Admit it. You're hooked on Felicity, the hottest new show
on T, starring the amazing Keri Russel and her four supercool co-stars. To feed your
addiction, we sat down with the sizzling cast to find their most personal details and juicy
behind-the-scenes stories.
FIRST THE STAR SPILLS...
It's hard to ignore 22-year-old Keri Russel's gorgeous corkscrew curls and pierceing
green eyes. But it's easy to get absorbed by her portrayal of Felicity Porter, the center of
TV's most-talked-about new show. Felicity is insta-heroine: She kicks off the show by
following a spontaneeous urge (for the first time in her life), which means ditching the
college plans for her parents made for her to follow her crush to university clear across the
country. Watching Felicity take responsibiltie for her rashness and make a new life for
herself on a big bustling campus in New York is a crash coarse in growing up.
As Felicity, Keri has finally found her niche. Seven years ago, Keri, who grew up one
of three children in decidedly low-key Mesa, AZ, and in Denver, scored a part on the
variety show called The New Mickey Mouse Club Then followed six years of a
mixture of hardly sensational TV work: prime-time angst-soap Malibu Shores and
a string of tele-flicks. Keri is very concious of how Felicity's become her big breakout role.
In fact, she's a little grateful to gutsy Felicity for teaching her how to be more honest and
up front with others. But honesty can be risky, and we can't help but hope Felicity won't
get hurt by the rocky path she has chosen for herself. But instead of cheering from afar,
YM got up close and personal with the shows brightest star.
YM:: What do you admire most about your character,
Felicity?
KR:She's Naively honest. I think that's such a great quality. She
dosn't know that she shouldn't tell people how she feels all the time. In my life [Since the
show began], I'm constantly realizing I speak out when something bugs me, like she does.
She's smart, too. So she figures, This is how I'm feeling, I'm going to tell them. I wish I
had more of that.
YM:Do you ever have the urge to rebel against your parents
like Felicity?
KR:No my parents have always been supportive of what I've
done, so I haven't had the struggle that Felicity has. I think being an only child
[LikeFelicity] comes with a lot of pressure. When you have more kids in your family, all
eyes arn't on you and every move you make. And I think that was felicitys reason for
moving away.
YM:Is it weird going to college on the show when you've never
had did that experience yourself?
KR:No, not really. I mean, for me, college is being out of
your comfort zone. I think that's ultimately what our show is about: coming to a new place
and being able to reinvent yourself.
That happens to me constantly in real life especially going from set to set. I just
finished a moviein Ireland, and that was like college for me. I was accross the ocean and
the only american set. [Everyday was a challenge:] Deal or not deal, fit in or not fit in. I
think that's as much college as we're trying to depict [on Felicity]
I think the showis really funny and smart. And it's responsible, too. I mean, especially
since I'm a young girl, I don't choose parts that compromise my morals or make me say.
"Thats so stupid. Girls are smarter than that." The only drawback could be that [Felicity]
followed this boy half-wy across the country. But the really great thing is, in the first two
episodes we dealt with the fact that she realizes what a big mistake that was. That going
all the way across the country and dropping everything she had was maybe not the best
choice she could have made.
YM:In what way does Felicity get to you?
KR: Most teenage girls feel they have to impress everybody. I
even find that in myself. You just want to make sure everyone's okay. And that's not
always okay. Yopu have to gain a sence of self-worth and be indpendant. And I think boys
do that much more easily than girls.
YM:Do you catch yurself feeling extra responsibility because
your the star of the show?
KR:Oh Yeah. Absoulutley. These last few months have been
overwhelming. Even photo shoots tend to feel like responsibilty of mine. Like, I want to
ake sure that everyones happy. And when someone's having a problem with his or her hair,
I feel like its my reaponsabilitie to go and say "so-and-so dosn't like her hair. Can yo help
her?" I feel like if I don't say it noone will.
YM:So what do you need in your dressing room to keep you
calm?
KR:Candles and pictures. I take lots of black-and-white
pictures, and I've been using lots of the photos I have in my dressing room on the set-- in
[Felicity's] room. Pictures of my godaughter and people I love.
YM:Do you have a boyfriend?
KR: I do. He's my best friend.
YM:What does he think about your hge success?
KR: He thinks it's great. I mean, the cool thing is [this show]
has been the first thing that I've really enjoyed working on and being proud of. And he and
the rest of my friends just, they love it, too.
YM:One more question: In the shows you've taped so far, have
Felicity and Ben kissed?
KR: Oh. No. The show would be over once that
happened!
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