'A Film to Remember'
Big screen kisses, off-screen romance and beating Britney's flick -- it no wonder A Walk to Remember was an unforgettable experience for Mandy Moore and Shane West.
Did you have misconceptions about each other before filming began?
Shane: Yeah, like what's a pop star doing in a movie? I thought she was the pop star and she thought I was the bad boy jerk.
Mandy: I had my misconceptions 'cause Shane has this hard rock, punk exterior and he is not that. He's really a romantic person.
Shane, you've got your own band, Jonny Was, and Mandy, this was your first lead role. Did you swap acting and music tips?
Mandy: A little bit. I told him about the crazy side of the music industry and he let me in on some of the craziness in the acting world.
Shane: I was there for her if she wanted me to be. She gave me music tips, like, 'Be careful!' (laughs) If I go on tour and need help, the first person I'd call would be her. She's tour queen!
What's more important, film or music?
Mandy: Music. It's my first love -- it's my passion. As long as I can be singing, even if it's singing karaoke in a hotel bar, I'm happy.
Shane: Currently acting is more important cos that's my job and I wouldn't give it up for the world. Music's also important cos I'm trying to get that off the ground, so I have to spend more time with that.
How is A Walk to Remember different to other teen movies?
Mandy: It's realistic and has a positive message. It's not about sex, drugs, or looking cute, and it's not the girl who goes from the awkward outcast to the beautiful swan. I love movies like She's All That, but in Walk, it's the boy who goes through the transformation, which is kind of cool.
Shane: This is not your typical teen film and I loved the opportunity to do something a little bit different. I also love the emotional transformation my character underwent.
Jamie and Landon are 17 when they marry. Were you ready to commit at that age?
Mandy: No! I thought I was and I can't see that at all now. Maybe it's cos I haven't found the right person and don't expect to for quite some time.
Shane: In this film, in their situations, it was realistic, especially with what was going on with her. But realistically, now, I don't think so.
Mandy, in this film you've got brown hair, no make-up and baggy clothes. Did you enjoy the image change?
Mandy: It was fun cos we'd get to the set at 5am and the other girls would be in little skirts and heels, and I was always warm in my sweaters, socks and sneakers.
How was your first big screen kiss?
Mandy: Awkward! It was the first night of filming and it was beyond awkward. There were lots of crew guys around, plus my mom, dad, and my brothers.
Shane: Her boyfriend was on-set and he made me nervous. We were both in relationships at the time and I was having a fight with my girlfriend, so it didn't necessarily matter to me. (laughs)
Anything interesting happen that the audience doesn't see?
Shane: There was a scene where Jamie was in bed and I sang her a lullaby. Mandy and I were talking about it the other day, and it might have been that Only Hope song. Kinda embarrassing if you ask me, and it was cut, so I guess I didn't do too good a job!
Your film had a better reception than Crossroads!
Shane: Yeah it did!
Was a tiny bit of you happy about that?
Shane: Oh, a lot of me was -- not just a tiny bit!
Mandy: I think there's room out there for everybody to do a little bit of everything.
Shane: I was a little worried cos I went for Anson Mount's part in Crossroads as well. The auditions were at the same time but the scripts were night and day. Walk was, to me, so much better. When both films were done, I was very thankful we came out first (in the States -- Ed.) Also, I never saw Crossroads.
You haven't seen it?
Shane: No, I couldn't. I don't dislike Britney at all -- I met her at the audition and she's great -- but Mandy tried to play something different. We ended up making more money than they did and I was completely surprised. It's a very, very nice feeling.
We heard a rumour you got together during filming...
Mandy: Nooo! Not true. Not because he's not cute! (laughs) You can't deny he's a very good-looking guy, but no, strictly friends.