From Entertainment Teen
May, 2000

“You’re on the Roswell Set”

Eteen visited the set of “Roswell” to see how the cast is coping with its
newfound popularity. Here’s our behind-the-scenes interview with Shiri
Appleby (Liz), Jason Behr (Max), Brendan Fehr (Michael), Katherine Heigl
(Isabel), Majandra Delfino (Maria), Colin Hanks (Alex) and Nick Wechsler
(Kyle).

eteen: The set looks like a haven for alien memorabilia. Are fans sending
you stuff or have you put it here yourself?

Shiri: Well, we haven’t personally. A lot of the photographs on the walls
are from actual photographs the art director or someone painted. But I
haven’t gotten any crazy little green men in the mail or seen anything like
that.

Brendan: Over the course of the first season, I was getting one fan letter.
This one gal just kept writing me. She’d say, “I know you are getting lots
of fan mail,” but she was, like, the only one writing. But as the show’s
been on, I’ve gotten more and more…There’s like, 50 to 75 “Roswell” fan
sites out there, and each of us have our own unofficial sites…I’m aware that
I have fans, but to what extent, you really don’t know. I mean it could all
dissolve and crack at any point, so you appreciate it…It shows that you are
doing a good job and people like what you are doing. But if all that stuff
starts filling your head and making you feel important—it’s time to get a
head check. Actually, Majandra is pretty quick to do that for me (laughs).
Oh, and my family and friends are quick too. But I don’t think they have to
do it too often.

eteen: Everyone on the show gets along so well. Did any of you guys know
each other before?

Shiri: No, I didn’t know anyone before at all. But Majandra and I hit it
off so well. We all went out for dinner and we were in the bathroom going,
“Hey, what are you doing later? I like your jacket.” Everyone was telling
jokes and it was so much fun. The gals just took off to bond…We all get
along so well and have made friends. It’s become such a comfortable
environment, because there is a certain amount of trust that goes into
acting—the whole cast and crew are supporting you so much. For me, it’s
become such a safe place to, like, put yourself out there. Having such great
people there for you makes the process of making a show so much easier.

eteen: Is there someone in the cast who’s really into spaceship stuff? Who’s
the most skeptical?

Colin: I believe. I’m the most likely one to step into “Star Wars.”

Katherine: I think we all believe in the possibility.

Brendan: Definitely the possibility.

Majandra: I have the most faith in aliens though. I, like, really believe
that they’re there. No doubt. I just know. I have, like, all these
spiritual, hippie friends, and I am kinda brainwashed by all that. I
absolutely believe there is something going on—whether it’s in another
dimension or whatever.

Jason: I don’t know if they really exist, but it’d be really cool.

Nick: I think it’s gone crazy with all the alien merchandise, but I’ve
always believed…

Shiri: Who knows?

eteen: Did you ever feel like aliens in high school?

Colin: I went to a really small private school in California. There were 35
people in my graduating class and I’d been at that school since third grade,
so it was more of a community than school. So in that sense, I know what
it’s like living in a small town like Roswell, where everyone knows your
business and what you should or shouldn’t do. I’m pretty outgoing, so I was
kinda the class clown. But we all have our teen angst periods. I wore the
black pants and black shirt, so I had some instances when I was a bit alien.
And I went to a small school so that was kinda alienating in itself, because
I saw kids going to other schools with football teams. I guess I felt
alienated in some ways, but overall I was pretty happy. Not that I’d wanna
go back.

Brendan: I went to private school too, in Winnipeg. There were 80 kids in my
graduating class. I had a group of friends and there were other little
cliques, but it wasn’t so cliquish that I couldn’t sit down with everyone in
my twelfth grade class. I could sit with pretty much anyone at lunch and my
friends wouldn’t think twice about it. No one was so much more popular, than
noticed. There were certain guys who were popular because they were
athletic; others, because of what they did in class or the band. Everyone
was known for something, so we all had our little thing there. But I was
more outgoing, so obviously I got noticed a lot.

Majandra: I guess when I started acting, I’d go back to high school and it
was a kinda weird freakish thing. People would stare a lot and you’d feel
like an alien. That’s when my life started to turn around, everything else
was pretty normal. I was 16 and at school in Miami. Even when I go back
there now, it’s still strange.

eteen: Do you think the way this show explores teen relationships may help
other teens watching?

Brendan: I hope it would help them not to feel alienated. If it does help
show that kids can go to their friends and talk, then that’s wonderful. It
shows we are doing a great job…But I’d just really hope that teens watching
have close enough family and friends to help solve their problems. And then
just sit down and enjoy the show and relate to it, rather than use it as an
example.

Eteen: Do you get much input in the story lines?

Shiri: Oh yeah, Jason [Katims] especially. If you ever have a problem with
something and I’m like, “Jason, teenagers really don’t talk like this.” A
few times I’ve said something like that, they’ve responded because I am a
teenager and I know what we say. They listen. The directors have been
totally into responding to what we have to say, in blocking a scene and
stuff. Also when Majandra and I have scenes together, we bounce things off
back and forth.

eteen: Are you happy with your powers?

Jason: I like the molecular structure thing. Max hasn’t done any
sleepwalking yet—that would be kinda interesting.

Katherine: But he has all those cool flashbacks. I think it’d be cool if we
all started to do what the others could do or swap them.

Brendan: I think it’d be cool if Michael and Max had the capability of
dream-walking. It’s just about tapping into those areas of the brain that
makes up a personality. We all have the power to do it, but because of the
people we are and how we’ve grown up, some have grown in areas where others
haven’t.

Jason: I think that’s why our characters don’t know what they can do
entirely, and they’re learning all the time. I’m sure along the line they’ll
all learn some other potential that they have or discover some power they
didn’t know about.

Katherine: I’m waiting for that one—The Big Power!

eteen: How do you relax on the set?

Shiri: I was into playing Sega for a while, but I…gave that up. Now I’ve
started crocheting things like blankets and stuff. It’s very odd, but I like
it. And I just got a camera and have gotten into photography. Now all the
guys who know about cameras on the set are showing me stuff—so it’s the
perfect place to learn.

eteen: ever want to get behind the camera?

Shiri: I don’t know, every actor that works would like to direct. It’s like
being the ringleader. But I don’t know if that’s anything that’s coming up
for me in the next few years. I have a good job already.