Evan Rachel Wood

Interview By: MarkPlante
Mark Plante@TheCinemaSource.com

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Evan Rachel Wood, the star of the new film Pretty Persuasions doesn't have to persuade the Cinema Source to sit down and talk to her about her newest film or about her own real life growing pains.

Wood burst on to the scene in 1999 portraying the tough side of growing up on the acclaimed, but short lived television series Once and Again. She then went on to garner a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nomination at the age of sixteen for her turn over to the dark side of adolescence in the film Thirteen.

Always a bit older then the characters she portrays, Wood on the cups of turning eighteen, seems to be grateful to bring a little bit of her own experience into the making of the film, with characters that can be frightening.

'Well um I don't know...when I first read the script..um. I was suppose to be playing another part...so um...and then a about a year and a half after I was attached to it Marcus called me and wanted to know what I would think about playing Kimberly and my jaw just dropped and I was like...ah.. and I was really nervous about it and you know kind of scared because it was a really, really hard role,' said Wood. 'But I guess that's what kind of drew me to it because it was really complicated and hard. I never really done a comedy before and so um that really drew me to it.'

Wood was also drawn to the humor , which is in the same vein as Heathers and To Die For. 'Totally my sense of humor. I love that dark comedy of 'this is so screwed up that it's funny. And I don't know whether to laugh or cry'. I liked how at first glance you could be like oh I've seen this movie and I've seen this character, but once you watch it, it is different and you can't put your finger on it.'

What Wood also sees is a truth to these characters that all teenagers will be able to relate too, even if the parents themselves are too blind to see the real truth. 'Some people do believe it. I knew some girls..who...who got in trouble with some of the parents. And then the parents would go rat them out to the parents of the troublemakers. And there reaction is 'Look at that face. Does that look like a face that could do anything wrong' And I was like 'oh how can you be so naive''

Wood believes fourteen is now becoming the new seventeen and agrees it is kind of scary, realizing that she herself started learning too much way too soon at the age of thirteen.

However hurtful the character of Kimberly was to play, Wood finds it easy to sympathize with her. 'I wouldn't want to be her friend. I do.. I do feel for her. I feel bad because she was just left alone so long. She was never really gotten that love and attention she needed. She's gotten very empty. But no, I can't say that I do like her. '

And her dislike she shares for her character allows her to see her weaknesses pretty clearly. 'Wow, there are so many. Her priorities are out of whack. She's just obsessed with revenge and fame and being mean just to be mean. She's way too smart for her own good, but she's using it for all the wrong reasons. She can really see through people and pick out their weaknesses instead of helping them out she's gonna use it against them and that's what kind of scary when you're dealing with someone that young and that smart. It can be dangerous.'

Wood couldn't think about the lines that were coming out of her mouth for fear of hearing her own laughter and ruining the time they had, with this being a low budget film.

'No, no, we didn't have a lot of time. Everyone just had to run in and do it. I just had to think not think about what was coming out of my mouth or else I would have laughed or blushed or done something. I mean having to whisper those things in people ears were pretty bad,' said Wood. 'We cracked up pretty bad. It's still hard to watch it with friend of mine, especially my parents. 'Oh my God', the things coming out of my mouth. And my mom was right there.'

Can parents blame their behavior from their kids' Wood believes they should share the blame. 'Kids are kind of born with a personality and to a point there gonna do what there gonna do. Yeah a lot of it is the environment they grew up in and what there parents teach them. Obviously, Kimberly is not brought up in a very good environment. Her dad is constantly making racist remarks and snorting lines of coke off their coffee table. She's not gonna be too well adjusted. Yeah at times, I do. I think parents need to take more responsibility and not blame it on everyone else. That's a lot of what this movie is about. That even though Kimberly's manipulated all these people none of them are really innocent.They've all kind of fallen for it. And they want to blame everyone except themselves. They don't want to accept the fact they screwed it all up.'

Wood isn't looking to top her last project, but does feel pressure to do good. 'Sometimes their is pressure just because so many people tell you how great you are in this one movie and you don't want to disappoint them the next time. I hope I'm as good.'

With acclaim comes the opportunity to pick her own scripts with no need to go on auditions. This also allows her to work with acclaimed actors, like costar James Woods.

'He's a character man...crazy in the best possible way. Quite of a wild ride working with him because half the stuff he says in the movie is not scripted. So we never knew what was gonna come out of his mouth, every take was always different. So we were constantly laughing. There are shots you can see tears forming in my eyes because I'm trying to hold it together so much. So we probably wasted the most film working with James.'

Wood isn't quite as brave as James with improvisation, but hopes to work up for it. 'Yeah, I definitely learned to just not care and be fearless. He just completely goes for it. He's not about making money or a movie that's gonna do well at the box office. He's really truly wants to find a project that he is passionate about and a cool role. I've never seen him do a role that was similar than the last one he did.'

Wood also knows that she is not looking for the next box office hit, but the next great role. And I'm sure with the release of Pretty Persuasions, she will find one.