Interview with Julia Stiles 

I had a date with Julia Stiles. I wasn't sure how to feel... I wasn't nervous, but there was a bit of an uneasy feeling. She had told me to meet her on MacDougal St. in between King and Prince St. at café Le Gamin

I took the Subway to the Houston St. stop Then walked down W. Houston towards the territory that I was familiar with, Bleecker St. After checking out Bannana Republic, I proceeded over to MacDougal St. And then found, Le Gamin, the little green place.

It was Seven o'clock... The time we were supposed to meet. The seconds were long, I had met many celebrities before, why should I care? I was just going to interview her. At 7:05, I saw what had to be Julia Stiles walking down the street. I picked up my backpack, walked towards her, and before I could say anything she uttered "so you're Ezra."

She asked me if it would be okay if we could run a quick errand first, what was I going to say, no? We went and picked up an object which for her sake will remain unnamed, while talking about Kiss Me Kate, grandmothers, smoking, clubs, and Eminem. While walking down MacDougal, a man followed us giving us his best Rodney Dangerfield impression. It was pretty good... I offered him a buck if he could tell me Rodney's real name. He couldn't. Julia gave him a dollar while I proceeded to inform the guy that Rodney's real name was Jacob Cohen. When we got back to Le Gamin, the place was packed, so we walked around trying to find another place. We decided on a carry-out Thai place that she had never been to before. She got a Thai Salad and a lemonade looking iced tea while I stuck with rice and two bottles of water. I would go on to inform her that I live on rice on water. We talked politics, Gore and Bush and she delighted me by affirming her choice in Gore, while I explained to her that everything bad Gore said, really wasn't his fault. We decided to eat in a little park area, and right before we sat down, she informed me "I have to pee." It was a good thing because I did too. Finding a bathroom on the streets of Soho is not very easy as some of you may know, but she sweet-talked, well new-york-talked (meaning she pushed the guy aside) and so we used their two bathrooms, separately of course. We then proceeded back to the park where we sat down at a table, and started the interview. I promised her that although I might write an article, an entire transcript would be provided, so that nothing would be taken out of context, one of her pet peeves.

As for you, the reader, I informed her that I would give her a "warm up" to my interview. I do for almost all long interviews, something to get the mind moving, and something that expresses my silly personality.

Ezra: My name is blank.

Julia: My name is blank?

Ezra: Yes.

Julia: Julia. No that's boring. Why're you...

Ezra: Allright.

Julia: My name is Slim Shady, I dunno... (laughs)

Ezra: True/False, I have a middle name.

Julia: True.

Ezra: My middle name is blank.

Julia: O'Hara.

Ezra: Alright. True/False, I live in New York.

Julia: True.

Ezra: True/False, the café we were planning to eat at is your favorite café.

Julia: umm... false.

Ezra: True/False, I would rather be somewhere else right now.

Julia: False.

Ezra: Alright, thanks, well that kills the follow up question. True/False, I am currently dining with the most handsome and charming fifteen year old... in the café if we were going to be eating in the café.

Julia: (laughing and enthusiastic) True.

Ezra: Follow up, true/false, I am currently dining with the most handsome and charming fifteen year old on the street.

Julia: Umm... I dunno... that kid might be fifteen... I dunno...

Ezra: Him? He looks like a punkass druggie little fucker.

Julia: I would say true because most of these guys are not fifteen.

Ezra: Thanks. I'm not gonna...

Julia: Come on, I'm not gonna say false, what're you talking about.

Ezra: Alright, umm... true/false, I am currently dining with the most handsome and charming fifteen year old in New York.

Julia: So now this is turning into an interview about my opinions of you.

Ezra: Just trust me on this one.

Julia: Okay, New York,... no, I have a cousin who's hot, sorry.

Ezra: It's allright. I think Kat Stratford is, insert your favorite adjective... or an adjective.

Julia: Free spirited.

Ezra: Alright, at this point in time if forced to choose between one or the other, I would rather be an adult or a teenager?

Julia: A teenager.

Ezra: True/False, the previous question was grammatically correct?

Julia: (laughing) can you repeat the previous question?

Ezra: At this point in time, if forced to choose, I would rather be a teenager or an adult?

Julia: It's grammatically correct.

Ezra: Incorrect. True/False, the previous...

Julia: So I was wrong?

Ezra: Yes. True/False, the previous question was stated in a grammatically correct syntax?

Julia: What?! I've completely lost track of you!

Ezra: Good, that's the whole point. The United States President during World War I was?

Julia: (cracking up) Oh my god... oh no. Umm... Umm... Umm...

Ezra: His name's kind of similar to bratworst... well not really...

Julia: Well, that just threw me off... I just need to get the chronological order correct.

Ezra: Okay, well here's a hint... World War is "WW", the initials of the...

Julia: Woodrow Wilson. Yeah, thanks, so that was basically, you're dumb so I'm gonna give you the answer.

Ezra: no...

Julia: No!! You didn't give me a chance, I have to put it in order, like if, I have...

Ezra: Okay, then we'll do World War II.

Julia: Okay.

Ezra: We're doing the heat of World War II, none of that Yalta Conference crap.

Julia: Umm... wait... Truman... was the Yalta conference one. So, who was before Truman.

Ezra: You know this.

Julia: Was it... (mouthing)

Ezra: No.

Julia: Yeah I do know this, y'know, you just caught me off guard. Before Truman was... Eisenhower!

Ezra: No.

Julia: Yeah, he had to leave office...

Ezra: Because he... DIED!!!

Julia: Roosevelt!

Ezra: I would rather have Al Gore or George Bush as my boyfriend.

Julia: As my boyfriend? Uch... Actually, Al Gore. Did you see the New York Times where there was a photo booth picture of Tipper Gore and him in college, and in the last picture she's going like this and necking with him.

Ezra: Oh really?

Julia: Yeah, so I mean I guess he looks kind of exciting.

Ezra: Alright, here's my giddy-up question...

Julia: I can't believe it!

Ezra: What?

Julia: I've been out of school for a year, okay, you can't ask me American History questions.

Ezra: (laughing) Fine, okay, here's my question and I don't think I can possibly lose on this one... I would rather have Bill Clinton or Ezra Galston as my boyfriend.

Julia: Bill Clinton's kind of kinky, I don't know...

Ezra: Yeah, he is kind of kinky, but then again he's going to cheat on you.

Julia: Yeah, you're right, I would rather have Ezra Galston as my boyfriend.

Ezra: Allright, sweet.

Julia: Because Al Gore, y'know... I mean Bill Clinton has pretty bad taste, Jesus...

Ezra: Well, I dunno...

Julia: (laughing) oh really?!

Ezra: (laughing) we'll get to that later... The last time you kissed a guy was.

Julia: Umm... Today is Wednesday... umm... Monday.

Ezra: The last time you kissed your boyfriend... before... breaking up, shit that doesn't work. I was trying to trap you there. Moving on, okay, word association. Allright, you just have to...

Julia: You know this is the best interview that I've ever had, you know the most intelligent interview that I've ever had.

Woman on street: May I borrow your pen for a second?

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: I didn't do too bad on the American History questions...

Ezra: No, I'll give you more.

Woman to man: Alright, I'm writing down my number here...

Ezra: (whispering) 1-900-Tit-Sex...

Julia: (laughing) right...

Woman: Alright, here's your pen back.

Ezra: Thanks. Okay, word association. What's the story.

Julia: Morning glory.

Ezra: Fuck you.

Julia: Fuck you harder. No, it has to be one word.

Ezra: No, no, it can be a phrase or whatever that you associate.

Julia: Fuck your mother.

Ezra: Allright, here's my follow up to that... existing in the first place.

Julia: Umm... Ani Difranco...

Ezra: But what would you associate with that?

Julia: There's a line in one of her songs that goes... fuck you in your untouchable face.

Ezra: Good, right.

Julia: But, see, you expected me to immediately say in your untouchable face... fuck you for existing in the first place.

Ezra: Right, that was the idea. Now we're going to kind of complete the phrase a little bit... the phrase is actually going to generally be a line from a song.

Julia: Okay.

Ezra: Oops... I

Julia: Did it again.

Ezra: Now I know why you...

Julia: Now I know why you...

Ezra: Limp Bizkit...

Julia: I don't know Limp Bizkit, sorry.

Ezra: The answer is Now I know why you want to hate me. Hit me.

Julia: Baby one more time.

Ezra: Very good. I'm a geenie.

Julia: In a bottle baby.

Ezra: It's all for da...

Julia: It's all for da?

Ezra: It's all for the... Limp Bizkit, this is the toughest one on here...

Julia: It's not, It's all about the benjamins... It's all for da nookie? No.

Ezra: Yeah! There go! That's good... wow... I didn't think you were gonna get that one. Okay, how's it gonna

Julia: Be.

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: (singing) Be-eeeeeee

Ezra: Sleep now in the...

Julia: Sleep now in the...

Ezra: (singing) I am the nina, the pinta, the santa maria, the noose and the rapist, the fields overseer.

Julia: Oh, that's Rage Against the Machine!

Ezra: Good! Yeah, I saw them live too... 90,000 teenagers packed into one stadium...

Julia: They're very angry... getting rid of their angst.

Ezra: They have the coolest guitarist ever.

Julia: What's the line again?

Ezra: Sleep now in the...

Julia: I dunno...

Ezra: The cost of my desire, sleep now in the... it rhymes.

Julia: I dunno... something in the fire.

Ezra: This is the easiest one on here... bye, bye...

Julia: (pause) bye. Yeah, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and N'Sync are so inundated in our heads, we're so inundated with them...

Ezra: That's not so true...

Julia: Well, I mean, unless you're a hermit, you can't not know the words to their songs.

Ezra: Well I didn't know what larger than life was until we had to do it in a capella, but, whatever...

Julia: Maybe I watch too much MTV.

Ezra: Every time I'm down... I'm not sure the words are right actually.

Julia: You're not really giving me enough to go on here.

Ezra: Every time I'm down, you can make it right

Julia: Is that the beatles?

Ezra: No.

Julia: No, that's I'm down.

Ezra: It's backstreet.

Julia: It's a backstreet line? Oh! (singing) everytime I'm down, you can make it right. I don't know... I'm not ashamed that I don't know that though.

Ezra: Good, don't be. The answer: then that makes you larger than life. This is going to be the easiest one for you and I happen to really like the song... fire on each weapons manufacturer while...

Julia: umm... giving head to some republican senator.

Ezra: There ya go. Allright.

Julia: Yeah that is a good song.

Ezra: Yes it is. Now I'm going to move to a real interview now that I've got your brain moving.

Julia: Allright. That was great, you really woke me up. I enjoyed that.

Ezra: You enjoyed that, see.

Julia: Yeah I did, but I wish that I had done better on the American history.

Ezra: Want some more?

Julia: Yeah, but see, we have different types of brains. You seem to remember facts, well the Presidents, I guess you should know that, but umm...

Ezra: Think about it in decades.

Julia: I had a very conceptual history teacher.

Ezra: Allright, what about world history?

Julia: No, no, I'm better at American history.

Ezra: (laughing) Oh I see...

Julia: (laughing) And my whole point in this is to impress you, so...

Ezra: Allright, let's do Business of Strangers first, just because that movie might be cool, I dunno I haven't seen it.

Julia: I think it will be very cool.

Ezra: Allright, Stockard Channing.

Julia: Stockard Channing is great.

[Brief audio check by Ezra]

Ezra: Allright, Stock Channing, she's on the West Wing... What was it like to work with her? What did you learn from her? How good was she? I happen to like her.

Julia: I really like her... I think that we have very similar personalities.

[Ezra spills a clump of rice on the dirty table]

Julia: Don't eat that.

Ezra: Thank you very much, I hadn't figured that out... Julia Goolia...

Julia: (laughs) Umm... cause we're like both sort of reserved in the beginning of making a movie.

Ezra: Shy or reserved?

Julia: Just reserved. And Stockard too, just thinking about assessing the situation, and then she opens up and she has a sense of humor that's, y'know, very similar to mine. But umm...

Ezra: Now the interested thing about Stockard Channing is that I can't call her beautiful, but she's sexy...

Julia: Yes, sexy.

Ezra: How does that play into her personality.

Julia: I think she's really such a strong woman, and she's really umm... not preoccupied with the way that she looks in the way that other actresses are, because they're dependent on it.

Ezra: Yourself included, or are you completely against looks as a way to remain...

Julia: No, I'm not completely against it. I would never use it as my only means of remaining popular, but I'm fully aware of how much of a part of my career -- of any actresses career -- that they be someone you want to watch on screen, so, I'm not afraid of... I don't deny that, but anyway... I think that she's umm... about personality... the other thing that's weird is that she's umm... well, we became really good friends and now I won't see her for another three months until the premiere. I think that she's actually...

Ezra: Actually, I'm going to run with that... screw what you were going to say.

Julia: (laughs) Okay.

Ezra: What's it like not seeing someone for three months, sometimes more after filming a movie? Do you keep in touch?

Julia: Some people I've stayed in touch with. This girl, Rain Phoenix was in O

Ezra: I know Rain Phoenix.

Julia: You know her personally?

Ezra: No, I know of Rain Phoenix.

Julia: Okay. She and I became really good friends on O, and we've kept in touch pretty regularly, as much as... she doesn't live in New York, but she comes to New York a lot though. And I've kept in touch with the people from Ten Things pretty well, but I haven't...

Ezra: Yeah I'd say so! (smiling)

Julia: (laughs) umm... touché.

Ezra: You have to realize, I'm all in this for the fun.

Julia: Yeah.

Ezra: See, I'm allowed to insult you.

Julia: You're allowed to insult me?

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: I dare ya... wait... no.

Ezra: (laughing) I will run with that if you will let me.

Julia: You will run with that?

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: Umm...

Ezra: Actually I won't, because that'll make you angry and you'll never do this again.

Julia: None of this made me angry.

Ezra: Okay, well, shut up. Let's do plot of Business of Strangers - you tried to write it out, and you said it was going to be very long...

Julia: That wasn't an adequate? Ok, whatever.

Ezra: We got to the point where you said quote "I'm fucking with her head" after she's apologized to you. Where does it go from there?

Julia: Well... the first twenty pages of the script and I guess that means the first twenty five minutes or so of the movie are just setting up the situation in the airport hotel. She fires me, she thinks she's going to get fired, she finds out she's been made CEO, we meet again, our flights are canceled, then we meet again in a hotel bar, and she apologizes, and the night ensues and we sort of become friends, and she's intrigued by my personality, because I don't kiss up to her the way I guess many interns would.

Ezra: So are you a bad girl? You know, a punkish girl.

Julia: Umm...

Ezra: You have still the black streaks.

Julia: I wouldn't say bad girl, because that's a weird phrase, but I'm very bold and in your face, and I don't... I think that if all goes well, you won't notice like the tattoos and stuff until later in the movie because I have my suit on and stuff . So we're stuck in this airport hotel and we... she had been meeting with a headhunter... and I see her talking to the headhunter... and she and him are flirting with each other kind of, so I start crying sort of in the bathroom and she comes in and asks what's wrong, and I tell her that he raped a friend of mine in college.

Ezra: Is that true?

Julia: Just wait a minute. We decided to get revenge on him. [From this point forward, Julia certifiably ruins the movie for Ezra giving him spoilers that are removed for the readers sake.] It brings up a lot of issues between men and women [Julia continues to spoil the movie!] And that's the climax of the movie.

Ezra: Well, thanks... bitch...

Julia: Oops... sorry, well it's really not. Actually, it's probably going to be one of those movies that's more interesting to watch the second time... unless I did a shitty job and then, whatever. Then other stuff happens and I'm not going to tell you about that.

Ezra: Allright, Now on to O,...

Julia: You might not want to put that in actually... I'm just thinking that maybe...

Ezra: Thanks, Goolia, I hadn't realized that yet.

Julia: Oh, okay.

[Some group of assholes in the park blasts loud music... it sucks too]

Ezra: Dumb fuck, shitfaced assholes...

Julia: Do you want to go over there and tell them to turn it down?

[Ezra looks at group of four 6'5", 230 pound thugs]

Ezra: Umm... no... no...

Julia: (laughs) right.

Ezra: Okay, so O which is now One, is that correct?

Julia: No.

Ezra: O is still O?

Julia: Yeah.

Ezra: Was O going to be One?

Julia: They had a fight with Miramax about that. Miramax wanted to name it O and the directors and producers wanted it to be One, no wait... Miramax wanted it to be One, and the directors and producers wanted it to be O

[Ezra gets pissed off at music]

Julia: You're not...

Ezra: I heard exactly what you said, I'm still paying attention to you. You know, the sad thing is that the music really sucks too. I mean if it was decent.

Julia: Yeah, I mean, can you imagine them blasting Bob Dylan, that'd be pretty funny.

Ezra: (singing) Here's the story...

Julia: Yeah, yeah, y'know

Ezra: Allright, umm...

Julia: Maybe they're trying to start a fight.

Ezra: Really?

Julia: Yeah, so keep going.

Ezra: Ok, so what do I want to go to?

Julia: O, the One, thing.

Ezra: You know what, I did have a follow up on that. Which movie company do you hate most? Do they affect your life? Do you ever get pissed off at some of them if they make a decision that you don't like?

Julia: Umm... no, I mean, I have a lot of respect for the businessmen in this business. Even though they may not have the same kind of take that I do, they think that they're pretty smart in terms of knowing how to manipulate a market.

Ezra: Though sometimes not... Battlefield Earth

Julia: Yeah, there are some times where they think that their audience is really stupid which they shouldn't -- Down To You case in point

Ezra: By the way, you ought to be thrilled that the entire message board community thinks that Battlefield Earth was far worse than Down To You. Actually the Washington Post, one of my favorite reviewers, gave Battlefield Earth a review which had the line "a thousand monkeys typing at a typewriter for 100 years, couldn't come up with anything as bad as this"

Julia: Yet they could come up with Hamlet, that doesn't make any sense... isn't that the theory of the thousand monkeys... yeah, that's what the theory of the monkeys is.

Ezra: Yeah, right.

Julia: That if you have three monkeys, that doesn't really make any sense, he's just trying to sound smart.

Ezra: It was a funny line though. Umm... let's see... oh, fuck me, I can't do that to you.

Julia: What the Joseph Gordon Levitt question?

Ezra: Yeah, it's...

Julia: What, you skipped over Save the Last Dance!

Ezra: Well, because I wanted to move to something else and then come back. Yeah, we can do Save the Last Dance, whatever.

Julia: Actually, we never finished O.

Ezra: You have to realize I'm a very quirky, whatever, okay let's go back to O, because you want to do O.

Julia: I'm very proud of O, that's why.

Ezra: Very proud of O.

Julia: I saw O, the other day.

Ezra: Josh Hartnett, uh-huh!

Julia: Yes, he's very attractive.

Ezra: True/False, Josh Hartnett is more attractive than Ezra Galston.

Julia: (laughs) umm...

Ezra: Fuck, oh well...

Julia: Well, you know attractive is a broad term.

Ezra: Yes it is a broad term.

Julia: And it doesn't necessarily mean physically attractive and it also doesn't mean, uh, emotionally attractive...

Ezra: To O.

Julia: Yes, I'm very proud of O.

Ezra: Tell me why you are very proud of O.

Julia: Umm... I think it's a really good movie... it's really... I think it will really be very thought provoking, it's very timely with the school shootings, it's very intelligent.

Ezra: So is it about a school shooting?

Julia: No, but it brings up issues...

Ezra: Does it focus around violence in schools.

Julia: No, it...

Ezra: Allright, I'm oh-for-two.

Julia: No, I mean, by the end it gets pretty violent, it stays true to the play in that everything is manipulative.

Ezra: Ok, well, I am to Shakespeare what you are to American History... so let's quickly run through the play.

Julia: Okay... Whoa... Like I am with American History?! I'm not that bad at American History, I'd have you know that I did really well in American History in High School, and my grades...

Ezra: (laughing) look, I told you I was going to take some cheap shots.

Julia: Ok, well, I'm just going to defend myself, because

Ezra: Okay, feel free, feel free

Julia: You didn't give me a second, and I did get the answers right eventually.

Ezra: That's true. Okay, so Othello, Othello... you're dating Othello and his best friend gets jealous maybe, and says that you cheated on him.

Julia: No, there's the whole plot that Iago is trying to see... that he's composing the undoing of Othello, and he gets everyone else involved without them knowing it. Like Roger or Rodrigo in the play has a crush on me. And he gets Roger to doing all his dirty work making Roger think that he's going to help...

Ezra: What's the dirty work?

Julia: Like, he sets up a situation to make Othello think that I'm cheating on him, because we're, like, in love with each other.

Ezra: So I was sort of right.

Julia: Yeah, yeah... umm... do I have a point?

Ezra: I don't know, do you?

Julia: No.

Ezra: (laughs) Okay, a while ago, we were at "why I'm proud of O."

Julia: Oh right, well, I just think that it's very well done, it's a beautiful movie, it deals with teenagers and various issues about teenagers in the most realistic way I've ever seen. And then you also have the plot of Othello which deals with trust and betrayal and all that stuff very well, too... in case you're not interested what teenagers are going through, I guess.

Ezra: Here's a question about this that I can also associate with Hamlet ... A lot of responses... well not a lot, but I got some responses from Hamlet which was essentially "the fuck gives Almerdeya... " How do you pronounce his name?

Julia: Almereyda

Ezra: Almereyda the right to go screwing with the bard's language?

Julia: Who said that?

Ezra: Actually, my very pompous ass friend.

Julia: I would say that that's very pompous ass, and I'm not afraid to say that even if your friend's going to hear this. Because I just totally disagree... I think Michael did a really interesting job with Hamlet actually.

Ezra: I personally loved it, and my friend of course decided not to see the movie before making this judgment. His main criticism was that what he read in the review said that because of the change in the script -- no words were actually changed -- but some was left out, scenes were changed...

Julia: Visuals tell you a lot.

Ezra: Yeah, so that Hamlet became a weaker Hamlet as opposed to a very princely Hamlet.

Julia: Okay, weaker in the sense that he couldn't make up his mind? How is he weaker?

Ezra: I dunno, forget it, I disagreed with the opinion... now how does that play into O? What is different about O from original Shakespeare? I read before that it was completely updated language wise, I think...

Julia: Well, the language is updated, so obviously there's going to be someone out there who has read the play and interprets one line, y'know, wouldn't translate the line specifically that way of whatever. But we rehearsed with the play, each scene corresponds with a scene in the play.

Ezra: Really...

Julia: Yeah, so it's like a lot more of a true adaptation than Taming of the Shrew, I mean 10 Things I Hate About You.

Ezra: Okay, would you ever dare doing a Shakespeare movie without actually reading the play first?

Julia: Dare to do a Shakespeare movie without actually reading the play? I don't know why I would do that. I mean I don't think that would be smart...

Ezra: Allright, you are correct... So, we are going to do some quotes and you're going to tell me exactly what you were thinking when you said that quote.

Julia: Okay, if I can remember, all right.

Ezra: This is somewhat recent, Manhattan File Magazine

Julia: Okay.

Ezra: It seems that once actors becomes superstars it's harder for them to those themselves. The scary thing for an actor -- I know it is for me -- is to let fame go to your head.

Julia: Ok, well I was actually thinking two things.

Ezra: Right, I see two things in there... one of which is.. actually from Catcher in the Rye which is my favorite book, Holden has a line in there which is, he says, have you read Catcher in the Rye?

Julia: Mm-hmm.

Ezra: He's watching a play and he thinks that the person is doing a good job, but he says that he can tell that they know that they're already a superstar and they're acting like it.

Julia: Yeah, that's exactly it.

Ezra: So that's one of the things you're getting at?

Julia: Yeah, I think that even if someone starts out as being a good actor, it's really hard for them to once they get more well known or recognition for that sort of first performance, it becomes harder for them once they are affected by celebrity to be a good actor because they can't get away from their own vanity, you know. And I'm not trying to insult anybody by saying that, but I know like for myself, it's really hard to maintain any sort of sense of being a normal person when you're constantly inundated with people... It's like, it's as if you're being surrounded by a mirror or the people surrounding you are holding up a mirror to yourself and everyone's focus all around you is you, and if you're very self-absorbed you won't make a good actor, because you're supposed to be focusing on other people, because you're playing other people. And the second part of that, umm...

Ezra: Would you like the quote again?

Julia: Yeah.

Ezra: It seems that once actors becomes superstars it's harder for them to those themselves. The scary thing for an actor -- I know it is for me -- is to let fame go to your head. I mean is the second part just about the fame issue.

Julia: Yeah, I mean it's just hard to not think real highly of yourself, like you're doing the most important thing in the world, when you're kind of gonna get smaller and smaller if you let it. The thing about super stardom is that there are people who are into, they get more and more for their own personality as opposed to being an actor, and that's like the epitome of being a celebrity. And I think people are not as open when they see them on screen to transforming. For instance, I did notice that after Down To You came out, people were expecting me to be like Kat, and then Imogen was a completely different character.

Ezra: Right, I haven't seen Down To You, but I finally saw Ten Things like a week ago.

Julia: That's weird, so I don't understand why you have a website called (laughing) julia-stiles.com if you haven't seen, if you hadn't until a week ago seen Ten Things.

Ezra: (laughs) Umm... how about we get back to that at the end. Okay, now this is the fun part... the cool thing about the Internet is that there are a lot of people interacting, everybody has their own idea, and so before this interview, I gave people the option, just like I did last October where people wrote you some questions, and this is somewhat similar, and since you're not writing this it should be somewhat easier, although I do think writing helps you to control your thoughts, maybe it's just me. Okay, some of these are pretty stupid, I mean seriously stupid such as "did you really flash the teacher in Ten Things or were you wearing something underneath" (Julia laughs) and some of them are a little more interesting. Allright, this one sent in by ScottV, what sports are you into and what about them do you enjoy?

Julia: Oh, wow, that's a good question. Should I answer that and then move on? I mean, I'm not writing these down.

Ezra: Answer it.

Julia: Umm... Sports.

Ezra: Now, dammit.

Julia: Oh, otherwise you'll have a bunch of angry Internet friends.

Ezra: Yup, (laughs) although I have no clue who most of these people are.

Julia: It's very appropriate actually, right now, sports because I've just gotten into playing soccer again, and I really, really, love it. I play for a league.

Ezra: What league? Oh wait, don't answer that.

Julia: It's up in the Bronx, but it's a bunch of really tough Irish women in their (Ezra starts cracking up) (Julia laughing) no, no, I'm serious, and they have rogues and everything and they push people.

Ezra: They have what?

Julia: Rogues -- Irish rogues, y'know the accent.

Ezra: Oh, oh.

Julia: They get really aggressive, and they'll check you, and they yell and scream and like we play in the pouring rain.

Ezra: How old are these Irish women?

Julia: Most of them are in their twenties, some are a little bit older.

Ezra: So like no grandmas running around.

Julia: No, no, no, they're in the twenties and they'll be like standing on the sideline smoking cigarettes and they'll like run out of the bar on a Saturday morning right before the game... I just basically told anyone who lives in New York where to find me on a Saturday morning... oh well, anyway... actually the season's over, so...

Ezra: Actually, I think you told me the exact street once

Julia: Oh, well.

Ezra: [Removed]

Julia: No, oh, that's our practices on the weekdays. It's just really wonderful, I'm really into the yang of it.

Ezra: Any other sports?

Julia: Umm... I played basketball for a while, I went to basketball camps and stuff... I used to be really bad and actually anybody who went to Junior High School with me knows that [Ezra points to basketball court behind Julia] Huh? Oh...

Ezra: Play later? Okay, but you're good now.

Julia: I'm better, I'm better.

Ezra: What's your free-throw shooting percentage?

Julia: Well, I'm not a very good free-throw shooter but I get better as I practice... I might not make the first one, but I'll make the second one.

Ezra: Did you watch the playoffs?

Julia: No. Not really, I'm not a big fan of watching... I'll watch it if it's on, but I like watching baseball.

Ezra: (truly surprised) Really?

Julia: Yeah, I'm a big, well not big, but it's always been on in my house. I like the Mets and Yankees (Ezra gets angry). I know technically you're not supposed to like both, but I do.

Ezra: No, no, it's just that I'm from Baltimore and they're the archrival of the Yankees.

Julia: Everyone's the arch-rival of the Yankees.

Ezra: Well, not really, but now Boston I guess...

Julia: Yeah, because the Yankees rock and they've been winning for years and years.

Ezra: No, wait, see... oh damn... well... yeah, damn my Orioles fuckin' suck... ok, so that's about it for sports... actually what do you like better college basketball or pro?

Julia: Umm...

Ezra: Ever watch March Madness?

Julia: No.

Ezra: Even when you were a kid you didn't watch it?

Julia: Nope, but I do like going to the fourth street courts and watching them play there.

Ezra: Ever watch golf?

Julia: No way, I hate golf, I didn't even like playing golf.

Ezra: Oh, so you've played golf. When?

Julia: A couple of years ago with my dad and my grandfather in Cape Cod.

Ezra: No shit, where?

Julia: Welfleet, well Orleans is where we played.

Ezra: Yeah, yeah, I stay right around there... Brewster which is right next to Orleans. Okay, I personally think the next question is kind of stupid, but this guy seems dead-set on it, so I'll ask it.

Julia: Don't blame it on somebody else, you're asking the question.

Ezra: That's true, I am asking the question, good point. From Loganinlove, did you ever do commercials for television, he thinks he saw you in an Applejacks commercial once.

Julia: That was one of the first jobs I had, yeah. That's pretty amazing actually. I don't think... it definitely doesn't run anymore, but one of the very first jobs that I had was an Applejacks commercial.

Ezra: I thought the guy was crazy!

Julia: No, it was embarrassing because people at my school would call me Applejacks, that was like the first job that I had.

Ezra: So you did commercials starting off?

Julia: I never did that many commercials. I auditioned for commercials, like when I was starting to audition a lot, I was never really good and they never wanted to hire me because I was not bubbly enough.

Ezra: That's kind of what they say to me too. I mean I think character wise, so when it comes to commercials...

Julia: You have to act like an idiot.

Ezra: Yeah

Julia: And some people know how to do that.

Ezra: And you know I'm really not all that enthused by chinese food...

Julia: Also, when I was auditioning for commercials I was like thirteen and anyone at thirteen, well not anyone, but most thirteen year olds are angst ridden, so that made me even less bubbly.

Ezra: Alright, this is the question I asked you before sent in by Raver24, did you really flash the teacher in 10 things or were you wearing something underneath?

Julia: Should I make up an interesting provocative answer?

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: Okay.

Ezra: And later that night... we went back to our trailer...

Julia: (laughing) I gave Heath a special little treat that day... umm... I don't want to disappoint him, but I was wearing something underneath.

Ezra: Aww... well isn't that too bad.

Julia: I mean that guy from Empty Nest, he's like, oh never mind.

Ezra: Allright, this one sent in by vengeance/Ben, what is the one thing you hope to do in your career?

Julia: The one thing I hope to do...

Ezra: You have to think of ONE thing.

Julia: I would want to have... I would actually like to write, and star in... write a movie that I am in or have a production company.

Ezra: Thanks for the perfect lead-in, sent in by Hippiechick, latest on Anarchist's Daughter.

Julia: Ok, actually.

Ezra: Why don't you tell me the plot of that, because no one really knows, or is that secret?

Julia: No, it's not. It's about this girl whose grandfather has Alzheimer's disease and she's kind of taking care of him.

Ezra: So, I don't know the name, but when you were thirteen you interviewed somebody with Alzheimer's... is that where you got the idea? Did you learn something? Did you become personally attached to Alzheimer's after that?

Julia: Yeah, the disease really intrigues me, and she... it deals a lot with like what is insanity and she starts experimenting with psychedelic drugs, and, uh...

Ezra: Because she's trying so hard to help her grandfather and nothing works?

Julia: No, because she's a teenager. (laughs)

Ezra: (laughing) oh, allright, I gotcha.

Julia: No, I mean, the thing is that he had raised her all her life and now it's like he's, uh, not able to take care of her anymore and she's too young to be burdened with the responsibility of taking care of him, but she kind of has to. There are lots of elements of King Lear and Cordelia, if you know that... but thing is, what is happening with it...

Ezra: I'll tell you what I know which is that there are three writers, I don't remember their names, one of them is the head of the Ridge Theatre, and what I remember is that everyone is too busy and after Sundance you got a lot of good feedback, but that everyone's too busy to do anything with it

Julia: yeah, that's basically it. We went to Sundance, we got a lot of good feedback, we wanted to change it in sort of a different direction, we met a couple of times with new re-writes, we weren't happy with the re-writes, and then he, Bob, the head of Ridge Theatre went off to do more plays. He got like a commission to do a bunch of plays overseas in Europe at ART, and I was working pretty much non-stop, and Scott was working on another script and we just never got back together again.

Ezra: Who's Scott?

Julia: He's the third writer.

Ezra: And he does?

Julia: He did a movie called The Headhunter's Sister.

Ezra: That never... was that produced?

Julia: It went to Sundance, and I think it might be coming out eventually, anyway, but now I'm kind of over the story, I'm not that interested in it anymore, and it's just been such a long time, but I've been writing other things, thinking about other things.

Ezra: Writing's fun, isn't it?

Julia: It is.

Ezra: Do you enjoy that more than acting?

Julia: No. I mean, uhh...

Ezra: The thing about acting is that you have to be a character, writing you can create one.

Julia: Well you can also look at acting as creating a character too.

Ezra: How so, I mean it's fairly obvious, but...

Julia: Well I mean you can add more than what's on the page, but yeah, sometimes I do get frustrated that it seems you're just taking orders from people, but you're working with good people and you get to be more creative with it.

Ezra: Sent in by Mile11, this is my favorite question that I'm going to give you tonight, would you consider yourself a graham cracker or a French poodle and why.

Julia: A graham cracker or a French poodle, that's not even like in the same category... the College Board would not approve.

Ezra: See, hopefully by now you've picked up that I'm a silly person, so anything serious.

Julia: Okay.

Ezra: is not really in my repertoire.

Julia: Okay... well French poodles kind of gross me out, so I would say a graham cracker.

Ezra: Do you eat graham crackers?

Julia: Uh-huh.

Ezra: Do you enjoy them?

Julia: I do... with chocolate and marshmallows.

Ezra: So what's it called like a smookie or something, no, a smore.

Julia: Are you kidding me?

Ezra: A smore.

Julia: A smores-a.

Ezra: Huh?

Julia: It's not a smore, it's aah smore.

Ezra: Ass more?

Julia: Ass more what? Ass more questions.

Ezra: (weirded out) Allright. What is your family heritage and have you taken or made plans for any trips to visit those areas?

Julia: I am...

Ezra: Somebody told me a while ago what your family heritage was, some guy from Costa Rica.

Julia: Oh some authority, right... someone who worked with me in Costa Rica.

Ezra: Yeah, Habitat for Humanity.

Julia: Who is that? What's his name?

Ezra: I don't remember, Blythe or something.

Julia: That would be his last name.

Ezra: I really don't remember.

Julia: I think he was lying, but... what's his first name?

Ezra: I really don't remember.

Julia: Where did you meet him?

Ezra: He posted something, but it came right at the right time, before you had really disclosed anything about it... it was mildly believable.

Julia: That's interesting, okay.

Ezra: I can see what you tell me and check it to what he said.

Julia: What did he say?

Ezra: Well I don't remember, but... I really ought to know this, but I don't... I generally have a photographic memory, but...

Julia: That's fine, it's not that big of a deal. My heritage is, my dad's side of the family is Irish, my mom's side of the family is Italian and English, so I basically have all the countries in Europe that hate each other (laughs) which doesn't really mean anything about my family, and I have been to Italy, but I have not been to England or Ireland.

Ezra: Where in Italy? Oh shit, that's a question later... some Italian guy named Diego wrote in and asked "has she ever been to Italy," so you've been to Italy.

Julia: I have been to Italy, and I'm about to go to Italy actually.

Ezra: When?

Julia: Next week. I have been to Florence, I saw Tom Waites in Florence, he was wondeful, Rome, and I am going to Milan this week.

Ezra: And Venice?

Julia: I have not been to Venice, but I would love to go.

Ezra: Allright, from JM, favorite Ani DiFranco song?

Julia: Hmm... tough one... Swan dive probably, oooh, oh, it's so hard... Swan Dive or Head Shaped Hat

Ezra: I haven't heard either of those

Julia: Swan dive's on Little Plastic Castle and Head Shaped Hat is on up,up,up,up,up,up... but I don't know actually, because then there's...

Ezra: I like some of her more rockish songs like Anticipate

Julia: Yeah, that's a good song

Ezra: and Names, Dates, Times.

Julia: Yes, oh... Blood in the Boardroom actually, if you're doing, that's from, uhh...

Ezra: I wouldn't know, I like to illegally get things.

Julia: Oh, ok.

Ezra: Do you do bootlegs?

Julia: Bootlegs? Yeah, I just bought the Eminem bootleg.

Ezra: So you're a true New Yorker... even after getting paid money for doing films you would...

Julia: Oh Yeah.

Ezra: Allright.

Julia: Actually, I bought a Dr. Dre album, 2001, on the street for five dollars because I didn't want to support... at that time I didn't like Dr. Dre and I didn't want to support him, but I was kind of intrigued by the album... but I actually kind of like Dr. Dre right now.

Ezra: Well, he did find Eminem.

Julia: Yes, so I thank him for that.

Ezra: Allright...

Julia: But I don't like his, "I want to fuck bad bitches".

[We turn to see a man and his 6-8 year old child sitting right next to him]

Julia: Oh, sorry (Ezra cracking up)

Man: Did you just say sorry to me?

Julia: (laughing) I don't know if you heard that...

Man: I did.

Julia: Okay.

Man: You're forgiven.

Julia: Okay, good, well...

Ezra: Warning, interview not meant for family life... okay, this one's going to be a fun one, because it's sent in by Julia Addict.

Julia: (laughs) okay.

Ezra: If the world as we know it ended yesterday, what would you regret not having done?

Julia: Skydiving... and... going to Cuba.

Ezra: Going to Cuba?

Julia: Yes, I would really like to go to Cuba.

Ezra: You a Fidel Castro fan? He in the same place as Eminem?

Julia: (laughing) No.

Ezra: (laughing) Okay.

Julia: I think Fidel Castro is so sexy... ummm...

Ezra: Yo, that's on tape... (laughing) that's the kind of thing I could take out of context.

Julia: Yeah, I know, really...

Ezra: That's really the perfect out-of-context thing... title: I think Fidel Castro is so sexy.

Julia: And that I could say something about cigars and then you'd really have a gift...

Ezra: I would like Bill Clinton to... well anyway...

Julia: Nope, I didn't say that.

Ezra: Have you read the Starr report?

Julia: No, I haven't... I actually would like to, but I think I'm over it now. I wanted to when it came out, but anyway...

Ezra: So, uhh, skydiving and going to Cuba. What's in Cuba?

Julia: Good music, and beautiful beaches... and I'd like to practice my Spanish... I just think it's interesting.

Ezra: You're a big Spanish person?

Julia: Yeah.

Ezra: And you are taking courses in Latin America at Columbia?

Julia: Well I haven't actually registered yet.

Ezra: But you're trying to become fluent in Spanish?

Julia: Yeah.

Ezra: You there yet?

Julia: Pretty much, like by the end of my Costa Rica trip I was almost fluent.

Ezra: So then you studied in high school?

Julia: Yeah, and my mom speaks Spanish, and we go to Puerto Rico every year... she has friends who live there, and I speak it when I'm there.

Ezra: From MasterC. Aside from acting, do you have other life goals that you want to accomplish?

Julia: Yeah, umm...

Ezra: It's kind of a similar question, but more, like...

Julia: This is more long term... uhh... one of my life goals is to be able to speak Spanish fluently, I would like to own a business, like a socially responsible business if that makes any sense.

Ezra: So like the mob... like a hitman.

Julia: (laughing) Oh yeah, I want to be a hitman... no.

Ezra: I don't know... I mean socially responsible...

[Side 1 of tape ends, tape must be turned]

Julia: Not necessarily a business... more like an organization, like Habitat for Humanity, but I wouldn't mind (laughs) profiting from it. I mean, it's hard to explain... when I went to Costa Rica, I had this idea that... to start a company, maybe a clothing company that has factories in Costa Rica, but the people in the company could have profit share in the company, so eventually they could take it over and it would hopefully start a trend of better business running... Have a production company, that's a life goal.

Ezra: Production company.

Julia: Yeah... have children... maybe not actually...

Ezra: Have you looked into a production company?

Julia: Have I looked into owning... I sort of.

Ezra: I mean, if I want to start a business, I have an idea in my mind of where, what, how I'd like to do it.

Julia: Well I have to learn more about producing before I can do that... I don't know enough about producing right now... But I am slowly learning, and that's more of something that would have to happen after college anyway.

Ezra: Allright... from Elwizard, what type of role/character would you most like to play in a future project?

Julia: I'd love to do a comedy... I know I've said that before.

Ezra: Have any in mind? I just wrote a comedy... it's pretty bad though... it's based on my favorite play... do you know who Moliere is?

Julia: Yeah, Tartuffe.

Ezra: It's based on a play of his called the School for Wives... kind of a sexist play... it's kind of funny.

Julia: Sounds interesting.

Ezra: Not really.

Julia: Sounds typical. (laughs)

Ezra: Screw you.

Julia: I was kidding.

Ezra: Question.

Julia: Oh... after seeing the Ballet today, I thought that I might like to be in a period piece.

Ezra: So you could be the next Gwyneth Paltrow.

Julia: No. I don't want to be the next Gwyneth Paltrow.

Ezra: Don't want to be the next Gwyneth Paltrow.

Julia: No.

Ezra: Did you know that Gwyneth Paltrow is Jewish.

Julia: I didn't know that... she's... I did not know that.

Ezra: So is Catherina Zeta-Jones now, so we're gaining in the world...

Julia: What do you mean you're gaining in the world? Don't you have all the money in the world...

Ezra: (enthusiastically) Yeah! Yeah, we do... actually, yeah.

Julia: So, stop complaining.

Ezra: It's like one percent of the population is controlling eighty percent of Hollywood.

Julia: If not more... yeah eight percent is probably... yeah definitely.

Ezra: I just told the guy back there Rodney Dangerfield was Jacob Cohen... that's his real name...

Julia: Yeah. Umm... Did I answer your question... yeah I guess I did.

Ezra: I have to leave time for the question you don't want to answer... and I do have to be at the Cornell Club, I have no clue where that is, first off.

Julia: Cornell Club?

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: For Cornell university?

Ezra: I don't know... I think it was just founded by the same guy who founded Cornell... it's on like East 44th... is that far away?

Julia: Are you going to take a subway?

Ezra: No, I'm going to take a cab I think.

Julia: Yeah, the traffic's not that bad... it might take you like half an hour.

Ezra: Really?

Julia: Or twenty minutes.

Ezra: Ok, so... what do you want to talk about, about Joseph?

Julia: What do I want to talk about? I don't want to talk about anything about Joseph.

Ezra: So was this a... oh shit...

Julia: You're going to have to ask more specific questions if you're going to get anything out of me .(laughing)

Ezra: Allright... is this a relationship that ended on bad terms?

Julia: Geez... umm... Yes, but we're friends now... if that makes any sense... It was kind of a messy breakup, but we're friends now, and he's going to Columbia this year, so we keep in touch with each other.

Ezra: So he's switching from Harvard to Columbia?

Julia: No, he was never gonna go to Harvard

Ezra: Oh, allright, you two dated for how long?

Julia: A year and a half

Ezra: And you broke up, when?

Julia: November of last... last November... no, no, I'm sorry, it might've been December... it was sort of around November/December.

Ezra: Allright, I have to think about a question I can ask that I can phrase correctly... you know what, this is stupid... I'm not gonna do that, I have too much of a conscience... ok, so you've previously explained your views on pre-marital sex...

Julia: Wait, what you're gonna ask?

Ezra: I'm not gonna do it.

Julia: I won't necessarily answer it, but I'm just curious what...

Ezra: Allright, look, here's my thinking... I'm gonna pull a Who Wants to be a Millionaire and say everything out loud... This is exactly what's going through my brain: anything that I ask you is going to be pretty personal and I would censor anything that I thought was wrong, but I don't want to put you in a situation where one of two things is going to happen... you're going to get pissed at me for asking the question or I would feel uncomfortable knowing the answer

Julia: No, I would just say, "no, I'm not going to answer that," it's allright... it would just be exhibitionist of me to answer these questions, that's my only concern...

Ezra: Ok, here... pretty broad... why did the relationship end?

Julia: I'm not going to answer that.

Ezra: Allright...

Julia: Sorry, I mean you can feel comfortable asking, knowing that I'd be strong enough to say that I'm not gonna answer it.

Ezra: Allright, umm... what were the great things about the relationship?

Julia: Hmm...

Ezra: Ended on bad terms, but I'm sure you can come up with a few...

Julia: No, but I... but see, it didn't really end on bad terms... all breakups are going to be messy [Ezra does something] well you're not really listening to my answer...

Ezra: I am listening, I can do about twenty things at once... you hate this...

Julia: I do... I think that all breakups are messy... it was not great, but we're still friends and I still love him and I think he still loves me, so that's... fine.

Ezra: So you would be willing to try again at Columbia?

Julia: I have no idea. I would be willing to try again, but who knows if it would work out that way... he'd have to still be interested in me, and who knows... you just can't predict something like that. I have a lot of respect for him, I think he's a wonderful guy, I love him very much, but it happened... it was inevitable... it's not like we were gonna get married.

Ezra: Plans on marriage?

Julia: Not for a very long time.

Ezra: Not for a very long time?

Julia: I'm enjoying my youth.

Ezra: Now have you... in your mind have you learned the differentiation between loving someone and being in love?

Julia: No, I don't, what's the difference?

Ezra: It's frankly the most complex question I've ever been asked.

Julia: Oh! I sort of think maybe I know the answer... loving somebody means you can be selfless, but being in love means you like the love that they give you?

Ezra: I'm trying to figure out the best way to explain this... Ok, forget that question. Well, y'know I'm kinda getting tired... so... what do you want to talk about? I'll leave the last ten minutes or whatever, you can just say whatever you want.

Julia: Oh, no!

Ezra: What would you like to be heard?

Julia: Like to be heard... about me, about my opinions?

Ezra: About you, your opinions, whatever

Julia: Umm...

Ezra: By the way, are you against signing autographs too?

Julia: Am I against signing autographs? No... I don't really understand why people like autographs, but maybe like proof that you met someone, I mean I kind of understand it, I've asked other people for their autographs.

Ezra: Well, like my entire life, I've begin against taking pictures and things thinking that I would always be able to remember everything I'd done, but in recent years I've noticed that on some things I just don't remember it all that well, and I kind of like a picture or something, I dunno... just places I've been, or whatever.

Julia: No, no, I understand, like a souvenir or something.

Ezra: It's a souvenir, but in more of a way than y'know buying something from a shop in that you kind of actively participated in your experience, whatever...

Julia: Umm... wow... this is my forum.

Ezra: This is your forum, this is Politically Incorrect without any of the other assholes on the show.

Julia: Well, do I have a topic, or...

Ezra: Golden Seal, I mean what do you want the topic to be.

Julia: (laughs) Nah, I'm sick of that topic, I'm bored with that. Uhh... gee... ok... you kinda need to give me a topic, I would say about my work and about fans and stuff that I would hope that fans appreciate, fans and critics, my intent in making a movie, that I don't really focus on what the end result of making a movie is going to be, more about what my experience is going to be making that movie, so that I will choose a role because I think that it will be an eye-opening experience for me, and it will challenge me and I'll learn something from it and I'll have fun doing it, and, I don't have very much control over how a movie comes out. Umm... that's sort of my career, so just be open to that.

Ezra: I do have another quick question, screw your forum shit.

Julia: Yeah, don't give me a forum.

Ezra: You really don't want a forum...

Julia: Well, I don't have anything to rant about particularly. I do, actually, I just thought of something, but go ahead.

Ezra: Rant.

Julia: No, no, no, go first.

Ezra: Rant.

Julia: Okay, I want to rant about other actresses, not specifically anybody, but, umm... I just think that I feel sometimes like they're fish out of water around other actresses, because most other actresses who are well-know... they seem very weak to me, they seem very prissy almost, and I feel like a lot of times... the message that I get from other people is that they expect me to be that way too, and, I get really upset when I see other actresses whom I thought I had respected, sort of selling out... selling out's not the right term, because that implies that they are achieving some sort of commercial or financial success and I am not opposed to that... I'm just saying, selling out to the, like, sex devil, is what I would call it. I have no problem with actresses being sexy or sexual, but prostituting themselves is I guess what I would say... like I see... I'm not going to name anyone in particular.

Ezra: Is Shakespeare in Love, a sellout movie?

Julia: No, I like that movie. And I don't blame, I don't have any negative feelings towards Gwyneth Paltrow for taking her shirt off in that movie, I think that was a beautiful scene, I'm just saying that to make my point...

Ezra: (devilishly) It was a beautiful scene!!

Julia: (laughing) Umm... I dunno, whatever, I can't really finish that thought, because I don't know why I started on it. See, I even feel a little hesitant to say something like that because I feel...

Ezra: It's on the record.

Julia: No, because I know that there's gonna be boys out there who are gonna be like, "she's such a feminist, and can't she just like... I wanna see some tits," and I know that part of that is what's going to keep me acting for the rest of my life (laughs) so, I can't hate it, you know what I mean.

Ezra: Yeah.

Julia: Ask me the question, because I can't do this anyway.

Ezra: Fucking devil, what was my question... oh right... does it scare you how close people are to you? Now this entire night, nobody's come up to you and asked for your autograph, is that normal?

Julia: Umm... no, today a lot of people did, I had three or four... occasionally people will ask for an autograph, it just depends where I am, and it's happened more recently, umm...

Ezra: Okay, but the fact that, and I don't want to scare you, I mean we've done this before to a certain extent.

Julia: Right.

Ezra: But, like every day people will send in things, where they saw you and when. For instance I can tell you that you wore those exact sandals on Tuesday.

Julia: (laughs) They said she's wearing red sandals?

Ezra: Yes.

Julia: That's so weird... I do notice that when people don't stop me for my autograph, they will stop and do a double-take or something, and then that makes me wonder how many people are noticing or recognizing me.

Ezra: So have you ever looked behind you walking towards your apartment building?

Julia: Sometimes, before... I'll look around to see if anyone's watching me, but I don't usually notice anything, but sometimes I don't think about it, most of the time I don't think about it, that's probably not a safe situation to be in, but I don't mind it that much... so tell me what people have been reporting.

Ezra: Well it's nothing bad, it's just alarming, like I wouldn't want somebody telling somebody else exactly where I was, what metro I took... like this time it was the six train, I think...

Julia: Yeah, oh my god.

Ezra: 2 pm?

Julia: umm...

Ezra: Maybe, I dunno.

Julia: Monday I took the six train, but I might've also on Tuesday.

Ezra: But, y'know that just somewhat alarms me, and you feel it's alarming.

Julia: Well it's only alarming... I mean if someone just said "hey, I saw Julia Stiles on the six train at 2 o'clock" then that's not alarming, but if they say "I saw her on the six train on Tuesday, and last week, and the week before that, and I'm gonna ride the six train and see if she comes on!" then that's a little weird, or if they, if they have any intent to do harm or invade my space then that's scary, but I don't think that anybody does, maybe I'm just being... do you think that I have any cause for concern?

Ezra: Umm... I will be happy to tell you - and I told you the one time that I was a little worried where he said "and I waited outside her building" or whatever or I followed her, I don't remember - If anything serious came up, I mean I would tell that to you.

Julia: I think that If anything serious came up, you probably wouldn't be telling me... but I don't even consider myself like somebody... like an A-star who gets followed, so that's why I'm so unaware of it, but I guess I should be more aware of it, I dunno.

Ezra: Here's my last question: why would you meet with me?

Julia: Who would I meet with you? (laughs) I was asking myself the same question.

Ezra: Somebody that you had never met before in your life.

Julia: Yeah.

Ezra: You had talked to me... you knew a little bit about my personality... you may even find me a little bit annoying at times, but...

Julia: No, what... I mean I asked myself the same question, it seems very exhibitionist of me, which is kind of weird and I don't like that, but...

Ezra: What does exhibitionist mean?

Julia: Like I want people to know things about myself, but, umm... I was intrigued actually, because it is flattering that you guys started a website about me and I can say that confident in my, umm...

Ezra: Comfortable in my staunch groundedness?

Julia: What? No, I wasn't going to say the same thing... that's sort of a knockoff of a phrase from a movie and that's why I use that phrase a lot.

Ezra: Oh okay.

Julia: Anyway... yeah, I can say that knowing that I'm not having a big head about it, umm... so I'm just curious to meet you, and see what kind of person you are, and what kind of a person would take an interest in me, and, I figured why not, I didn't really think about it all that much actually... it's a public place, so if you're a psycho killer I'm okay.

Ezra: Thank you Ms. Julia Stiles

[Tape ends, but seconds later Julia decides she would like to add one thing]

Ezra: Julia's rant continues.

Julia: (laughing) No, it's not a rant... now I'm just thanking the people who do take an interest in my movies, and y'know, I hate to sound like Jennifer Love Hewitt, but I appreciate my fans.

Ezra: (girly voice) and I'm having the time of my life.

Julia: Shutup

Ezra: You like her?

Julia: What?

Ezra: You like her?

Julia: I don't dislike her, but I don't have any interest in her really.

Ezra: I mean I loved her in Party of Five, but I think that she's just... I don't want to use sell-out again, but I think she's sold out to ditziness.

Julia: Oh, okay... see I feel the pressure to sell out to ditziness, but, umm... I hate... you know you hear people going (ditz voice) "and I want to thank my," like Britney Spears type people going (ditz voice) "I love my fans and I want to thank my fans," I'm just saying, I appreciate people coming to see my movies, because that means that I can make more movies.

Ezra: So, you're saying, in all seriousness...

Julia: Yep.

Ezra: You guys are really helping me out.

Julia: Yep.

Ezra: Say it... in all seriousness.

Julia: (laughs) No, I'm not a puppet-dunce, I said it in my own words. (smiling)

Interview with Ezra from julia-stiles.com
Originally published at julia-stiles.com - Posted on June 26, 2000