Evan Rachel Wood Chat
October 15, 2001

TV Guide Online: Tonight we are chatting with Evan Rachel Wood who stars as Jessie on Once and Again. Hi Evan! Thank for coming!
Wood: Hi. Hello everybody.

Question: Will Ed Zwick be back your therapist this year? He was great in front of the camera.

Wood: Yeah. He is definitely going to be back.

Question: Of the cast, who do you hang out with off set, if anybody?
Wood: Well, we don't get a chance to hang out a lot, but probably Meredith who plays my sister. But Billy will have pool parties a lot of times, so we'll go over and hang out.

Question: Are we going to get a storyline about you in school this year? Grace seems to be getting one with that English teacher.
Wood: Oh yeah. Jessie will definitely have a storyline in school. It's not even about school, but it takes place at school.

Question: What are your favorite school subjects?
Wood: Everybody thinks I'm crazy when I say this, but probably Math and Science. I love figuring out how things work. And Math runs in the family. My grandfather and aunt were math geniuses.

Question: What do you think of Jessie's wardrobe? Anything like what you like?
Wood: Oh my gosh. Don't get me started. The first season it was fine. I think the second season, it was totally different than Jessie. My clothes are much brighter. I kept asking why Jessie keeps wearing boring stuff, but it all goes with the storyline.

Question: How much longer are you going to have to share a room this season? I know they said that Eli would move to the garage, but is that going to happen?
Wood: Yes. I'm pretty sure that Jessie is going to move into the attic and Eli is taking the garage.

Question: What music are you into now?
Wood: I'm actually getting really into rock. All my friends are really into rap, so I hated that. But when I'm on my own, my favorite band is No Doubt. I look up to Gwen Stefani. She's my role model.

Question: Do you ever get to check out the books in Booklovers?
Wood: Actually, everybody does. Those are all real books. Sometimes, everybody will go in there and take a book. I'll take them for school, or when I have a break I'll go in and pick out a book to read.

Question: How many hours a week do you have to do school work?
Wood: I'm not sure how much I have to do a week, but everyday I have to do 3 hours. It doesn't sound like a long time, when other kids have 6 hours, but it's 3 hours straight, everyday and on weekends. Even if I go to school, and I'm only there for 20 minutes, they can't count it.

Question: Do Marshall and Ed ever ask you for help about what teenage life is like now?
Wood: Actually, they never have. It's amazing how dead on they are with everything that teenagers are going through. They have children my age. I almost started to tear up one time when I was with them, cause it was just like how I felt. Not the whole anorexic thing, but everything else.

Question: Are Jessie's anorexia issues going to be mentioned this season at all?
Wood: Yeah, yes. I'm pretty sure Jessie is going to still have some problems with it. Now and then you'll see her eat a little bit. I think she's gradually going to get better hopefully.

Question: Did you work on any movies during the hiatus last summer?
Wood: I did actually. I was filming in Salt Lake City, UT. An independent film called The Secret Keeper. I'm not sure when it will be coming out though.

Question: Are you going out with anyone?
Wood: Ohh... No not at the moment. It's a long story, right now I'm so through with boyfriends it's not even funny.

Question: Who would you like to guest star on Once and Again?
Wood: Wow if I had to pick somebody, somebody who would actually do it. That's a tough one. Actually, anybody from the Practice. That's one of me and my mom's favorite shows. We've talked with them and they've been saying they want to guest star on our show.

Question: What are your hobbies?
Wood: My hobbies. I like to swim in my pool. I love to sing. 24/7 I'm probably always singing I just love being a kid, hanging out with my friends, having fun. Playing videogames. We always have something interesting to do.

Question: Do you have any pets?
Wood: I do, on the East coast I have a dog and a cat. And on the west coast, I have 2 other dogs and a hamster.

Question: How did you like working on Practical Magic?
Wood: That was probably one of the funniest sets I've ever been on. It was my first big movie, and it had a lot of special effects. And it was educational as well. It had Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Diane Weist and Stockard Channing. It was a dream come true.

Question: Is Billy's pink thermos going to be on set this year? I know he sneaks it in.
Wood: Actually, I don't know what he's doing with that. I have to remind of him of that. He better sneak it in, cause it's total tradition this year.

Question: What inside jokes should we look for on set this season?
Wood: I'm pretty sure that Jake's Dr. is named Dr. Lerner and Dan Lerner is one of the directors and producer. Last year, another producer made a cameo as a sales person at the record store last year.

Question: Do you have any brothers or sisters of your own?
Wood: I have two older brothers. I'm the baby. One of my brothers is an actor. My brother is actually, going to be on the show.

Question: Will we get to see Patrick Dempsey as your uncle again?
Wood: So far, we haven't seen him, I hope Patrick will be back. We always have so much fun when he's on set. I can't imagine any different people working on the show. It's fun and so playful on set. When you're doing the same scenes all day, we'll make it fun.

Question: How old were you when u started?
Wood: Let me see, I think I made my first appearance on the stage in one of my dad's plays. When I was 4. When I was 5 I did my first movie. It just started after that. I still stayed in the theatre and I was doing movies. I miss theatre so much, I want to do a play so bad. It's been years.

Question: What are some of your favorite authors right now?
Wood: J. R.R. Tolkien. Everybody I know is a really big Lord of the Rings fan. I just forgot how amazing they are.

Question: What has been your favorite episode so far?
Wood: Throughout all the seasons? Probably if we're talking about all the seasons, probably in the first season, we got to do the fairground episode. After every take and during every free break, I was playing the games, and jumping on the trampoline. I think I had the most fun.

Question: What do you think of the new timeslot?
Wood: I think the new timeslot is much better. All my friends are saying I can finally watch the show, cause it's on a weekend. I hope that a lot of teenagers start watching the shows. Not only does it gel with adults, but I think a lot of teenagers can relate to it. Especially now that it's on a weekend, they can probably stay up later

Question: Any interesting guests on the show this season?
Wood: So far, just Eric. He's been a very interesting guest star. Everybody on the show is just hilarious. And Steven Weber. I can't believe how many funny people we have on the show.

Question: What videogames or systems are you into?
Wood: Nintendo 64. Me and all my friends play South Park, and Mario Party 3. The computer cheats.

Question: Do you have a fan club or website or something?
Wood: I don't personally, that I've made, but I know there are a lot of them out there.

Question: Have you guys played any pranks on set?
Wood: I just remember we mess with the continuity on the show. We rearrange the food during dinner. We had breadsticks in a cup, and we kept rearranging them. I can't believe we haven't gotten caught yet. It's hilarious.

Question: If you could do anything with your character, what would you do?
Wood: I want to see one of these days just have Eli and Jessie messing around with the guitar. I'd love to see Jessie singing with her brother. And I'd love to see a bigger bond with Eli and Jessie, cause I have a big bond with my brother. I'd just love to see Eli and Jessie talk more, cause we have a good relationship.

TV Guide Online: Thanks Evan! We had a a great time! Please come again and talk with us SOON!
Wood: Thank you all for coming and I hope you guys had fun, I had fun. Thank you.