Issue Date: Jan. 20, 2002
West, young man
SHANE WEST has a lot of experience as a teenager. On TV, he's hunky Eli, the teen son in ABC's "Once and Again." Next week, in the movie "A Walk to Remember," the 23-year-old actor plays a high school jock who falls for a plain Jane (de-glammed pop star Mandy Moore), then tries to hide it from his too-cool friends. We spoke with him:
Q: What were you like as a teen?
A: From seventh to 10th grade, I had two friends. In 10th grade, an older girl [a junior] who was popular developed a crush on me, so I was able to join that popular group.
Q: So love delivered you into the "in" crowd?
A: My nickname was Hopeless Romantic. But where I naturally fit is by myself.
Q: How can you tell if someone likes you for just you?
A: I don't like people who are unfair to others, who might treat my friends differently than me.
Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?
A: I have three weird knacks: People just open up to me, and animals and kids [gravitate toward] me whether I'm looking at them or not!
Q: How long can you go on playing a teenager?
A: I have a young face. Ičm not going to be able to suddenly play the love interest to Charlize Theron, even though shečs only a couple years older than me.
Q: But you did get to play opposite a pop star! ...Youčre in a band. Why is it called An Average Joe?
A: It's a term I felt fit a pop-punk band who are just a bunch of normal dudes.
Q: So is the music pop like Mandy's?
A: It's the antithesis. Wečre definitely on the rock side. In fact, my band used to kid me about doing a film with Mandy.
Q: But wouldnčt you want her fans and level
of fame as a musician?
A: Yeah! And ... I think she did a very good job in the movie.
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