Zoe Saldana (Kit)
What was the casting process like for this film?
Taryn, being that she lives here in Los Angeles, met with Britney. Britney did her reading with her. I just had to fly from New York and put myself on tape. By the time I got the film - I met Britney after the contract was already done and I had signed. There was no turning back.
Have you been hanging out with Britney?
To be honest with you, if her album wasn't going to be released right after we wrapped the film, we would have had more time. We have been playing phone tag. Taryn and I and Anson have had the opportunity to hang out more. But by the time we wrapped, Britney was just getting off of one project and jumping into another. It was impossible for us to just hang out.
Did you all stick together during the filming?
Sometimes we would just wrap for the day, and keep driving with our make-up on. Sometimes even in the outfits we were wearing. We'd go into New Orleans and hang out.
The three girls all have key scenes and key lines in the film. Were you happy with your character's involvement in scenes?
Tamra Davis and the editor, Melissa (Kent), guaranteed us from the beginning that they were going to be as truthful to the script as possible, and give every story its justice. I think Britney also wanted it to be that way; she didn't want a film about Britney Spears. She just wanted to do a film about friendship. I think that the staff - like Tamra the director, and Melissa, and (producer) Ann Carli - are highly responsible for that and for that, I'm eternally grateful.
Did you point out things in the script that teenagers might not say or do?
Every time an adult is going to write something for a teenager and you don't have, physically, a person who is that, you are always going to be a little off. They were very open and that caught me by surprise.
Taryn said that there was a scene at the hotel where the three girls flash, but that it was cut from the finished film. Why do you think it was cut?
They just didn't understand what the purpose of it was. It was not to just go over with the exposure. It was about when you are together and you seal something, and you re-bond something that has been lost. You sometimes do something to restart it. It was a together thing. Us flashing would have meant something like us cutting our fingers and uniting them. I think people do that.
Was there much singing on the set?
They (Taryn and Britney) were always singing on the set. The great thing was that Taryn had her CD - her demo tape - and we would always listen to it and I would always ask her to sing my favorite song, which is “Wasting My Time.” You guys will have the privilege of listening to that this summer. Her album is awesome.
Do you think the movie skirts the rape issue by never calling it a rape?
I think that it was very much out there and sometimes you don't need a label in order for you to know what it's about. Sometimes I think we are too caught up with a title, and not caught up with the whole message. I think it was purposely intended to be that way. Had we set about that it's about rape, I think we would have lost half of its audience. Because certain people just consider not talking about an issue, actually solving the issue. It was just a way of like promoting the film in order for people just to see it and not be completely shut off just to know, from the beginning, that we are going to be dealing with the rape issue here.
What is “Drumline?”
That's the film I just finished for Fox. It's directed by Charles Stone III and it's basically about the drum bands in the South - you know, the football teams from the colleges? It's really awesome and it's co-produced by Dallas Austin, the big music producer. It's partially about his life and it's going to be a really big film. We are really excited. Jive Records is doing the soundtrack as of yesterday, and I'm really excited about that.
