MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG ('Jenny'):
Have you ever been just a friend to a group of guys you’d want to hang out with?
No. When I was younger I was a big tomboy. But I have not recently been ‘the guy.’ I have always been, you know, ‘the girl.’ I think it is because I wear the Stiletto shoes and the pointy heels and the tighter jeans. I don't think guys can get into Stilettos and low riders. Or they shouldn't anyway.
Are you finding that now you’ve turned 18 you’re ready to sink your teeth into some meatier roles?
It's very interesting. When you grow up on film, people sometimes have difficulties accepting the fact that you are growing up. They always imagine you younger. But I think with “Eurotrip” and my other independent movie "Mysterious Skin"…
And it doesn’t hurt that they focus on you in your bikini, even in the trailer.
Yeah. Well, I am young. I better show off what I have now (laughing).
Did you think of it as an opportunity to show that you are growing up?
Yeah, in a sense. I wrapped “Buffy” and I always felt on “Buffy” that they wanted to keep me younger for a specific reason. It seemed like I was getting younger every year that I was on the show. I think there was a reference to me being 15, then 14. So this was the next project I chose. I wrapped "Buffy" on April 19, and I was on a plane four days later to Prague. I chose this project because it has sexier moments and it also has adult comedy. I am 18 and that is my comedy.
So were the sexier moments fun for you, but terrifying for your mother?
My mother was there every day of the production. You know what? My mother and I are so close, she really understands the fact that I am 18 and I am maturing. I guess I am not your average 18 year-old. Most people say they talk to me and I sound older. I may look younger but... The sexy moments for me, I wasn't thinking of them as sexy. I was thinking of them as more specific to my character. So it was necessary for my character’s development in the movie, so that's how I played it.
Have any X-rated magazines called you yet?
Oh, I will not be doing any FHM or crazy Maxim magazines. I will leave that to the other actresses in Hollywood who want to shed their clothes because they think that's beneficial to them. I would much rather chose a creative way - like in a movie.
How do you stay in shape?
Right now I am in ice skating training for my next movie. I am Disney's “Ice Princess.” That's their big Christmas movie, so I am training to be a figure skater. I am in ice skating training five days a week, 3 hours a day. I have ballet class every other day for two hours. And for "Six Feet Under", last week there was a sequence where I had to do a whole choreographed dance number, so I had four hours of dance practice every day.
Tell me about filming in Europe. What are your best memories?
I love Europe. I have been to Europe before, but it was my first time in Prague. That was definitely interesting. Four months filming in a foreign country. You know, it is great because you get to learn all about different cultures. I feel so much more enriched. I appreciate so much more what we have here in America. We are very spoiled and we don't realize it. Go there and come back here and it's like, "I love paved concrete!"
Did you have any problems dealing with the food?
The food was interesting. My background is Russian, so cheese and potatoes [are] my love. There was plenty of that. And fried cheese! Imagine a mozzarella stick but in a big square. It is really, really, really good. And really, really, really bad for you (laughing). It's like an artery on a plate. Here is your heart attack right there.
Did it freak you out that people over there recognized you from “Buffy?”
It was very complimentary, actually. I didn't realize how popular “Buffy” was overseas. It is really flattering. I found it very difficult to walk around in the Louvre. I was like, "Why are these people videotaping me?" But it was very sweet. It was very interesting meeting people from all around the world.
PAGE 2: Michelle Trachtenberg on Fame, Romance, and Future Projects
ADDITIONAL "EUROTRIP" RESOURCES:
Interview with "Eurotrip" Stars - Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, and Travis Wester
"Eurotrip" Photo Gallery
"Eurotrip" Trailer, Credits, and Movie News
