E! Online
1997
[Jeanne Wolf]
The Party girl confronts crazed fishermen, Jay Leno and cleavage
Who knew a serious-minded coming-of-age series like Party of Five could harbor such a convincing couple of scream queens? First came Neve Campbell, who gave everybody a good scare last year in Scream. And now girl-next-door Jennifer Love Hewitt moves into fright mode with I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Hewitt's Summer job--which she took partially on the advice of Campbell--involves a murderous madman, a small Carolina fishing village and a dark secret among four teenage friends. It's more than just another slasher flick, thanks to Scream writer Kevin Williamson and the performances of Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe and Freddie Prinze Jr.
And it's more than just a chance for Hewitt to do something outside P05. It's the logical next step in a career that began when a determined nine-year-old convinced her divorced mother they should head to Hollywood so she could become an actress.
Hewitt began working almost as soon as she arrived from Texas, moving from preteen shows (Kids Incorporated) to teen roles (the short-lived ABC series Byrds of Paradise) to movie parts (Sister Act 2, House Arrest) and, of course, Party of Five.
Along the way, Hewitt squeezes in time for romance with boyfriend Will Friedle (big-bro Eric on Boy Meets World) and a second career as a singer (who's already cut two albums). Somehow she manages to maintain a sweet, level-headed attitude--even in the most frightening situations.
Are you a fan of horror movies?
No, so this was a chance to face one of my biggest fears. I'd never watch a horror film, but after I found out I was going to be in one, I watched, like, four of them, including The Shining. I was terrified--I couldn't sleep for days. But I wanted to get myself used to things I was going to see on the set.
So, how was it being chased by a madman, even if it was only make believe?
It was awful! I thought I was seeing crazy fishermen everywhere, like the one who pursues us in the film. We were filming in Southport, North Carolina, which is a fishing town.
One night, on the way home from the set, I see this fisherman standing on the side of the road in his slicker--just standing there in the dark. And I'm like, "Oh my God, go a little faster." The next morning, we were driving back, and I look, and he's still just standing there. Then I realized it was a cardboard fisherman: a sign advertising some fish restaurant. That's the way the filming affected my psyche. Everyone thought I was a little nuts.
Well, you were probably under a bit of pressure. You were the leading lady, after all.
It's funny, it didn't even hit me that I had such a big part until a few days ago, when people said, "This is, like, your movie. You've got the lead."
You've also got plenty of cleavage onscreen. I mean, it's a pretty sexy role.
The producers said straight to my face, "There's no 12- or 13-year-old boy who's gonna want to see this horror film if the lead girl is wearing a sweatsuit the entire time." Of course they're right. Also, I had to have an outfit I could move around in to do stunts. But, yeah, it was quite a sexy outfit, I have to say. I kind of shocked myself watching it.
But you've reached an age where it's okay to shock on occasion. You just turned 18, which means you're practically a grown-up.
Turning 18 was a bigger thing for me than I'd thought. I had told my mom, "I don't want to do the lead in a movie until I'm 18, because then I'll be ready for it. I won't be a kid." Before I was 18, I was constantly frustrated when my 10-and-a-half-hour workday was up on the set, because I wasn't tired and I didn't want to go home. But they couldn't let me stay, because my hours were limited under California labor laws. But for this movie, I was there until dawn, and I really got to dig in and do everything.
To read the complete interview visit
E! Online.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE