CENTURY CITY -- The face looks familiar. It's somewhere between Winona Ryder and Natalie Portman. At the tender age of 19, Rachael Leigh Cook carries herself like those veterans, too. She's smart and savvy, but not overly egotistical about her talent. Demure to a fault, and opinionated, too, she might be the perfect spokesperson for her generation.

For those who don't know the name, Cook's the girl in the public service announcement who illustrates what drugs can do to one's future by thrashing her entire kitchen with a skillet. More than any feature she's completed, it's probably her most high profile role to date, and possibly one of the most challenging.

"That skillet was heavy. People think that it must have been so much fun, but it was actually kind of hard," said the diminutive actress. "The director was like, 'you only smashed three plates, you're going to have to swing a little harder this time.'"

In the end, Cook gave it her best shot, as she's been doing for the last four years. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Cook began modeling in various ads as a child before turning to acting. In 1994, she was offered the lead in a black and white short film called "The Girl in 26 Summer Street." She's been working her way through Hollywood ever since, although she downplays her overall status in the industry.

"There's this big image of how crazy the young people in Hollywood are, and I'm sure that's true in some respects," said Cook. "I'm really not one of those people. Maybe I'm just not invited to those parties, but I'd just as soon not be."

Cook prefers to concentrate on her acting gigs, which have been varied and distinctive. Before her starring role as the art student transformed into a swan in Miramax's "She's All That," Cook co-starred with Heather Matarazzo and Kirsten Dunst in "Strike." She's also recently completed "The Hi-Line," a Sundance entry currently making the rounds on the film festival circuit, and will be featured in "Bumblebee Flies Away" with Elijah Wood.

Other projects on her resume include "The Baby-sitters Club," "The House of Yes," and "Living Out Loud." When not on the silver screen, Cook keeps busy on TV in such projects as "True Women" and the popular teen series "Dawson's Creek." For the up-and-comer, it's more than just work. It's what she loves best.

"The best thing about being able to do different parts is that it brings out different parts of you," she said. "To say that a character comes completely out of nowhere, to me, is false. Every character is a little piece, just blown up. That's what's great about taking on all kinds of roles."

There was one other particular advantage for Cook about "She's All That." Since the actress worked throughout her teen years, the film offered the opportunity to express a part of her that was somewhat stymied. By her account, shooting the film with a young cast and crew allowed her to be a regular teenage high schooler.

"This was kind of my vicarious high school experience in a lot of ways," said Cook, who attended a real school for only six months. "I was able to go to a soccer game. I was able to go to a prom. I was able to go to a real graduation. It was just wild."

Now that it's out of her system, Cook is ready to graduate on to other experiences. Like most young people who take their first tentative steps into the world, she knows the future is uncertain, but she's ready for what's next.

"I don't know if the glass is half full or empty. It depends what kind of day you ask me on," said the actress. "But right now, it's very much half full. As far as my entire take on life, I'll have to get back to you on that one."

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