Amanda Bynes (Hairspray) stars as a fish out of water college freshman who gets booted out of a snotty sorority only to find true friendship with a group of seven dorks in the comedy movie, Sydney White. Why 'seven' dorks you might ask? Because Sydney White is an updated, clever twist on the classic fairy tale Snow White with Bynes as the lovely young women who charm a group of outcasts as well as a handsome prince - or in this case, campus hottie Tyler Prince played by Matt Long (Jack & Bobby).
When you first picked up the script for Sydney White and saw it was a re-telling of a fairy tale, were you immediately attracted to it or did it take some convincing?
“I was attracted to it originally just because I had never seen a live action version of Snow White. I had never done a college movie so it seemed like a really fun movie to be a part of. I just felt lucky that I got to play the Snow White character because that was definitely a wanted role.”
Was Snow White one of your favorite fairy tales as a kid?
“Yes, I was a big fan of Snow White and I thought it will be so cool to play that role and sort of like comic in a way. Sydney White is not supposed to be Snow White; she’s just supposed to be similar.”
Was taking on your first college role something you’d actively been looking to do?
“Well, I thought She’s the Man was close, just because we were supposed to be in a sleepaway high school. Like, it was dorms and stuff so it kind of felt like it was a little older. And then with this movie, I guess it was for sure older because we were in college. It felt right just because I was 20 when I filmed it, and now I’m 21, so it felt like I would be in college if I was doing it. It felt like a good fit.”
You can so easily play even young high school-age roles. Is it strange to see yourself growing up into these more mature roles?
“Yeah, it is. I still think of myself as a young girl, so it definitely is weird to be in college age roles. But with Hairspray I was supposed to be 14, so I don’t really…I figure as long as it’s a quality role, I don’t really care how old she’s supposed to be.”
It never dawned on me you were supposed to be 14 in Hairspray.
“Yeah, we were. It was never said in the movie, but I think in the script somewhere it said when they were describing us that we were 14 - both Nikki [Blonsky’s] character and myself.”
How deep did you have to dig to get in touch with your geek side for Sydney White?
“Not very far (laughing). I really do feel dorky and, for me, I’ve accepted it. There’s another reason I liked the movie because the dorks sort of rule in the end. It shows that you don’t have to conform to any clique or what people tell you is cool in order to have friends or be successful. And so I like that storyline, and that’s definitely how I feel about myself.”
Sydney White’s not just geeky but also a tomboy. How easy was it for you to play that aspect of the character?
“To tell you the truth, I am more feminine than she is. I don’t normally wear jeans. I do like dresses and skirts. I like fashion and makeup, and my character’s supposed to not enjoy any of those things. I have highlights in my hair; she’s supposed to have never dyed her hair. I like all the things that are girlie; it’s a part of what I enjoy. Something I enjoy doing - the upkeep sort of thing, so that was different for me. But hey, it’s a role and that’s why it’s cool because you get to sort of play parts that aren’t yourself. But personality-wise, we are very similar.”
She also has a tendency to ramble on when she’s nervous. Where did that quirk come from? Was it always in the script?
“That’s something that I added to the character. Originally, I wanted my character to be Jewish. I thought it would be funny if it were, even though my character kind of had a Woody Allen streak. So Joe [Nussbaum] said, ‘Well, how about whenever she’s nervous she has that, instead of all the time?’ So that was how we compromised, and that’s why I ramble whenever I’m nervous.”
And working with the seven guys who played the dorks?
“They were so nice and they’re all down to earth. Nobody had an ego so I had a great time working with them. It was so fun. Samm Levine, who I had actually worked with once on What I Like About You - he did a guest starring episode on that - is such a funny guy. Sara Paxton is so talented and did a great job, and Matt Long is such a cute prince and very talented. So it was a great group of people, definitely.”
You had to square off against Sara Paxton who plays the part of an evil sorority girl so well in this movie. I’m sure when the cameras weren’t rolling the relationship wasn’t that adversarial so how hard was it to film those scenes where she’s just verbally having a go at you?
“Well, you know, it’s one of those things where I think she probably channels girls who are mean to her. And for me, when she’s saying those mean things to me it’s very easy to be offended and react. So for me, I really didn’t have to do much (laughing).”
Have you ever wanted to play that type of bitchy character?
“Not really. I haven’t really been drawn to it but if it were to happen…I guess I would definitely, I’d be interested in it.”
Do you ever receive scripts for that sort of role?
“I have received scripts for like thrillers and horror movies, I just haven’t been drawn to them yet. I want to do it when it’s a really original idea.”
Page 2: Amanda Bynes on Positive Messages and Her Clothing Line
