lot and trying to learn as much as I can, so that if the opportunity comes along, that, you know, obviously I can do–I can hopefully do–a great job. But, yeah, I’d be interested in that eventually.
TDW: A reader by the username of g90210th wants to know: Besides Mouth, who is your favorite character currently on the show, and why?
Norris: Ooh, that’s a good question! Wow. I don’t know. Is it really bad to say that Dan is my favorite character?
TDW: Not at all! That’s totally fine.
Norris: I don’t know, it’s kind of weird. I don’t know. I’m always, you know, intrigued as to what’s going on in that man’s mind because he’s just so…Obviously I don’t like him at all but I’m always sort of waiting to see what he’s got up his sleeve and currently kind of interesting to me is, is he really the bad guy in his relationship right now or is Rachel [Dannel Harris] the bad guy? They’re both pretty bad. That’s kind of interesting to me at the moment so I guess I’ll go with Dan. I bet most people wouldn’t pick Mouth to say that.
TDW: Keren wants to know: If you could be in any TV series beside OTH, which series would it be? Which character?
Norris: Okay, I’d definitely would love to be on True Blood, which is a show about vampires. I would definitely want to be–well, first of all it’s set in the South and I’m from the South so I definitely just want to be a cool, majorly-centuries-old vampire that’s really really bad-ass, I guess. I don’t know. I didn’t get swept away in the whole Twilight thing but the True Blood craze is pretty cool. It’s a neat show.
TDW: Keren also wants to know: If you could visit any country in the world right now, which country would it be?
Norris: That’s a good question, too. Gosh, you know I’ve always wanted to go to Australia but I’ve never been. I almost studied abroad there in college and it fell through at the last minute. I’ve heard wonderful things about the people and the beaches and the weather. I’d like to do that. It’s just a long flight from here. There’s a number of places I’d like to go but I’ve been lucky to travel to some great countries already and Australia’s one of the ones, unfortunately, I haven’t been to yet.
TDW: Becky wants to know: How has the cast changed this season with the departure of Chad [Michael Murray, Lucas] and Hilarie [Burton, Peyton] and the addition of some of the new actors?
Norris: Obviously we miss Chad and Hil because we worked for them for six years and, you know, it’s tough to say goodbye to people after that long but, you know, I think One Tree Hill is really an ensemble show at its core. I think there’s enough of “old people” around that the show still has interesting stories left to tell about the characters. And I think you still feel the presence of Lucas and Peyton from time to time, which is important. In terms of the new characters, you know, I feel like they’ve tried to balance so you’re not completely immersed in new storylines only without the old stuff. Obviously, you know, Rob Buckley’s character Clay just had a huge revelation in terms of you finding out he’s been married and his wife passed away tragically, and I think that was a really smart way to introduce that character because certainly it’s hard enough to deal with that and obviously he’s kind of good to Nathan and Haley who are a big core part of the show. So I think that’s interesting ,and Jana Kramer [Alex] is really funny and has a lot of energy as Alex so I think they’re doing a good job of balancing the new characters so far.
TDW: Okay. A different Lauren wants to know: When the show eventually ends, what are your plans?
Norris: Well, my plans are hopefully to continue acting because I love it. It’s a passion of mine and I’d like to continue doing it for as along as I can. And I certainly wouldn’t mind moving behind the camera, as I said, to directing. I’d look for those opportunities.
TDW: Okay, this one’s a little bit longer. Lauren also wants to know: If you could describe each of your castmates with one word, what would it be?
Norris: Oh, wow. Okay, I’ll try. This is going to be like word association. It’s going to be like right off the bad. So, each cast member?
TDW: Yes.
Norris: Okay. For Sophia I would say intelligent. For Austin I would say wily–in a good way. I guess that’s more than one word but anyway. For James I would say focused. Let’s see. Gosh, I’m trying to think. We have so many cast members! For Rob I would say polite. For Lisa [Goldstein, Millicent] I would say genuine. For Paul I would say mischievous. For Antwon [Tanner, Skills] I would say talkative. (laughs) Who am I missing? Oh, I haven’t done Joy. Oh gosh. That’s a tough one. Let’s see. What would I say about Joy? I would say she is…gosh, I would say, I don’t know. She’s like such a unique person and complex. Let’s go with multi-talented.
TDW: Yeah, she definitely has that going for.
Norris: She does. The girl is like–I don’t know if people know this but she just put together like a Broadway musical pretty much.
TDW: I know! I’m looking forward to seeing it. I hope it goes far.
Norris: She’s insanely talented. Is that everybody?
TDW: Yeah, I think you got the core cast down really well.
Norris: Oh, Shantel [VanSanten, Quinn]. I didn’t do Shantel. She’s glamorous.
TDW: Okay. And what can you tell us about your storyline for the rest of this season?
Norris: Well I can tell you that Mouth’s in a bit of a predicament right now because he just lost his job after sticking up for Nathan. So he’s gotta figure out his career path and obviously in the last episode Julian sort of planted a seed in him, thinking about the internet so it’s going to be interesting to see if he can pick that up and run with it. And certainly I think also really important to him is obviously his relationship with Millicent and she’s starting to go down a little bit of a questionable path here after being introduced to this modeling world. How is he going to maintain this relationship with the girl that he loves but who’s changing right before his eyes? He’s got a lot to deal with. There’s no shortage of drama in Tree Hill, you know that.
TDW: And lastly, do you have any message for the fans?
Norris: Well, obviously anytime I get a chance to say anything to the fans, after seven years, we have to say thank you. They are absolutely without a doubt the reason we’re still on the air and I just thank them for their passion and their support because obviously, you know, this is a lot of fun for this. This is a job and we appreciate the fact that you guys let us into your homes every week. So I would say thank you because I don’t think I’ll ever be able say to say thank you enough.
TDW: Well, thank you so much, Lee. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.
Norris: Of course, Shari. It’s always fun to talk to you so keep up the good work.
TDW: Thank you. I hope you’ll continue to check out the site.
Norris: I will. I love it when you interview my friends.
TDW: They have such great things to say about you!
Norris: It’s pretty nice. Alright, Shari, take care!
TDW: Thank you, you too!
Come back Tuesday for another exclusive interview!
Comments : 14 Comments »
Tags: Alex, Antwon Tanner, Austin Nichols, Australia, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Brooke, Chad Michael Murray, Chik-fil-A, Clay, Dan, Danneel Harris, ESPN.com, Haley, Hilarie Burton, James Lafferty, Jana Kramer, Julian, Lee Norris, Lisa Goldstein, Lucas, Millicent, Mouth, Nathan, One Tree Hill, OTH, Paul Johansson, Peyton, Quinn, Rachel, Rob Buckley, Shantel VanSanten, Skills, Sophia Bush, TeenDramaWhore, Tree Hill, True Blood, Twilight, Twitter, Wilmington
Categories : One Tree Hill
Exclusive: One Tree Hill’s Lisa Goldstein Says Millie Should Be Mrs. McFadden
13 09 2009In just two seasons, Lisa Goldstein went from new girl on the block to a full-fledged member of One Tree Hill. Now, as she embarks on her third season, Goldstein discusses adjusting to fame, what she has in common with the quirky yet lovable Millicent Huxtable and why she’s in agreement with co-star Lee Norris.
TeenDramaWhore: Pre-One Tree Hill, you primarily appeared in musicals. What made you switch to TV?
Lisa Goldstein: I never really decided to “make the switch.” I have a degree in musical theatre and that is the genre I kept getting cast in. I freelanced with television and film agents when I lived in both New York and Orlando. I was constantly auditioning for TV and film while performing in professional theatre. My agent in Orlando called and told me there was an audition for One Tree Hill, and told me I could either audition for the receptionist or the quirky fashion assistant, “Millicent”. I jumped at the chance to audition for the “quirky assistant”, I thought it would be fun. I put myself on tape and a week later heard that I had booked the role. I had my friend Nicole listen to the voicemail my agent left because I didn’t believe it. It seemed too easy!!
TDW: What are some of the biggest differences between working in theater and working on a weekly television show?
Goldstein: There are so many!! But, two of the biggest are rehearsal time and the size of your performance. I was used to having weeks of rehearsal, and on a TV set you have about five minutes. It was quite a shock to not be able to rehearse the scenes over and over before performing them. Also, in front of an audience you have to project your voice and performance to the back of the theatre, but in front of a camera everything is so much more subtle. I’d look like a total idiot if I performed in front of a camera the way I do in front of an audience. Being too big in front of the camera is actually a big fear of mine. A lot of directors come on set and tell me to be bigger and to do more.
TDW: What is it like working in Wilmington when fans are such a constant presence?
Goldstein: It is both flattering and overwhelming. I’m pretty shy in front of new people, so to have have all these people around who know my name is a lot for me. But it’s also wonderful to know that people have taken to Millie.
TDW: How do you think Millicent has changed over the 2 seasons we’ve seen her?
Goldstein: She is much more confident and I think she has Mouth [Lee Norris] to thank for that. She found someone to love her quirks and all, which made her perfectly OK with being exactly who she is. She has also become more accomplished at work and gained more responsibility which helps with the confidence as well.
TDW: What was your reaction last season when you found out Millie slept with Joe Manganiello’s Owen? (Episode 6.13: Things A Mama Don’t Know)
Goldstein: I pretty much had a heart attack. Just kidding! I honestly thought it was kind of a weird choice it seemed to come out of nowhere, but I trust Mark [Schwahn]. I know it made the season much more interesting for Lee and me. Things were getting a little stagnant and Millie and Mouth needed something big to happen, and that is exactly what did it.
TDW: What can you tell us about Millie’s story this season?
Goldstein: Ooooooooooooh! I can tell you it’s good….reeeeeeeeallly good!!
TDW: Do you have a favorite scene, storyline or memory from the set?
Goldstein: My favorite storyline is this year’s, and I’m SWORN to secrecy. : ) I also loved the stuff in the episode where Millie finds Gigi in Mouth’s bed [Episode 6.10, Even Fairytale Characters Would Be Jealous].
TDW: Lee Norris said he wants Millie to end up Mrs. McFadden. Do you agree?
Goldstein: Yes, absolutely. They’re great for each other. They fought for each other when times got really tough. They respect each other’s profession and are so supportive of one another. And they are in love.
TDW: Do you share any similarities with Millie?
Goldstein: I think it’s really hard not to have similarities with the character’s I play. I was taught to always bring a little bit of “me” to every character. So I certainly have similarities with Millie. I am a diligent worker, I am loyal, and can be pretty shy. However, I am not neurotic or jealous, and I don’t snore for exactly seven minutes at 2AM every night. : )
TDW: How has it been dealing with the loss and addition of cast members?
Goldstein: I never really worked with Chad [Michael Murray, Lucas] or Hilarie [Burton, Peyton]. I miss seeing them around set, but since I never had scenes with them it’s not all that different for me personally. The addition of cast members has been wonderful. I work with Jana Kramer, who plays Alex, a lot. We have a lot of fun together, she is hilarious.
TDW: Once OTH ends, do you plan on focusing on your strictly-acting career or do you plan on going back to musicals?
Goldstein: I hope to do both. I love doing TV and I love doing theatre, and hopefully, once One Tree Hill ends, I can continue to do both.
TDW: Will you ever get the chance to sing on OTH? Or maybe release an album?
Goldstein: Since there are already two female cast members that sing [Bethany Joy Galeotti, Haley; Kate Voegele, Mia], I highly doubt I’ll ever sing on the show, but you never know. I also don’t really have any desire to release an album. I’d rather just sing on stage, but… again… you never know.
TDW: Do you have a Twitter account or any interest in getting one?
Goldstein: I had a twitter account for about 2.5 seconds and couldn’t stand it. So no I don’t have one and I don’t plan on getting one.
Come back tomorrow for a live-blog of One Tree Hill’s season 7 premiere and come back again next Sunday for another exclusive interview!
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Alex, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Chad Michael Murray, Even Fairytale Characters Would Be Jealous, Gigi, Haley, Hilarie Burton, Jana Kramer, Joe Manganiello, Kate Voegele, Lee Norris, Lisa Goldstein, Lucas, Mark Schwahn, Marvin "Mouth" McFadden, Mia, Millicent, Millicent Huxtable, Millie, Mouth, One Tree Hill, OTH, Owen, Peyton, Things A Mama Don't Know, Twitter, Wilmington
Categories : One Tree Hill
Exclusive: Lee Norris Looks Back on One Tree Hill’s Six Seasons
9 08 2009Lee Norris first worked his way into the hearts of young viewers as Stewart Minkus on the ABC hit Boy Meets World. Exactly 10 years after BMW’s debut, Norris took on the role of Marvin “Mouth” McFadden on One Tree Hill. Nearly six years later, Norris is still going strong as OTH goes into its seventh season.
In an exclusive interview for TDW, Norris reflected on his favorite storylines, traveling for the show and who he wants to be Mrs. McFadden…
TeenDramaWhore: I recently rewatched the early season 1 episodes of One Tree Hill and it was amazing to see Mouth’s origins compared to where he is now. He had such a small role in the beginning. Did you have any idea how the role and character would evolve?
Lee Norris: I really had no idea. During the pilot and Season 1, I was still a full-time college student at Wake Forest University. I would get these scripts Fed-Ex’d to my dorm room and each time I got one delivered, it was a surprise. I wasn’t under any sort of contract at that point, so I never knew how many episodes I’d be involved in.
I had a few conversations with Mark Schwahn, our creator, and he told me that he really believed in the character and thought it added an interesting element to the show. I think the big turning point was when Mouth did the cheerleading routine in the first season [ed. note: Episode 1.17, Spirit in the Night]. It was so quirky and different and it got a great response from the fans… and then Mark started building the character from there. I was so grateful that there were fans out there who identified with Mouth — girls and guys — that were the kids in high school who floated between all the different social cliques. To be made a series regular was really rewarding for me, but also felt very natural since my character had been there since the Pilot episode. So no, I had no idea what was in store for me, but I’ve been extremely grateful.
TDW: Do you and Mouth share any similarities? Do you have any interest in sports or journalism?
Norris: Sure, we have some similarities. He’s kind of spontaneous in that “Baby Got Back”-at-karaoke-night kind of way, haha, [ed. note: Episode 2.5, I Will Dare] and I like to have fun like that. Don’t be looking for me at karaoke joints, but I do like to have fun. I think he is a fiercely loyal friend, and that’s something I try to mirror in my life. But he’s also done some really dumb things relationship wise, haha, so I’d like to think we’re not similar in that respect.
I love sports… when I auditioned for the role, I wore my Wake Forest basketball t-shirt to the audition, and Mark gave me a little grief because he went to Maryland (an ACC rival). And in terms of journalism, I was an English major in school and I wrote for the school newspaper in high-school, so that’s sort of a natural fit as well.
TDW: Do you have a favorite episode, storyline or scene?
Norris: My favorite episode is still the school shooting episode [ed. note: Episode 3.16, With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept] . But I also love any of the scenes where it’s basically the whole cast together. When you get all of us in the same scene, it’s crazy! Usually it involves a late night of shooting and everyone gets kind of loopy, and those are the most fun. I also liked the storyline dealing with Mouth’s grandpa [ed. note: Episode 3.7, Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for My Sham Friends]. It was nice to see someone in his family, and I also got to interact with Hilarie [Burton, Peyton] in that storyline and we had never gotten to do much together before.
TDW: I recently interviewed Allison Scagliotti (Abby) about the school shooting storyline, which is a fan favorite. What do you remember from the filming of those episodes? How did you initially react when you found out about the storyline?
Norris: As I said, that is my favorite episode. When I heard about it, I just thought it was really smart. Mark took this old character in Jimmy Edwards [Colin Fickes], who hadn’t been around in seasons, and used his re-emergence to tell this amazingly powerful story about life in high-school as an outsider. It was really controversial and he had to fight really hard to get the episode made, but it was definitely worth it. All of the actors and crew put in the longest hours on that episode and everyone really stepped up their game.
Those of us who were locked in the tutor center would file into this little room day after day and film these emotionally draining scenes, and I remember doing this part where Mouth sort of breaks down. And I was really drained afterwards and [Bethany Joy Galeotti, Haley] looked at me and gave me some really encouraging words. Little things like that stick in my memory. This is random, but I remember listening to “Fix You,” by Coldplay the whole time I filmed that episode. I’m really proud of the work we did, and I think it really set us apart from some other teen shows in that it had a lot of heart.
TDW: Do you have a favorite memory from the set?
Norris: It’s tough to pick just one after 6 1/2 years. Two of my favorite memories involve episodes where the entire company traveled. Early on we went to Myrtle Beach to film, and more recently we went to Honey Grove, Texas. On the Myrtle Beach trip, we were all staying in the same hotel and it was like summer camp. We all snuck down to the pool after hours and went swimming, so that was pretty fun.
And then in Texas, we got to watch an episode of the show with the kids who won the contest to bring our show to their town. We literally sat in one of their living rooms and watched an episode with them, and it was so surreal to see them look at the TV screen and then look at us sitting in the room with them. During certain parts of the episode, they would cry, laugh, etc., and it was just awesome to see our little show affect people that we had never even met before.
TDW: Mouth has had several relationships on the show but also very strong friendships with Brooke (Sophia Bush) and Rachel (Danneel Harris). Why do you think that is?
Norris: I honestly don’t know why he’s had so many relationships. As an actor, it’s not really my place to question the storylines, though. Our writers have gotten us to 7 seasons, so I trust them even if I don’t always understand something. Mouth was never a jock or a pretty-boy, so-to-speak, so it’s not surprising that his romantic aspirations with Brooke and Rachel didn’t really pan out. But I think he had good friendships with them because he truly liked them as people, and not just because of how ‘hot’ they were.
TDW: Mouth and Millicent have hit several bumps in their relationship, whether it be Gigi, Owen or job opportunities. Do you think they’ll last? Do you want them to?
Norris: I think they will last, and I’d be happy to see that. Lisa Goldstein, who plays Millie, is so awesome and we have the best time working together. We both went to school in North Carolina and we have a lot of similar interests, so it’s very easy chemistry with her. Gigi and Owen are just two obstacles that they had to overcome. I think any great relationship that is worthwhile will always be tested.
TDW: What was your reaction when you found out they were bringing Gigi back?
Norris: On a personal level, Kelsey Chow who plays Gigi is the sweetest girl, so I was happy to work with her again. On the storyline side, again, it’s not really important what I think. No matter what I’m given to do, I just try and commit to it and make the most out of it. There are people out there who passionately love my character and those who can’t stand him. You’re never going to make everyone happy, but for those out there who watch our show with an open mind, and for those who identify with my character, they are the reasons that I work so hard. I’m so grateful for my job and my fans, and they deserve nothing but the absolute best from me, no matter how I might feel about a particular storyline.
TDW: In season 5, the show jumped ahead four years and now there will be another jump. Where do you think Mouth will be in another 5 years?
Norris: At the end of last season, Mouth made it pretty clear that he was happy with his job and with his girl, so hopefully he’ll still be involved with both in 5 years, although it might be nice if Millie was Mrs. McFadden at that point!
TDW: What can you tell us about the upcoming season and your storylines? Will you be a regular and on for the whole season?
Norris: Yes, I’m signed on for this season. I mentioned in another interview that I had to do some naked scenes, and the interviewer incorrectly assumed that it meant love scenes between me and Millie [ed. note: I think he’s referring to this]. My naked stuff is actually funny stuff, not romantic. I read a comment from a girl who is apparently horrified about seeing me partially naked; that made me laugh! I love how passionate our fans are. Don’t worry girls, if I’m not your cup of tea there will be plenty of nakedness from the other guys on the show. But on a more serious note, I really like where Mouth is headed this year. Nothing is drastically different, but he’s going to face some tough dilemmas where he has to choose between his career and personal life. And Millie has a really interesting arc this season, so we’ll see how Mouth deals with that.
TDW: Which role are you recognized for more: Mouth or Stewart Minkus on Boy Meets World?
Norris: It used to be Minkus all the time, but now that OTH is re-running everyday on SoapNet, it’s kind of a toss up. Older fans tend to know me as Minkus, or even Chuckie Lee from ‘The Torkelsons,’ but OTH is popular with all age groups… I’ve had grandmas come up to me. One lady kept calling me “Mouse,” I didn’t have the heart to correct her, haha.
TDW: Are you still in touch with any of the BMW cast?
Norris: Not really, unfortunately. Most of them live on the West coast and it’s been so many years. I hope they’re all well, it would be fun to reconnect sometime.
TDW: What is your upcoming movie, Blood Done Sign My Name, about? Does it have a release date yet?
Norris: It’s a true story about a racial murder in North Carolina that happened in the Vietnam War era. I played one of the accused murderers, so it was completely different for me. It’s an independent film and it deals with such a controversial subject, so I believe they’re still trying to figure out the best way and time to release it. It was a great experience and I hope people get to see it.
TDW: Lastly, there are a lot of people on Twitter claiming to be One Tree Hill actors but are actually impostors. Have you thought about getting your own account?
Norris: There are people that pretend to be me on Twitter, Facebook, etc. It’s flattering in one respect, but at the same time it’s kind of a drag because they’ll write things I’d never write, or deny friend requests, etc. I don’t think I’ll be doing any of that. I occasionally post messages on OTHForums.com and I like that medium for interacting with the fans. Also, I have some amazingly talented fans that started lee-norris.net and leemichaelnorris.com, so if anyone wants to know what’s going on in my career, they can always check those out.
Click here to see a picture of Norris and me from last year!
Come back next Sunday for another exclusive interview!
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Tags: Abby, ABC, ACC, Allison Scagliotti, Baby Got Back, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Blood Done Sign My Name, BMW, Boy Meets World, Brooke, Champagne for My Real Friends Real Pain for My Sham Friends, Chuckie Lee, Coldplay, Colin Fickes, Danneel Harris, Facebook, Fed-Ex, Fix You, Gigi, Haley, Hilarie Burton, Honey Grove, I Will Dare, Jimmy, Jimmy Edwards, Kelsey Chow, lee-norris.net, leemichaelnorris.com, Leen Norris, Lisa Goldstein, Mark Schwahn, Marvin "Mouth" McFadden, Maryland, Millicent, Millie, Mouth, Myrtle Beach, North Carolina, One Tree Hill, OTHForums.com, Owen, Peyton, Rachel, SoapNet, Sophia Bush, Spirit in the Night, Stewart Minkus, TDW, Texas, The Torkelsons, Twitter, Vietnam War, Wake Forest University, With Tired Eyes Tired Minds Tired Souls We Slept
Categories : One Tree Hill