Katie Holmes:
Why She Could Be Your Best Friend

Katie Holmes is the kind of girl you'd love as a best friend. She's smart, down-to-earth, loves to have fun an is just plain normal. When we asked how she likes being a "superstar," the doe-eyed beauty answers, " I have no idea what is like" I'm just the 21 year old from Ohio who is into acting ..but I pretty much live a normal life". Katie Continues, " It's flattering when 13 years olds come up to me. I was the same way. I guess, I still am... But it's kind of scary when people my age look at me funny, because they have seen me on TV. I want to say "I'm normal. I'll be your friend. Be my friend.

Born in Toledo,Ohio on December 18.1978 Katie is the youngest of three sisters and one brother. She attended an all-girl parochial high school, where everybody had to pass the infamous daily skirt-check. "Everyday we'd kneel on the floor and have it no more than two inches above our knees. I didn't have it too long, but if you had it too long you were such a dork. You looked like a freshman." But Katie made it through okay,, she actually first began acting when she tried out for a school play. Katie also modeled and began taking acting classes. She was eventually discovered at an International Modeling and Talent Associations convention in New York City.

Katie landed an agent, who encouraged her to come to Los Angeles. She scored her first professional audition for a small part in "The Ice Storm" and as they say, the rest is history. Soon after, the WB network caught on the young talented and offered her the part of Buffy in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Katie said "no" so she could finish high school. "Growing up, I was very uptight and kind of nervous for my grades" she reveals. But later she did say "yes" to Dawson's Creek and her seriousness towards school has paid off, she was recently accepted at Columbia University. "Fortunately, they've allowed me to defer, because I'm contractually obligated and emotionally attached to Dawson's Creek. It's something I definitely want to continue doing. But also I want to be a well educated person...It's not something I look upon lightly. I'm excited about a new experience in my life"

As for all the acting experiences, the character she has enjoyed playing the most is Joey Potter from Dawson's. "My favorite is probably Joey, because I have done the part for so long and it was one of my the first roles. I think she is such an intelligent, witty character. It's a lot of fun to play her and interact with everyone-a really great time." Katie sees a lot of similarities between Joey and herself. "Joey is usually the girl who doesn't get the guys...I didn't [get guys] in high school.

That sure is hard to believe, but this down-earth attitude is what makes Katie a great best friend material. She admits that in her younger years "I wasn't very funny or flashy, I was kind of boring. I was a good girl, I guess"
One of the attractions of acting is that Katie doesn't always play "good girl" roles. She welcomed her role in "Disturbing Behavior" cause she got to wear tight jeans, a top revealing her belly button ring and bright red lipstick for the part of edgy Rachel Wagner. "I think that I'd get bored if I kept doing the same things" she said "It felt like it was Halloween every day I came to do Disturbing Behavior, because I don't think I'd ever wear that in real life.

Katie also played fascinating characters in her other two movies, Go and Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Also, one highlight of filming Teaching Mrs. Tingle was definitely locking lips with costar and 7th Heaven babe, Barry Watson. "Barry and I both knew it was coming. We'd get each other mints, and make jokes 'Okay here we go. Today's our day.' It was a little awkward, because you're great friends with somebody, and all sudden you're [making out] and in the next five minutes you're having a Coke with them between setups." She didn't get to kiss any cuties in Go, but she had a wild life and best friend, played by Sarah Polley.

In her new movie, Wonder Boys, Katie plays Hannah Green, a college student who has a crush on her teacher (Michael Douglas). "I'm the type of girl who is wise beyond her years and I have a definite crush and admiration type of thing for Michael Douglas' character, so I spent most of my time thinking of ways to get close to him." Wonder Boys also stars cutie Tobey Maguire, who Katie costarred with in her movie the Ice Storm.

Looking toward the future, Katie hopes to play a more "strong, intelligent woman." She says, "I think it's important to have people like that up there on the screen and have characters that people can look up to learn something from." At the same time, everyone look up for Katie for being true to herself and for striking a gentle balance between being the girl next door and the star on the screen.

Article from the Katie Holmes Pictures.com site.