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I'm not going to start
off with the usual Power Ranger questions because I know you get a lot of those, but what I did want to know was... were you
scared going from a Power Ranger into the films that you did... knowing that you may lose a fan base?
It's interesting because I never, in that moment, it never occurred to me. Power Rangers was a great
first job for me and I learned a lot - it was my first serious role and the fan base is mainly kids, but also adults watch
it too... [laughs] so after the show was over and I was out in this business looking for a job... I had some possibilities.
I thought about being part of a Soap [Opera], but when Not Another Teen Movie came around, I turned it down a couple of times...
and then ultimately decided to do it because it was so funny and the script was so funny. In that moment I was more
concerned... oh my God, am I going to be... personally... can I do this? To be nude and have it be out there forever
for people to see - and I wanted to make sure my family didn't disown me. I didn't even think about the fans
until later.
Did
you get any negative feedback from kids or parents about the drastic change in roles?
Not really - a lot of people really didn't know that was me in Not Another Teen Movie. It wasn't
until after Cabin Fever where people were like "Whoa, wait a minute!" But I think it definitely increased
my fan base - and with Cabin Fever as well, it opened me up to this wonderful genre world. I would say five percent
of people have something to say, but the other ninety-five are fine with it.
How was that first scene in Not Another Teen Movie filmed?
Was it discreet?
Well, the idea of my character
in Not Another Teen Movie -- it's spoofing Shannon Elizabeth's character from American Pie and the idea is that she's
supposed to be totally naked and no one notices. The idea behind it is pretty funny. It was a closed set, just
like any other time you have a love scene - so if you're not in the scene then you're not allowed to be there.
You wear a robe and then right before "action" you take it off... scene... cut... you put it back on. I was
covered in front - very strategically - so I didn't feel totally exposed.
So it took a lot to build up the courage to do
that?
Yeah, absolutely. It's weird, it's
hard because your body is your body and it's personal. It's easier to shoot that scene because everyone was
professional and my character was ridiculous - I did many different accents in the movie, and it was funny... it was a comedy.
So, shooting the scenes was the easy part - with it being out there forever and ever and ever... that's more of a mental
... it screws with your head a little bit and you question your decisions, but I don't have any regrets.
Next up is
Cabin Fever, tell me what was it like working with Eli Roth in his directorial debut.
He’s incredible. He
was just – he has this energy and this charisma and he’s so smart. He knows the genre so well,
and he’s such a fabulous director. He really knows to lift the energy of his set, and he’s
so great – everyone on the set. So everyday going to work was a blast – he’s a big kid
and he jokes around, but yet when you have some tough emotional scenes he’s right there with you… coaching you
through it. He’s just really incredible – he had a feeling on that movie… there was
something special about that film. We had no idea that it was going to be received so well, but he kept
saying “You know, this is going to make you a big star”. He was so positive – in his
outlook on life, the business and his own career. It was really… really… really a wonderful
experience, and I’m incredibly grateful for it – it put me on the map in the horror genre.
Yes, and now you are
actually labeled a “scream queen”…
I have been labeled as a “scream queen”, yes. I’m
proud of that. There’s a lot of wonderful “scream queens”.
Maybe you’ll be the
next Jamie Lee Curtis.
Wouldn’t
that be nice? [laughs]
 Let’s talk about that famous scene of you shaving your legs in Cabin Fever. Was that complicated
to shoot?
It was very
complicated; it was technically complicated to shoot. We were in a sound stage, so that bathroom wasn’t
really a bathroom – the tub was sort of in the middle of a sound stage. It was really cold –
it was about four o’clock in the morning and very, very, very cold outside. The water was cold and
dirty – I’m sort of sitting half up on an apple box – you had to get the timing of the shaving right along
with the emotion along with revealing the prosthetics. So technically it was complicated, but again Eli
was fantastic and he talked me through the whole thing – and you’ll have to credit the editors in putting that
together. It’s not just me; it’s the whole crew that worked really hard in making that…
and making people squirm.
You did one episode of “Two and a Half Men”; I have to ask you… especially with Charlie Sheen all over
the news and tabloids… what was it like working with Charlie in that one episode? Was he like the
Charlie that we see in the news?
Well, I –
it’s hard to not believe the rumors – when I filmed that it was before all of this came out. I
was curious to what he was like, but he was fabulous – absolutely fantastic. Very professional; he
works really really hard. I’ve seen it with my very own eyes – he takes his job very seriously.
Everybody on that show works very very hard to make it as funny and as addictive as it is. He was
awesome – totally professional and sweet. We had a great time – there was no weirdness at all.
I guess he just has his moments like everybody else.
Yeah, we all have – some people moments that are bigger.
[laughs] But we all have our own versions of freak outs.
I am a fan of Charlie’s, so I really wanted to know…
Yeah, I am too. He
was so great to work with. In fact, he was overly – the scene that we shot we did it a couple times
– we shoot in front of a live audience and on the last take the director said “Now pick her up and spin her around”,
he just added in all this choreography that we weren’t originally doing – and so we sort of did that on the fly,
and the way that he grabbed me… he kind of had his hand on like on my butt… I don’t even remember, but
afterwards he was like “Oh my God, I’m sorry that I picked you up that way”. He was very
cool.
One
other person that you worked with was David Lynch – what was that like?
Oh, that was surreal.
Working with David Lynch was a surreal experience, and sometimes I forget that I actually got to do that.
[laughs] I was introduced to David through Eli [Roth], and David had Jordan Ladd, who was also in Cabin Fever, and
myself over for coffee a few times – we just hung out and got to know him. He was such an incredible
man, he’s so wise and has such a sweet soul… and kind and genius beyond what most people can comprehend. [laughs]
He would talk about… “Oh, one day we should shoot something”. I didn’t believe
that it would happen, and then one day I got a call at like nine o’clock at night and it was David… “So
we are going to shoot tomorrow, I’m sending you over the pages, you need to wear a slip…” and I was like
“But I don’t have a slip”… “Well, find one”. But anyways, we shot
it… Eli was there and we did this really cool short and I freaked out before hand. He’s fabulous.
Do
you have a list of directors you’d like to work with that you haven’t yet?
Oh my… there are so many directors on that
dream list. I try not to do that – I write books too and a lot of my books are about positive thinking
– there’s just so many to even count. I just want to work and do good things – it’s
hard, this business is tough – there’s such a gap between big giant budget studio movies and independent movies,
and the industry is changing. Reality TV is seventy-five percent of television – just the whole process
of how things are done are just different, a lot of things are direct offers, there are no auditions for a Scorsese movie.
At least for someone like me… those things are just offered now. So, long answer…
there’s a million directors on that list, well probably about fifteen. I just want to keep working
and keep doing cool things… work with good actors, directors and good producers.
 Let’s talk about the books that you have written, how many are out now?
Um, three books that I co-wrote with my girlfriend Jodi
Lipper. Our first book was called “How to Eat Like a Hot Chick” and “How to Love Like
a Hot Chick” was second – and our latest book “How to Live Like a Hot Chick” just came out.
Let me start by saying that we are redefining the word “Hot Chick” – so we’re not talking about
a physical beauty, we’re not talking about looking like you walked off of a cover of an airbrushed magazine, we’re
talking about being confident and very passionate… knowing what you want and knowing how to get it… how to be
competitive with other women. It’s an inner beauty and inner confidence – because when you
start acting like that, it’ll help you in life. So my books are very very special to me, we write
every single word and joke… and the process is so much fun, but more importantly they’re really helping people.
Which is so super cool that I can’t even – it really is rewarding. They are in seven
or eight other countries and languages. It’s a blast and we want to do more in the hot chick series,
so we’ll see what’s next – we have some things cooking for them right now… it’ll be really
fun.
So
can you give me an example of how to live like a hot chick?
Yes, I can – I can give you a few. Well one example is to
first and foremost know that you are a hot chick, or a hot guy… guys read our books too, and they’re just as
helpful. Because if you live through life and move through life hating yourself and feeling insecure in
the mirror and picking out your flaws – then the rest of the world will see you as that insecure person as well, and
it’s not how to get what you want in life. That’s number one, “Live Like a Hot Chick”
is broken down into three sections, and it’s how to feel hot, how to work, and how to play. Like
I said before, first is to feel your best – and if you’re not feeling your best, then you need to do little things
to change that. So if you are not eating well – we have a million tips in the book on how to change
your diet – like, eat that chocolate cake and not feel guilty about it and still fit into your favorite jeans.
Exercise is very important obviously – we have a whole list of tips on how to makeover how you feel inside and
out – and then you get to take that same confidence to the work place because gone are the days where women are just
home barefoot pregnant and popping out babies. We’re all working our asses off to make ends meet
and bring home the bacon and pay the bills – and it’s a lot of work – and it’s a lot of work to do
all of that and still look and feel good and make time for your girlfriends and make time for fun. So,
that’s the third part of the book – tips and tricks on how to have a heyday and enjoy every single moment in your
life and just decide right now that this the time in your life that you are going to have the most fun. The
whole sort of overall aspect of the book is about balance and living balance, but they are fun and they’re funny and
they are ridiculous and over the top, but really really helpful.
Do you see yourself doing
something else with these books? Maybe a movie or a TV deal?
Yeah, hell yeah. [laughs] We’re
working on that right now actually, so fingers crossed. We’ve had a lot of interest in that –
we’ve had a lot of interest in the reality – you know, turn this into sort of a reality show. So
we’re working very closely with a production company and pitching to networks soon… so I’m excited.
What can we catch you
in next?
Well, if you
haven’t seen Complacent, I want everyone to see that. It’s written and directed by Steven R.
Monroe – which I’ve done a couple of films with now. It’s a really cool drama that makes
you think and it makes you feel – it’s kind of sarcastic and pokes fun at dumb Americans… [laughs] can
I say that? But it’s something that everyone can relate to, it’s an ensemble cast… Joey
Kern from Cabin Fever is in it with me and Kerri Green from The Goonies… and Elisa Donovan who is a dear dear friend
of mine. It’s just a fantastic cast. Each of their stores – every story
in the film… someone can relate to. It makes you think and it makes you feel, and I’m really
proud of that. It went to a bunch of festivals last year, and right now it’s on Netflix and iTunes.
And then I did this cool short called United Monster
Talent Agency with Greg Nicotero who’s with KNB Efx… they did all the effects on Cabin Fever. This
is his [Greg’s] directorial debut, it’s a really cool short that Eli is actually in it as well…
it has a lot of great cameos. It’s up online at AMC.com, you can watch it there now.
I got to re-create Julie Adams’ character from Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954).
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