In Dick, a political satire of the downfall of President Nixon, Michelle Williams and Kirsten Dunst play a pair of ditsy 15-year-olds who stumble upon his conspiracy and ultimately uncover the truth. Williams, in real-life, is very much interested in politics, influenced by her father while growing up, because he was a staunch Republican Senator during the Watergate scandal. Williams confesses her political allegiance, reveals her recent character's underlying truth on stage and describes how she faked singing so badly for the movie, at least that's what she says. Were you the type of girl that would watch "Dawson's Creek?" "That's an interesting question, I've never been asked that before. Hold on. I don't want to get myself in trouble. I'm not really a dedicated TV follower. I don't, like, plan out my Thursday night or Monday night or anything. [I] probably watch it occasionally, but wouldn't make an evening out of it. Oh, God! Please don't let that get me in trouble." Are you the girl who would have had a crush on Bobby Sherman? "No. I don't think I'm that kind of girl at all." How did you find Arlene, considering all of this took place before you were born? "Arlene is kind of what I remember being, like, at 11 or so -- that geeky, really trying hard, very, like, focused and determined on whatever it is, however inane the task or whatever she set her mind upon. That's kind of what I liked about her and I liked the transition and the, you know, subtle kind of growth that she makes throughout the movie. And as far as politically speaking, I grew up in a very political household and my father was very active with the Senate and all these kind of crazy things, so I grew up with a real background in history and government." So, you knew something about Watergate going in? "Yes." But your dad is a Republican? "My dad is a hardcore Republican." How does that affect learning the truth about Watergate? "I know, I know. It was amazing. So, Nixon was a bad man? My father's Republican. Definitely influenced me as a kid and still has some truth in my life now. I think that the IRS is all screwed up and I think that the way that money is managed in this country is really poorly, poorly managed. But, I also am much more passionate about human causes than I am about how they happen to misspend my money. So, that's sort of been my political evolution after leaving home." So, you're a Libertarian? Fiscally conservative, socially liberal? "Yeah, I know. It sounds so pacifist. No, I'm just right in the middle. But I really mean it. But it's a hard balance to find because, you know, how do you not tax a whole lot and then spend this money on the people? But I guess, if you want to box me in...." Have your views changed on President Nixon? "The movie is just a farce. It's so silly and nothing is really all that serious, so I don't think that it portrays Nixon like one way or the other. Do you? I mean, I don't think that it makes a strong political point." Well, what's your view of the whole Watergate thing? "I think it's similar in a lot of respects to the whole Clinton thing. I think it basically comes down to honesty. Although, I think, what separates it is that, you know, Clinton's whole scandal is -- was -- within the boundaries of his personal life. And Nixon did something that jeopardized, you know, his political career and how he handled his political dealings. But I think that it really does come down to a matter of the truth always comes out, as my mom would say." You were making this last year while this Clinton stuff was raging on. "Yeah, every time I mentioned that I was doing a movie called Dick and it takes place in the White House, everybody was like, 'They're making a movie about the whole Monica (Lewinsky) thing already?' God." I hear you're doing a play, Killer Joe, in New York in which there's some nudity involved. "Yeah. I just finished. I'm working on something else right now, but I did just finish doing a play where there is nudity involved. Yes." And what do your parents think of your career? "I know, they're so proud. I did a movie called Dick, I got naked and all on stage. Now [I'm] doing this HBO thing where I'm a lesbian. Good God, I'm causing shame to my household." But they're supportive. "I think that they're proud of the risks and chances that I'm taking. They may not necessarily understand those choices or relate to those choices or like those choices, but I think they understand the courage behind them." Are you already thinking post-"Dawson's Creek?" "Yes! No, that show has afforded me the most amazing opportunities of my life and being able to do the play was a dream come true and the thing that I'm most proud of in my 18 years. And I never would have been able to have that without "Dawson's Creek." I really hope that the writing stays honest and good and true. You know, it's the third season where the backlash -- the inevitable backlash -- I'm sure will come." What's the attitude among the cast of Kevin Williamson's departure? "I think that everybody is saddened at the loss, because he fathered this child. And it's going to be hard without him. We're all hoping that things will continue to be witty and a cut above and smart. But also, if the show is coming out of personal cost to him, I care much more about him as a human than as a writer to turn out pages. And, I want nothing more for him than for him to be happy and safe and balanced." Did it come out of left field? "I guess it was sort of expected. He had been sort of slowly backing off and handing responsibility over on the show. But he was still around. I mean, it still came as a surprise, you know, when I got the phone call from him." Can you talk about working with Kirsten Dunst? "She's a sweetheart. It was kind of tough, I think, in a sense, for me to give myself over to Arlene and to sort of allow that silliness and level of innocence and lightheartedness and one of the amazing things about Kirsten is the fact that she's been doing this for 10 years and has maintained her youth and her just sort of fresh outlook on life. Which is really great for me to come in and sort of watch that and be able to, to an extent, mirror that and kind of use that to throw my jaded ass back somewhere." Who do you think is going to respond to this movie? "That's the weird thing about this movie. I was trying to figure that out. The people that I know that have seen it that have responded to it are, you know, girls my age and younger and people who actually lived through Watergate and find it humorous, you know, because they're able to relate and remember all the specific events and find it, I guess, humorous how we translate them." Did you keep any clothes from this movie? "Any clothes from this movie? Are you kidding me? How much courage does it take to do sing "I Honestly Love You" without music? I'm a much better singer than that. I just want this said for the record. I'm a much better singer than that. They forced me to sound bad. I should be on that soundtrack. I could do the whole Olivia Newton-John thing. I know that song, I knew it going in. I could do that for you. I liked that. That was fun." Scary at all? "No. Well, the first couple of takes, I was a little timid and shy about just belting it out in front of everybody, but you lose your inhibitions." What does a 15-year-old do in L.A. when you first come out here? "Stupid things. And crazy things. Bad things. And then learn from those things." What did you learn? "I don't know how to condense two years of screwing up into, like, one nice, little soundbite for you." Well, include just the most essential. "I guess even though, you know, you're at this sort of precarious age that's full of change and growth and confusion to have a core to yourself and to have -- whatever they are -- a few things that you stand for or believe in or aspire to. I think that's important."