8 Maj 2000
|
This week, Wanda has Amy Jo Johnson and Greg Grunberg as her special chat guests. The Felicity flirts spill what's
happening onscreen (think budding romance and a "disappearance"), offscreen (movie deals and lots of gummy bears) and on
the set (everything from fart pranks to real French kisses).
Hey, everybody! I'm here with Felicity's Amy Jo Johnson and Greg Grunberg. So, send in your questions, and we'll get started! From Michelle: Greg, you play my favorite character. What do you like most about working on Felicity? Greg: I love everything about it. I love my character and where they are taking my character. It's a mixture of comedy and drama. And most of my stuff is with Amy Jo. What more can I ask? From Alicia: Is Felicity coming back next year? Amy Jo: I think we find out Wednesday. There's a huge rally Tuesday at the Warner Bros. ranch, I think from 8 to 11 a.m. Most of the cast will be there to support our fans. From ilovenoel: First off, Amy Jo, you have an amazing singing voice, and I love the song you perform on the Felicity soundtrack. What storylines are you hoping for your character in the future? Amy Jo: I'm hoping for them to deal more with my birth mom and birth father. From Chris: I read that you are from Massachusetts. Did you get your start in the Massachusetts area before going out to Los Angeles? Amy Jo: I went to school in New York for two years, and then I went to Los Angeles. I went to Strassberg. From Karen: I heard your birth mom will be back. Is that true? Amy Jo: Yep. She'll be back for the last episode. It's Jane Kaczmarek, the mom from Malcolm in the Middle. From jennileefeli: What can I do to help save Felicity from cancellation? Greg: The immediate thing you can do is send off a ton of email to Jamie.Kellner@thewb.com. And the rally tomorrow is in L.A., so if you can attend, please do so. From Fred_neener: What movies are you going to be in? Amy Jo: I'm doing a movie called Pursuit of Happiness, shot in L.A., and another one called Save Me a Seat. Frank Whaley and Annabeth Gish are in Pursuit. From Lyn: How do you like starring in a hit TV show? Is it a big difference from the kids' show you were in? Amy Jo: Oh, yeah! My body doesn't hurt because I don't have to do all of that gymnastics work. From biggregfan: If you were stranded on a desert island, what person, album, book, movie and meal would you want to have with you for the rest of your life? Greg: I would want my wife, for sure; I would want the book Crossroads; I would want the soundtrack to The Blues Brothers; and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the movie; and a life supply of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. From Cara: What makes you laugh, and where are you ticklish? Greg: Honestly, fart jokes make me laugh. And I am not ticklish. From carbag: Who is the prankster on the set? What's the funniest thing that's happened off camera? Greg: I'm pretty pranky, and Scott Speedman is, too. One of the funniest things that ever happened on the set is that our sound guy has a remote-control fart machine, and he put it in the room with hundreds of extras. He put it under one, like, 80-year-old woman's seat, and every once in a while, he would let it go. We ruined take after take because we were laughing so hard at this woman's expense. From kellymarie: What's it like working with Scott Speedman? Amy Jo: He's a really nice guy and a great actor. Plus, he's just a big goofball. He's so funny. From billybob-o-rama: Who is your favorite singer, band and series? Amy Jo: Taxi is my favorite series - I love that show. My favorite band is Extra Very. From Jay_Jones: Hi! I love "Puddle of Grace"! Amy, do you or Valhalla have a CD coming out? Amy Jo: No, but the single is on the Felicity soundtrack. From girlieme45: Greg, what projects do you have coming up? Greg: On August 4, there's a movie I'm in called Hollow Man being released. It's with Elizabeth Shue and Kevin Bacon. It's going to be the scariest film ever - a suspense thriller. I play Carter Abby, part of a team of six scientists working underground. Kevin Bacon decides to be the first human to become invisible. From felicitypoo: What's in the Smoothaise? Greg: It's actually a spicy version of Thousand Island dressing. Yummy. From Steph: Does the cast hang out off the set a lot and go to clubs together and stuff? Amy Jo: Not really. When I play shows, people show up every now and then. I think we hang out as much as normal coworkers hang out. From blumbergfan: Greg, is that you as the football fan covered in paint in the Rolaids commercial? Greg: Absolutely. We're all very proud. And I have to say that was about 45 pounds ago. But, yes, that was me jumping all around. From jolina: Amy Jo, will you be playing in L.A. soon? I love your voice. Amy Jo: Thank you! I'll be playing solo Saturday, May 13, at the Temple Bar at 9:00, and then May 21 at Genghis Cohen at 8:00. From Jennifer: Amy Jo, what is the biggest reward you receive from acting? Amy Jo: I love doing really dramatic roles, emotional stuff. For me, that's more releasing. It's my favorite thing in the world. From sillybugger: What's up with the buzz that ABC may want to move Felicity to its network? What do you think? Greg: I think it could be fantastic for our exposure, because more of the country sees ABC. But I really think the WB is the best network around, and I'm not just saying that because we're there now. They're really supportive of our show, and I hope we don't have to move. From crazypinochler: J.J. Abrams once said that some of Sean's inventions/get-rich-quick schemes are really yours. Is this true, and which ones? Greg: Out of necessity as an out-of-work actor, I actually invented some things. The camera vending machines that sold disposable cameras are actually mine. I leased them to the show. One of my favorite episodes is when we - Amy Jo and I - sold fruit in the library. I actually sold yogurt before I got the gig on a Felicity episode called "The Yogurt Runners." From Toos: How does it feel being the "elder statesman" of the cast? Do you give the young-uns any advice? Greg: I love that my character is the oldest one in the show. As far as the actors, I don't give them any advice. My experience is not the best experience, but I'm always there for them. From Beckygene24: What's up with the new cast member? Who is she, and when will we see her? Greg: That's Ali Landry. She plays Natalie, a very nasty girl. She shows up at the wedding at the end of the year and hooks up with either Ben or Noel, and sparks fly. Other than that, I can't say. From xavierspal: What's the worst thing about being a former Power Ranger? Amy Jo: I had to wear pink every day. From Jocelyn_Kelley: Have you always wanted to be an actress? Amy Jo: Yes, since I was seven. I didn't start pursuing it until I was 18 and moved out to L.A. My first acting job was doing Power Rangers. From sbatzer: Greg, where can I buy some Shreme? Greg: You can't yet. But that's a great idea, to market it. Actually, I have about five ideas I'm going to prototype, but I don't want to put them on the show because I don't want anyone to steal the ideas. From Carol: If you could, what would you change about your character? Amy Jo: I wouldn't change a thing about her. I love my character. I'm actually very similar to her in real life. From Jodygirl: Do Sean and Julie get together? Greg: We get married - no, that's a joke. I would say Sean and Julie get much, much, much closer. We'll leave it at that. From Evanichole: Do Julie and Noel hook up? Is there something between them? Amy Jo: Something definitely happens between them. It's very unexpected, and it happens before the finale. From cosmicgirl7: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Greg: In 10 years, I would love to be doing exactly what I'm doing now, perhaps on a sitcom. But being on an ensemble like I am right now, I really appreciate what I'm doing. From sbatzer: What wedding on the show are you talking about?! Amy Jo: A wedding is coming up in the season finale. Anyone can get married at this point, so I can't tell you who. From intitiare: Do you go by Amy Jo? Does it get confusing with two Amys, you and Amy Smart, on the set? Amy Jo: On the set, everyone calls me AJ. From Noellvr: Are you like your character? Greg: I am exactly like my character. Nothing is different, except that I am much more confident in relationships. I've been friends with the show's creators for a long time, and they actually created the character for me. So, I'm exactly like that. From baforever: What kind of martial-arts experience do you have? Amy Jo: I was a gymnast, and I took a lot of Tae Bo. Just kidding! I did sort of a karate crash course for Power Rangers. I still can't catch flies with chopsticks, though. [Laughs.] From baforever: Amy Jo, is Greg a great kisser? Amy Jo: We haven't really kiss-kissed yet, so it's hard to say. Our kiss was a spontaneous, shocking kiss. Plus, you don't use tongue when you're working, so you can't really tell - although, one of the cast members has slipped me the tongue ... I'm not saying who. From walrus26: Anything you haven't done that you'd like to do? Greg: I'd love to do a western, and I'm sure there are a lot of characters I haven't had a chance to play. From nsugirlygirl: Amy Jo, I noticed a big, fat ring on your left ring finger during the credits. Are you engaged? Amy Jo: No, I'm not engaged. I think they actually switched that image around, because I wear that ring on my right hand. From elvis_is_here: How did you get involved with acting? Greg: I've always wanted to act and write. In elementary school, I was in school plays. But then I got my start about 12 years ago with a commercial for Computer Learning Center. It was so bad. I showed up two hours late and looked like hell. From orphanannie: Hey, Greg! I was just thinking, were you ever on one of those nicotine-gum commercials? I'm pretty sure I saw you on one. Greg: Yes, actually that's the last commercial I did, a year ago. I was really happy with that. We shot it in New York, and I was pretty happy with that one. But I've never taken a puff. Relatives have called me up and said, "I never knew you had a problem." Pretty funny. From Kyle_Jones: What was it like working on the set of Sweetwater? Amy Jo: It was filmed in Vancouver. The real Nancy Nevins was there. It was fun to sing, and I loved it. From googs007: What is your worst career move? Greg: Up until now, I wasn't able to make any moves of my own. Now, I'm in a bit of a better situation, where I can be a little more selective. So, I feel really grateful. From spectre_99: Amy Jo, what was the weirdest thing you ever got for a birthday present? Amy Jo: The best thing I ever got was a piano. I play piano and guitar. The weirdest thing I got was a case of gummy bears from an old boyfriend, because I like them so much. From Ivette_D.: What movies have you seen recently that you really enjoyed? Greg: Erin Brokovich. I haven't seen the new Flintstones movie. I actually auditioned to play Fred. From derek34: Will anything happen between Meghan and Greg? Amy Jo: There's some really great stuff coming up between the two of them. This week, they have a talk during the girls'-night-out thing, and then some more things will happen. You'll have to see. From walrus26: If you weren't acting as a profession, what could you see yourself doing? Amy Jo: I see myself being a school teacher ... or a rock star! From sbatzer: Last week's show was the best ever. What is your favorite board game? Greg: My favorite board game, by far, is backgammon. I'm a big collector of cork backgammon boards from the '70s. From spectre_99: Amy Jo, what inspires your songs, life? Amy Jo: I get all of my lyrics from my journals, which I've kept since I was 15. They are experiences from life. From Vickime: What's your music like? And who are you biggest musical influences? Amy Jo: I'd call it folk-rock. The biggest influences are Natalie Merchant, Sarah McLachlan, James Taylor, the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers. I write all my own songs. From spectre_99: What is your religion? Amy Jo: Spirituality. From jedisnowy: Greg, name your favorite food. Greg: I love Middle Eastern food. I love it. Chicken, falafel - I love it! From drew24: What can you tell us about the season finale? Amy Jo: Somebody disappears, and someone gets married. From Ginie: What couple would you like to see "happen" on the show? Greg: I would love it if Sean and Julie got together and stayed together. I think that would be so great. From benlover7: What do you guys think about the enormous outpouring of support by the fans concerning the show's possible cancellation? Amy Jo: We love it. We absolutely love it. Thank you. The ratings are going up now because of the fan base. Until something like this happens, you take it for granted. There has been so much support - they do not want to see the show go away. We can't wait to see everyone at the rally tomorrow. Thank you, thank you, thank you! From sbatzer: AJ, I saw your very cool pad in In Style. Did you decorate it yourself? What inspired you? Amy Jo: Most of the things in my house are gifts from friends or things I've collected along the way. There really is no rhyme or reason. From Frida34: As Felicity's friend, whom do you think she should be with, Noel or Ben? Amy Jo: I can see her being with either. But I think I like her being with Ben best. They're really good together. Greg: I actually have Amanda Foreman, who plays Meghan, on my cell phone right now. I asked her if she wanted to talk and she said, "Oh, for God's sake, no." [Laughs.] From Wanda: So, does that mean Amanda is like her character? Amy Jo: Oh, for God's sake, no! Actually, she's very, very sweet. From dianna: Greg, do you ever eat any of Sean's inventions? Greg: Oh, yeah. I eat everything on the set. Well, I didn't eat the tofurkey, but Amy Jo did, lucky girl. Seriously, though, I just eat, eat, eat! Okay, guys. Sean and Julie had to jam. |