FHM Cover Story

Carly Pope – TV’s hottest bookworm – has made reading much more than fundamental. The 20-year-old star of Popular, the WB’s ratings-busting teen soap, is a little different from her fresh-faced goody-goody character Sam McPherson. And while she lives in Tinseltown for her exploding career, she longs for her native Canada. “I try to go home once every six weeks,” she says. “At least they have seasons there, not just this perpetual sunshine.”

The problem with hangovers, as anyone regularly drunk will testify, is that no-one really understands your pain. Friends, work colleagues, professionally trained outreach workers – none of them seem able to comprehend that all you want is a little peace, a little privacy and perhaps someone to gently shave your brain. We get the feeling Carly Pope would agree. Today, while not quite at the monkey mind-meld stage, she’s certainly suffering – nursing at least a Force Seven. “Oh my God,” she whimpers, rubbing her eyes. “I feel absolutely terrible. I am death itself. And the worst thing is, I didn’t even drink.” FHM coughs in mild disbelief. “No! It’s true! It’s just that I’m running on… God, three hours sleep.”

So how “Canadian” was your childhood
Well, my dad built igloos and taught us how to play hockey. My mom taught me how to brew maple syrup.

That’s sarcasm, isn’t it?
You started it. Actually, as a child, I always wanted to be a fly girl from In Living Color. My friend and I were like, “We have the sass, we have the attitude.” We created all these dance routines and forced people to watch us during class. We were 10 and thought we were so sexy! We eventually got detention for being so disruptive.

Did your school in Canada have a particular brand of bullying?
The most I remember is when boys used to “pants” us. As 8-year-olds, we used to wear elastic pants, and boys would try to snap them off. Even then, I thought it was a little eager.

Your screen debut, Cowboys and Aliens, was filmed in Romania, the home of the gypsies. Did you wake up one morning to find everything had been stolen?
No, Eastern Europe was cool, though there were rabid dogs everywhere. I used to ride them to work, ha ha! Every morning, I’d strap on my chain-mail armor and my helmet…

This year you’re in Finder’s Fee with James Earl Jones. Did you ask him to do a Darth Vader impression?
Are you kidding? I was so scared, I could barely speak. But I enjoyed filming in Vancouver, and the film is exciting. Make sure you watch two scenes in particular – the only one’s I’m in!

When do you feel the sexiest?
Ironically, it’s the morning. There’s something so endearing vulnerable, natural and kind of messy. Having said that, there’s scaffolding all over my building at the moment, and I woke up the other day to find about 30 workmen looking through my window.

Nice.
And they weren’t very nice or attractive men either. Thank God I wasn’t nude – or wearing my Mountie suit.

Carly Pope February 2001 (UK) The problem with hangovers, as anyone regularly drunk will testify, is that no-one really understands your pain. Friends, work colleagues, professionally trained outreach workers – none of them seem able to comprehend that all you want is a little peace, a little privacy and perhaps someone to gently shave your brain. We get the feeling Carly Pope would agree. Today, while not quite at the monkey mind-meld stage, she’s certainly suffering – nursing at least a Force Seven. “Oh my God,” she whimpers, rubbing her eyes. “I feel absolutely terrible. I am death itself. And the worst thing is, I didn’t even drink.” FHM coughs in mild disbelief. “No! It’s true! It’s just that I’m running on… God, three hours sleep.” So how was your Canadian childhood like? Well, my dad built snowmen and igloos, and taught us to play hockey. My mum taught me how to brew maple syrup. That’s sarcasm, isn’t it? You started it. Actually, as a child, I always wanted to be a Fly Girl – these characters from an American TV show called In Living Colour, starring the Wayans Brothers. My friend and I were like, “We have the sass, we have the attitude.” So we created all these dance routines and forced people to watch us during class: these two ten-year-olds, thinking we’re really sexy. No wonder we got detention for being disruptive. With your surname, do you get letters from Catholics mistakenly asking to kiss your ring? Ha ha! I think religious zealots would think of me as a lost cause. Your screen debut Cowboys And Aliens was filmed in Romania – the home of the Gypsy. Did you wake up one morning to find everything had been nicked? Ha ha! No. Eastern Europe was cool though – there were rabid dogs everywhere. I used to ride them to work – they were my transport, ha ha! Every morning, I’d strap on my chain-mail armour… and my helmet… and… God, what am I saying? It’s so early. Cough. Moving on, this year you’re in Finder’s Fee, with James Earl Jones. Did you ask him to do a Darth Vader impression? Are you kidding? I was so scared, I could barely speak. I did try and trick him into doing it though: I introduced myself as Luke, ha ha! But I enjoyed filming in Vancouver, and the film’s exciting. Make sure you watch two scenes in particular – the only ones I’m in, ha ha! So how did it feel doing your photo shoot for FHM? Weirdly, I felt like a little girl trying to dress up in her mother’s lingerie – like it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t look good because you’re three. It was very out of character for me to do this – but it was fun. Did I feel sexy? Oh yeah – they had to tell me to close my legs and hide my nipples. Because I was ready to go all out. Ha ha! So when do you feel your most sexiest? Not mornings, we presume… Ironically, it is! There’s something so endearing about being vulnerable, natural, and kind of messy. You also have this strange longing – even if, like now, it’s just to get in the shower. Having said that, there’s scaffolding all over my building at the moment. I woke up the other morning to find around 30 workmen looking through my window. Nice… And they weren’t very nice or attractive men, either. Thank God I wasn’t nude. Or wearing my Mountie suit.