The following interview between Giuseppe and Gerri Miller is from the KISS Detroit Rock City Movie Magazine by Metal Edge ~ 1999.

Q: What memories of the Detroit Rock City experience stand out in your mind?

GA: Getting the chance to work with Adam (Rifkin).  I thought he was great, one of the best directors I've ever worked with.

Q: What's your favorite scene?

GA: All the car stuff when we meet the disco guys, the scene in the car when we're driving along the highway.  I like the things I do with the dogs, like when I find my Volvo in the chop shop and I rescue the girl and turn the dogs against these guys.  It's a pretty cool scene.

Q: The dogs were trained, I hope?

GA: Kind of trained.  It took a while to get the shot but it turned out great.  There's another scene I really enjoy. After we find out that Trip has lost the tickets, we can't get the tickets at the radio station, we're in the elevator and we're dejected.  And that stupid "Pina Colada Song" is playing.  It really works great.

Q: Are you a KISS fan?

GA: I never really listened to them.  But I got into them.  They gave us some CDs and I watched some tapes.

Q: You weren't born in the 70's.  Was that a challenge?  Did you do some research of the period?

GA: I like the music from back then though I didn't know much about it.  It's not too hard to figure out.

Q: What attracted you to the role of Lex?  What did you like about the character?

GA: The fact that I could be myself and do whatever I wanted with it.  It's very much like me in a way.

Q: How do you compare it to things you've already done previously?

GA: Everything I've done has been a little different.  Independence Day was a big sci-fi picture and this is totally different from that.  They really capture a cool thing with the guys hanging out.

Q: Did you always want to be an actor?

GA: I was living in my van and we needed money, so I decided I would audition for an agent.  That was five years ago.  I'm from Key Largo, FL.  I came to L.A. for my dad's job and ended up doing this.

Q: What's your favorite role to date?

GA: I think Unstrung Heroes, which Diane Keaton directed.  I enjoyed working with her.  I played the main guy's best friend.  I had a lot of scenes with Michael Richards and John Tuturro.

Q: You've been in a few films more recently.

GA: Yes, I was Taw, a guy Drew Barrymore befriends in high school in Never Been Kissed, and in The Other Sister, I play a really wild, sexual guy at the school that hits on Juliette Lewis.  I only did three days on it.  A small part.

Q: You worked with Edward Furlong before, in American History X.  Did you hang out with him and the other actors on or off the set?

GA: Not really, I kind of go to work and do my job and go home.  I like to sit by myself and think about things.

Q: Do you prefer drama to comedy?

GA: They're kind of the same.  I understand both and both feel right but I prefer drama.  I want to get out of comedy.

Q: What else have you got planned for the future?

GA: I'll definitely be directing in a couple of years.  I'm going to be directing and doing my films within five years and maybe move back to Florida.  I love it there.  I don't have family there but I go back to lay on the beach and relax.

Q: Do you want to both act and direct?

GA: Probably just be a director.  It's what I love.  I love writing.  I want to make films.

Q: Have you written screenplays?

GA: Sure, yeah.  I've got one finished now that I'm pitching around.  I'm going to try to start a production company soon.  I want to make my own films.  I'm writing all the time.

Q: Who are your favorite directors?

GA: My favorite director is (Werner) Fassbinder, the German director.  I like a French director named Godard.

Q: I heard you were in a Smashing Pumpkins video.

GA: Yeah, I was in one called "1979", which won Best Alternative Video.  Billy Corgan saw Independence Day and liked me, liked my look and asked me to do it.

Q: Are you interested in directing videos?

GA: No, just features.

Q: I hear you're from a musical family.  Can you elaborate?

GA: My dad played guitar for 25 years.  He played with The Bee Gees on the Saturday Night Fever record, with a lot of people.  He's on the Joe Walsh record But Seriously Folks, it had "Life's Been Good" on it.  He gave it up. He thinks he's too old now.

Q: Do you play?

GA: Yeah, I've been playing for about five years.  When I start directing my films I'd like to use some of my music in it.

Q: Who are your favorite bands?

GA: I listen to Wagner, the German composer.  I don't listen to a lot of rock but I like Ron Sexsmith, he's from Canada, and a group called Sun Volt.  And Black Sabbath.

The following online interview with Giuseppe from August 20, 1999 can be found at

TV Guide Online Chat Transcripts

TV Guide: Giuseppe Andrews plays the introspective, brainy Lex in Detroit Rock City.  He describes his character as 'the worrier, the nervous one, the one who has to steal his mom's car against his better instincts and watches helplessly as things start to go really wrong.'

Welcome Giuseppe, glad you could join us tonight.

Andrews: Hi!  How are you doing?

TV Guide: Tell us where you are now...

Andrews: Calling from Burbank, California.  I'm in a parking lot.  I was down here editing actually.  I'm doing a documentary that I shot on digital.  I've been doing it for days, just finished it today.

marian2600: It sounds like making the film was a blast.  What was it like on the set?

Andrews: It was really cool.  We shot it in Toronto for ten weeks, which was a great place.  Everyone got along great.  It was great working with our director, Adam Rifkin.

ALI_002: What was your favorite part in filming the movie?

Andrews: It was getting to work with the people who came in to do bit parts, like Natasha Lyonne, she was great. And we had a great actress on there named Melanie Lynskey.  That was the funnest part, getting to work with those people.

a_cherrybomb: A lot of people are comparing DRC to Dazed and Confused.  How do you feel about that?

Andrews: I think it's kind of the same, but I think it's more natural.  We had a lot of ad libbing on the set, and it's a pretty natural movie.  It's how people hang out today, even though it was back in the seventies, I think people hang out the same way.  But I think there is a little Dazed and Confused in there, sure.

DMBkarma981: How did you get into show business?

Andrews: I came out here from Florida.  I was living in my van with my dad.  We were broke.  I decided to audition for an agent in the paper, and she took me in and I started going on calls.  And it worked out.

Creek_22: Do you come from a big family?

Andrews: No, I'm an only child.

JenniferNY77: How has your life changed since you began acting?

Andrews: Well, it hasn't changed that much.  I live in a trailer park now, so from a van to a trailer.  It gives me freedom to do what I want to do, like direct my own little stuff.  I can afford to do that, and I can edit my own little documentaries, things like that.  My documentary is about an old alcoholic that lives next to me in my trailer park. It's called Flamenco Sketches.

GwenElizabeth: I've never heard about you.  What other movies have you been in?

Andrews: I was in Independence Day, Unstrung Heroes, and I had a small part in Drew Barrymore's film Never Been Kissed.  I played this guy in a math group.  All my scenes were with Drew and Leelee Sobieski.

a_cherrybomb: Was it complete chaos during the actual concert scene of the movie?

Andrews: No.  We were surrounded by a lot of fans, but we had our own section in the middle where it was pretty calm and we could walk in and out.

jmncs71: Do you have a girlfriend?

Andrews: No.

a_cherrybomb: Do you think that younger audiences that never lived through that era will miss a lot of the humor?

Andrews: No.  I think the same things that were going on then are still going on now.  So whatever it is they can still understand it.

a_cherrybomb: What was it like working with Gene Simmons?

Andrews: We didn't work together, he wasn't on the set at all.  He just left it up to our director to take care of the film.  But I did meet him though.  He's a cool guy.

homeone83: Did you like this character?

Andrews: I do.  It was easy to play.  It came natural for me, because I was actually just trying to be myself, really. So it came out really good, I think, because of that.

coal111: What part of Florida are you from?

Andrews: Key Largo.

Creek_22: Did you play any sports in high school?

Andrews: No, none.  Never got into it.

_Spanky_1999: What is true love?  (Definition required)

Andrews: True love is ... I'm uninterested in it.

jmncs71: Do you have any advice for an aspiring actress?

Andrews: It's hard, man, I got kind of lucky.  It's kind of a luck game.  Try to get an agent and do your best in calls, and see what happens.  I got kind of thrown into it at a young age.  So I don't remember about how it went.  I got lucky.

orgy_chic_2000: Do you ever get nervous on auditions or something?

Andrews: No.  It's pretty easy for me.  I just go in and do my best in the part and don't worry about who I'm reading it with or anything like that.

Ckyler1621: Do your friends treat you differently?

Andrews: I don't have any friends.  All of my friends are old alcoholics to tell you the truth.  They're not my age.

Ckyler1621: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Andrews: I like to watch films, that's all I do, watch films, foreign films, and go to the beach.

Creek_22: You were so great in Never Been Kissed.  What was it like working with Drew Barrymore and Leelee Sobieski?

Andrews: It was really cool.  Drew is a really down to earth, great person.  I'd love to work with her again.  And the same goes for LeeLee.

Sweeie_4_u_1986: Who are your favorite actors and singers?

Andrews: Favorite actor is a guy named Bruno S.  He's a German actor, who was in a great film called Stroszek. Favorite singer is a guy John Frusciante from the Chili Peppers.

Creek_22: Are you friends with Edward Furlong?

Andrews: We hang out once in a while, I go over to his house or something.

TV Guide: Do you get recognized a lot in public?

Andrews: Not really.  I got recognized in a record store the other night, but it doesn't happen often.

Canman169: Was most of the movie shot in Toronto or Hamilton?  Did you enjoy your experience in Canada?

Andrews: It was shot in Toronto mostly, and I loved it.  I would love to go back.  The only problem was that we did it during winter and it was really cold.  And we did a lot of exterior shots in little T-shirts because it was supposed to be summer in Detroit.  But I loved it though.

soccerbabe_05: Did you go to any clubs in Toronto?  (That's where I'm from)

Andrews: Yes, went to a placed called The Reverb, and I saw a singer named Ron Sexsmith.  It was great.  I loved it.

Creek_22: How much fan mail do you get daily?

Andrews: I don't get it, it goes to my agent.  Maybe thirty a day.

BABY_BOTTOMS: Do you have any favorite scenes in DRC?

Andrews: I liked all the stuff with the disco guys.

kurtsgrl58: Was it hard to make a movie that was based on a time before you were born?

Andrews: Not really, like I said, the same things going on then are still going on now.  People hang out the same ways, still get high, so it wasn't that hard to act.

heart_of_flames_79: If you could star with any actress who would it be?

Andrews: Probably Melanie Lynskey who was in Detroit Rock City.  I had a lot of fun working with her and I have a lot of respect for her.  I think she's great.

a_cherrybomb: Has anyone ever told you, you would make a great young DeeDee Ramone?

Andrews: No, they haven't, but thanks - I guess!

JenniferNY77: If you weren't in the entertainment business, what would you want to do?

Andrews: Nothing.  I 'd want to be homeless.

emilychristine1583: Were you a Kiss fan before making the movie?

Andrews: Yes, I knew all their hit songs, but we got to see them in Buffalo live, and their show was really great.  I got even more into them after seeing the live show.

gidgetgein_666: I heard you play guitar.  If so bass or electric?

Andrews: Electric.

shanashanasha55: Can you relate your life to the movie in any way?

Andrews: Yeah, actually I grew up on tour.  My dad was in a seventies super group, so I grew up around cool roadie types and musician types.  I was around the whole rock scene.

ilbb1: Would you want to make your own movie?

Andrews: Yeah, I just shot this 40-minute long documentary.  And I used cool music from this guy I like named King Clave.  And I plan on marketing it on the internet, actually, so look for that soon.  And the next thing I want to direct is a surf movie, because I'm a big fan of Endless Summer.  It will also be shot on digital.

TV Guide: Thanks for joining us this evening, Giuseppe.  Best of luck with Detroit Rock City and please come back and chat with us again.

Andrews: Thanks a lot guys, please go see the movie and support it.  I'll see you later!

A brief video interview with Giuseppe Andrews and Sam Huntington

An on-line video interview with Giuseppe Andrews

Special thanks to Amy for donating the following transcript from AOL.

Q: What are the downfalls of your profession?

Giuseppe Andrews: Sometimes having to do things I don't want to do. For some people, it's different. Some people can go be a slave, and do all these things people want them to. I can't do that because it's not helping my art get out in any way. I'm trying to just do things I want to do now.

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Online Host: Giuseppe Andrews, known for roles in "Unstrung Heroes," "Never Been Kissed" and "American History X," is here to chat about his latest film, "Detroit Rock City."  Welcome, Giuseppe Andrews.

Question: What attracted you to the role in the film, and are you busy making another film?

Giuseppe Andrews: It's really different than other movies.  It's not as corny.  We did a lot of ad libbing, and there was a real independent feel to this movie.  That's what I liked about it.

Question: What was it like making the movie?

Giuseppe Andrews: It was fun.  It was really long days, and we did a lot of working at night.  The only bad thing was it was so cold, and it was supposed to be summer in Detroit, and we wore a lot of T-shirts, and it was freezing.  After the takes, we'd run over and put on coats.

Question: Did you do your own music?

Giuseppe Andrews: They brought in a punk band that did their own version of the song, but we did a lot of singing.

Question: In real life, which character from "Detroit Rock City" are you most like?

Giuseppe Andrews: Like mine.  Everyone fit their part beautifully.  It's just like how they really are, and how I am, so it was really easy to play.  I did improv for the audition.  I only had to do it one time.  I had worked for New Line on "American History X," so they brought me in and said ad lib.  It was easy and cool.

Question: Are you a KISS fan?

Giuseppe Andrews: I wasn't really before the film.  I had heard their big hits, but we got to see them live during the shoot.  It was a great show, and turned me on to them a little bit, and I went back and bought some albums.  They're really cool.  Gene Simmons was never on set, and he just let Adam do what he wanted and left it up to him.

Question: In "Independence Day," did any of your scenes get cut?  Your character seems to disappear halfway through the film with no explanation.

Giuseppe Andrews: Some scenes got cut, like my whole idea for trying to get into the show.  I had this big thing for that, trying to steal ticket stubs from a kid.  Also, I had this big scene with these dogs, and that all got cut, but not too much.

Question: What was the best part of making "Detroit Rock City"?

Giuseppe Andrews: Getting to work with the people who came in to do bitparts like Melanie Linsky, who played Beth, the girl in the confession booth.  They flew us out to Buffalo to check KISS out, and get into the whole KISS thing, and that was way before shooting.  It was cool.  They had real fans there, so it was kind of inspiring to be around all those screaming nuts.

Question: Who's your favorite actor?

Giuseppe Andrews: There's a guy name Bruno Ess, who is a German actor, and he's my favorite.  He's really great. He's a non-actor, but did a part, and he's so natural and doesn't care about the business, and you see that in his performance.  You see who he is.

Question: Is there a band that you would go any length to see live, as your character did in the film?

Giuseppe Andrews: Well, I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and I'm a huge fan of the guitar player, John Frusciante. To see him would be great.  He did some records on his own and plays with them, too.

Question: Do you like TV or movies better?

Giuseppe Andrews: I like movies more than TV.  TV is really fake.  Movies are too, but TV more so.  Sitcoms... everything's always funny, and everyone's got a joke all the time, and it's so unrealistic.  I've done TV, and it was a nightmare.  I did a sitcom for two years, and I was so down all the time when I left work.  It's one scene at a time for movies, and so memorizing lines is pretty easy.

Question: Are you friends with any of the actors in "Detroit Rock City"?

Giuseppe Andrews: I'm friends with Eddie.  I worked with him on "American history X."  I played his friend, Jason.  I had more scenes that got cut.  I was the skinhead seen at the door, trying to get him to go to a party.  It was a fun shoot.  I know Eddie pretty well.

Question: What was it like working with Eddie Furlong?

Giuseppe Andrews: It's all right.  Everyone comes in and does their scenes and you talk a little bit, but it's like hanging out with anyone else.  I hang out with him now and go over his house and stuff.

Question: What advice do you have for aspiring young actors trying to get into the business?

Giuseppe Andrews: I don't know.  It's so hard.  I was living in my van and needed some money, and auditioned for this agent who I saw an ad in the paper.  I just lucked out.  I started going on calls.  The first thing I did was a hair infomercial.  I started getting a lot of calls after that.

Question: What was the best concert you have ever been to?

Giuseppe Andrews: I saw this guy named Chris Whitley, a local artist from LA, at the Troubadour, and it was really great.  He tore the place up, and so that was the best show I've ever seen.  I go to small shows.  I went to see the Smashing Pumpkins once, and that was great.  Billy's a cool guy.  I liked him. We talked for a while.

Question: What was the hardest part in the movie to film?

Giuseppe Andrews: All the stunt stuff, like going down escalators and all these physical type things.  They were rough for me, because I've never done that stuff before, and I didn't have a stunt double.

Question: What's your opinion on the film industry?

Giuseppe Andrews: What Hollywood has done with all these films is really bad.  I think independent films are great, and should be out there for everyone to see, instead of cramming all this mainstream teen stuff, which is really bad.  I think something to make people think, and not so structured, would be better to be out there.  A film should just be wild and made by wild men.

Question: What role are you most proud of?

Giuseppe Andrews: Probably this one because a lot of my stuff didn't get cut, and I had a lot of control over what I was doing.

Question: Do you have a favorite baseball team?

Giuseppe Andrews: I don't watch sports, so I don't really know the teams names.  I just never got into it.  I was more into watching films and reading.

Question: What are the downfalls of your profession?

Giuseppe Andrews: Sometimes having to do things I don't want to do.  For some people, it's different.  Some people can go be a slave, and do all these things people want them to.  I can't do that because it's not helping my art get out in any way.  I'm trying to just do things I want to do now.

Question: What director would you like to work with and why?

Giuseppe Andrews: I would like to work with Lars Von Trier, who did "Breaking the Waves."  I think he's a great director.

Question: Have you ever thought of directing movies?

Giuseppe Andrews: Yeah, in fact I'm going into edit this film tomorrow.  That's all I want to do, is direct really different kinds of films.  I shot a really different one and had no crew, was working the boom and everything.  It's really cool.  I'm going to try to get it into festivals.   I'd like to do fictional stuff as well.  I'm writing all the time.  The first thing I'd like to do is with no script.  I don't really like scripts.  It's kind of just like, whatever happens, happens.

Question: Did you enjoy working with Drew Barrymore in "Never Been Kissed"?

Giuseppe Andrews: A lot.  Drew's really cool and really nice, and she kind of let me do whatever I wanted to in that part.  I'm talking to her now, and she's producing her own film called "Driving Around With Boys."  I read the script, and it's really good.

Question: I've noticed that you billed yourself as Joey Andrews on some of your work.  Why did you switch to Giuseppe; are you Italian?

Giuseppe Andrews: My dad is Italian.  I went by Joey, you know, it just sounds like a really young name.  I wanted to change that, as I got older, to something a little cooler.  This guy Giuseppe Verde, a composer, he's great, so I just liked that name.

Question: Did you ever want to be in a band?

Giuseppe Andrews: Yeah, I mean, I think it's cool.  I like going to shows and seeing groups up there and having complete control over the audience.  It's a great power they have.  I've thought about it before.  I've played guitar for five years.

Question: What is your favorite article of clothing?

Giuseppe Andrews: Probably this hat.  It's my favorite piece.

Question: Are you single?

Giuseppe Andrews: Yep.

Question: What's your favorite book?

Giuseppe Andrews: Nietzsche's autobiography.  He was a German philosopher.  He wrote this book before he became paralyzed, and I want to do a film about it.  Probably will do it next.  I want to do something about a guy who has titanium legs, and he was so into Nietzsche, he sawed off his legs and stayed home.  Then he gets sick of that so he gets titanium legs and goes out to become a male escort.

Question: How did you like the scene with all the naked ladies?

Giuseppe Andrews: Those were all right.  It was cool.  All those girls were from local strip bars from Toronto.  Our producer got them in.  I think he went there and he talked to them, and they worked something out.  I don't know. LOL!

Question: What are you working on next?

Giuseppe Andrews: I'm doing a remake of The African Queen" starring Ru Paul.  That's my answer.  That's what I tell everyone.

EAMusic1: Thank you, Giuseppe!

Giuseppe Andrews: Thanks.