Interview From "Interview" Magazine

Katie Holmes is best known for her role on Dawson's Creek as Joey, The verbose, intellegent, somewhat cranky teen who can pretty much do anything except get over next door neighbor Dawson. The show is now in it's third season, but from the beginning, Holmes-who exhudes a sharp, melacholic intensity-was the one to watch. Like every other teenage star working today, she has had plenty of opportunity to take advantage of the teen-movie explosion. But with the exception of Disturbing Behavior (a would-be thriller about a town filled with Stepford kids) and last summers disappointing black comedy Teaching Mrs. Tingle (written and directed by Dawson creator Kevin Williamson), Holmes has been quite shrewd in choosing smaller, less obvious roles that play against her TV persona. In last years Go, she fell in love with the seedy drug dealer who held her hostage, and in this spring's Wonder Boys, a college student who tenaciously attempts to seduce her much older professor (Michael Douglas). Although she is clearly drawn to more adult, complicated characters, Holmes is still kind of like Joey; a sweet girl from a small town who really does worry what her folks will think.

Maureen Callahan: When you read a role like Hannah, do you think, Oh, here's yet another Hollywood version of the young girl falling for a man who's old enough to be her father?
Katie Holmes There is the typical Hollywood role of,you know, "the pretty woman" or whatever, but I guess I thought this was more complicated. It wasn't just a crush because he's this good looking guy. And throughout the film she realizes that this person that she spends all this time admiring is not that great. It's what I think a lot of people go through-you put people on these pedestals, and then you kind of take the blinders off. I was really attracted to the role because she's very sophisticated and intellegent.

MC: Did you find parallels with yourself now, as opposed to two or three years ago as Hannah?
KH: I remember having dinner with [Wonder boys director] Curtis [Hanson] when I first got to Pittsburgh to start the movie, and I was freaked out [laughs] and told him I was, I guess he saw a lot of me in the character without really even knowing me and I was like, "No! [laughs] You're wrong, I'm not wise beyond my years and not sophisticated." But I guess in the way that I used to relate to Joey's naivete-and still do, to a degree-I've grown upa little bit since I started three years ago

MC: You keep describing Hannah as sophisticated-are there things about her that you aspire? Or do you see her as pretty flawed and naive? I mean, she is a girl who falls for a fifty-year-old man.
KH: Well, what I guess what's flawed about her is her inexperience. She is naive in the sense that you can be so intellegent and wise at twenty-one and yet you'tr limited by your experience. So everyone can tell you-and you can know in the back of your head it's true-that this is absurd, but you have to go through it. And i guess that's what chaeming about her, that contrast.

MC:Do you see yourself the same way?
KH: I guess I'm pretty conscious of it. I got the opportunity to take a shot at something that i really love to do, but with that comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of pressure that you put on yourself. you find yourself trying so hard to be older that you are.

MC: Do you think your upbringing affected that? You come from a very tight-knit family, you went to an all girls Catholic high school--
KH: Sheltered, sheltered, sheltered.

MC: Do you feel even more sheltered than a kid who goes to a public school with boys-
KH: Exactly! And when I first started [acting] I was like, Oh, everyones so nice and this is so funand OK,OK,OK [as if calming herself down], And you start to get a little more comfortable in your own skin.

MC: Did your parents really want you to go to an all-girls Catholic school, or was it a choice you made?
KH: I had to go to a catholic high school,but I chose. I like it because it alleviated a lot of pressur. I woke up five minutes before leaving each day, threw on my uniform, and didn't have to worry about anything except my schoolwork. Then when you get out, your a little socially inept. [laughs] You get around a boy and it's, OK, we have to talk now like you're a normal person? But you're a boy! I'm not used to that! I guess it kinda put off that growing up process a little bit.

MC:What were the dances like? Did you have them once a month in the gym?
KH: Oh, yeah. we had the obligatory Christmas dance and homecoming. It was a pain 'cause we all had the same group of friends and it was, like, a rotation of guys. [laughs] The best part was getting a new outfit

MC: Did you feel as socially awkward once you graduated and started working?
KH: Because I'm the youngest in my family, I'm used to being around people older that I am. Still i just took it all in and tried not to say much. I still do that because i really don't have much to bring to the table. It's like-I'm twenty-one, you're forty-five--I'll just sit here 'cause I'm pretty boring [laughs]

MC: Are you worried that you'll be pigenholed as this sweet, naive, quiet girl?
KH: [nods]

MC: With the exception of Disturbing Behavior and Teaching Mrs. Tingle, you seem to be avoiding the typical teensploitation roles-like the girl who's about to lose her virginity. You play more complicated characters
KH: Right

MC: There must be fierce competition for those parts.
KH: [laughs] Yeah.

MC: So why do you think you get them?
KH: [embarrassed] I don't know.

MC: Based on your upbringing, is there anything you wouldn't do onscreen?
KH: Um....I don't know. I love tryiong to be different people and i don't want to limit myself with certain standards I guess.

MC: But you don't worry about what your parents will think?
KH: Well...I mean I'm not going to lie [laughs] I was raised Catholic, so you have the guilt and the fear. my parents are really supportive. However, I know that they don't want me to, you know...[trails off]

MC: They wouldn't be psyched to see you do a nude scene or shoot heroin
KH: Probably not. But i would LOVE to play a heroin addict! I think it'd be fun. Don't write that.

MC: No, that's great
KH: I mean, I want to be on Prozac. In a role.

MC: You sound so embarrassed by that
KH: Because it's lame [laughs]. My friends are going to think I'm weird.I loved Magnolia and Happiness. I liked Election. [Movies] that say something about relationships or humanity or that deal with feelings, instead of like thrillers. But that's women I think. We like complicated....not to rip on boys... You know what I mean.

MC: You seem very, very concerned with offending...everybody
KH: I always apologize for myself. I have to stop. [laughs] MC: Do you feel now that you're several paces ahead of Joey?

KH: Yeah. Sometimes you read a Dawson's script and it's like, wait, she's sixteen. So, in a lot of ways i guess I am more grown-up. But I wouldn't say there's a huge gap. I'm not that mature. I try to be. [laughs] But I'm not. Not at all.

MC: Are there things about her that bother you?
KH: Yeah. Sometimes I'd wish she'd just chill out and not be so angry all the time and give Dawson a break, and maybe even get over him. I mean, what is going on?

MC: But the Dawson-Joey thing keeps peopletuning in, don't ya think? do you relate to that at all?
KH: Um. no. I've never really had a Dawson. But you know, it reminds me of when you start liking somebodyand you flirt constantly and it's like [frustrated] Just HOOK UP! [laughs] I mean, you know, Kiss
Because your parents are reading this, that's all you'll encourage anyone to do?
KH: Yeah [laughs]

from Katie Holmes Pictures.com site