Can you imagine what trouble Giselle could’ve gotten into had Disney not been attached to the film?
Well, Disney is, so I’m not allowed to say — I’m pretty sure that’s part of the deal. [Laughs] There were previous scripts where she got hooked up with some raunchy strippers and was dressing really inappropriately, but that incarnation was vetoed.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how McDreamy was your onscreen love interest Patrick Dempsey?
Oh, he’s off the charts.
Were you a fan of his early work like Can’t Buy Me Love and Loverboy?
Are you kidding me? I was forever scarred. To this day, my preference is curly-haired boys with blue eyes. I just can’t help it.
What’s your favorite memory from the Drop Dead Gorgeous [1999] set?
I punched Kristen Dunst in the arm because she was being snarky. She had a wicked sense of humor, and she had offended the Minnesota folk one too many times for my liking, so I punched her. I think she was a bit surprised. It was good-natured, though. It wasn’t a true punch, because I could’ve disabled her.
At the end of the film, your promiscuous cheerleader contestant Leslie Miller is said to have gone missing, last seen exotic dancing in the Philippines. What happened to her?
I think she hooked up with a wealthy Filipino man and she’s fat somewhere. She never let anything get her down for too long, so wherever she is, she’s happy as can be. That movie opened up all the doors here for me, and I was so happy with it, but I got pretty self-conscious after I saw it because she’s so far away from my personality — I was afraid of the association. I’d never worked in film before, so I hadn’t thought that a lot of people were going to see it. It was such an abstract concept to me.
If you entered a pageant, what would be your special talent?
This sounds so dumb, but I’ve actually done this. My nose has a little point on it — I’m sure you’re familiar with that — and it’s actually the same size as my ring finger, so I can balance a size 5 ring on my nose.
Originally planned as a spin-off TV series, Cruel Intentions 2 went straight to video in 2000 amid much controversy. What was going through your head while filming that infamous scene in which your character Kathryn encourages a girl to masturbate on a horse?
I wasn’t thinking. I was just doing my job. I never thought of anyone watching it or the impact it would have on people. I know that sounds so naïve, but I was. I got that part a few weeks after moving to Los Angeles. I came from dinner theater in Minnesota to working on a major network television show, and I didn’t truly understand what that meant. I thought we were just being silly! Then it got all these parent advocacy groups against the show, and that’s ultimately why the show didn’t air. I was really bummed, but then I got used to the idea and thought, “Well, that was probably for the best.”
You never get to play bitches like that anymore.
I know. When I first came to Los Angeles, I was the go-to bitch. I mean, if you needed a slutty bitch, I was her. Now it’s quite the opposite. Oh, that’s nice language, huh? Sorry!
Speaking of risky career moves, can you imagine how much America would’ve hated you had your purse-peddling character Katy stolen Jim from Pam on The Office?
It was never going to happen. Bless her heart, they just weren’t a good match. Now, if Roy and Katy got together, that I’d believe. That was the best work experience. I loved that show and that cast so much. I don’t know if they believe me, but every time I see them I’m like, “Oh my gosh, I’ll do anything to come back. Maybe she’s selling something else now!” They’re like, “Yeah, Amy, sure.”
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