Harry here. The following is an interview that Quint, resident sailor here at AICN, did just the other day. Laura Harris is one of the 6 students in THE FACULTY that the film centers around. All 6 kids are the stars of the film. None over another, at least that's how I saw it. Over the course of my adventures on set I found Laura to be one of the most delightful people I've known. When she first came to the house, she instantly set about photographing my room, the backyard (it's not like most) She was fascinated by everything. It is my prediction that she will still millions of geeks fascinations when they see the film. Why? Well, she's just very very good. And if her charisma off camera, is caught on. Wow. Quint completely fell wacky over her. He's currently stalking her. She is afraid, I know it. Below you will find a portrait of a scary fan, a Terminator-geek, someday this will all end in tragedy... or worse, he'll win her over. Then I'll have to kill him cause she's mine all mine I say!!! Anyway, you will find that Quint does go off on tangents, but this is a real live fan, a fan that adores the person he interviews. It really is marvelous to behold. Check it out.
Quint here, this time with an interview with my future wife, Ms.
Laura
Harris, one of the stars of The Faculty. She's got a relatively low profile,
even though she's done a whole bunch of small things, like TV movies and the
such. You might remember her the most from that cheesy, direct to video
flick
called Habitat.
She plays Marybeth, the southern transfer student, in The Faculty.
Believe
me, guys, she's one to watch. She's cute as hell. Just remember, I got
dibbs.
I saw her first!!!!
Anyway, I saw her around set a lot when extra-ing around. I remember
thinking
how cute she was and it became sort of an in-joke with me and my group of
extras, including Sister Satan, that every time I saw her I'd sing that old
'60s love song, Tell Laura I Love Her.
Then I met her at one of Harry's parties. That's when we first
started
talking and flirting. She arrived at the party with fellow cast member, Josh
Hartnett and at about midnight or thereabouts, I decided I wanted to go
home.
She wanted to go back to her hotel, but Josh wanted to stay. Being that he
was
her ride, she asked me if I could drop her off at her hotel. Duh, of course
I
agreed. Josh, after hearing us playfully flirt all night, was kinda
doubtful.
Anyway, Laura and I board the Orca and start small talk as I pull out of
Harry's driveway and start to accelerate down the street when Laura yells,
"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!" really fast. I stop and up runs Josh, now
saying he's ready to go back to the hotel, too. Curses!!!! Foiled again!
I tell Laura it's cool and that next time I'll get her at least
double the
distance, 10 feet. She laughed and kissed me on the cheek. Well, that's when
I
fell hard... in love you sick bastards!
In fact, a buddy of mine got so sick of hearing me talk about Laura
in the
few weeks following, that he made us up a wedding invitation. I guess he
figured that if we got married, I'd stop talking about her. Anyhoo, it goes
something like, "Join the celebration at Our Lady of Low Interest Rates
Church. See the Joining of Quint and 'that blonde girl from the movie that
Quint's in'" I include this here only because it has relevance with a
question
towards the end of the interview. It also helps explain the constant
flirtation that goes on throughout the interview.
Well, that's about all the intro. I think this needs. Be sure to
catch her in
The Faculty and if you happen to bump into her anytime soon, be sure to
"Tell
Laura I Love Her, Tell Laura I Need Her, Tell Laura Not To Cry, My Love For
Her Will Never Dieeeeee!"
Quint: Do you regret doing Habitat?
Laura Harris: No, not at all. The guy who directed it, Rene Daalder,
is a
really wonderful man. Knowing him was worth the experience. I also got to
meet
some really great people like one of my greatest friends in the world, Chris
Holden Reed. I met him on that set. It took me to Montreal and helped me
grow
up a lot. I just got a major culture shock being away from Vancouver over a
long period of time. I never really think of the repercussions or the
results.
What's done is done and I don't regret it. It was fun doing it and good came
out of it, so...
Q: What other acting stuff have you done besides Habitat and
Faculty?
LH: I've done a bunch of television. A lot of things that went
through
Vancouver before I left. It gets pretty tedious. I mean there's only a
certain
amount of television movies you can do. I did at least 10 or twelve of
those.
Then I went to LA... What happened in LA? Oh, yeah, I did a movie
called
Suicide Kings with Christopher Walken. I had a very small part in that. I
went
to New York to shoot a movie called The Scalper with Andy Garcia and Andie
MacDowell and I played an eight month pregnant, heroin addicted scalper
sidekick and Andy Garcia... Next to working on The Faculty, for what I
experienced, ugh, it was just so amazing. Andy Garcia is just beautiful. And
that's coming out... MGM picked that up, that's coming out next year.
Then I went to Europe to shoot a British film called The Manor with
Greta
Scott and Peter O'Toole and that just got finished as well. I don't know
what's going to happen with that. I know it has European distribution, but I
don't know if it has US. Then came The Faculty and here I am.
Q: Remember Annette Kellerman from Harry's parties? She said she saw
you in
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.
LH: I was in that. That was a TV movie that I did. Not the series.
It was
a....
Q: Showtime movie, right?
LH: I got them coming out of my ass. Small parts in television
movies. I'll
be working out in a gym somewhere and all the major stations will be on and
some terrible television movie will come on at like 8 pm and I'll be like
the
best friend of the girl that has an eating disorder. It's so embarrassing.
Q: You also forgot to mention your stint as a featured extra in Stay
Tuned.
LH: Oh, yeah. There's that, too. Plus that soap opera I did on
Nickelodeon
for four years, 15.
Q: Yeah. Everybody on set was all like, "She's the one that was on
15!" At
least all the extras.
LH: My God. They must have been old. I was 12 when I started that.
I'll be 22
in a coupla months. That was a good eight years ago.
Q: How would you describe the plot of The Faculty to somebody who
has no idea
what it's about?
LH: I don't know. Misfit teens gather together and like try to save
the world
from alien domination. Yeah, MISFIT TEENS UNITE AND SAVE THE WORLD!!!!!
Q: That's good enough for me. So how did you get the gig of playing
Marybeth?
LH: Um, I just auditioned. I went in and I taped for Robert
(Rodriguez for
the two people who don't know) and I think I had a call back. I did it again
and again. I guess the ultimate decision was Robert's or Miramax's, I don't
know. They all kinda agreed and it went forward. I don't really have a
miraculous work story, like how I got parts. I started working when I was
five
and it's always been like audition and work. No one found me in a drug store
drinking milk shakes.
Q: Just wait. Pretty soon they'll be coming to you.
LH: Oh, yes. It isn't important as long as I keep getting to
audition and
work I'm pretty happy.
Q: What was your favorite part about being on set of The Faculty,
besides
seeing me everyday, of course?
LH: Besides seeing you, [Quint]. I didn't get to see you every day
at all.
(Laughs all around) Definitely working with Robert. Working with them and
the
crew and the cast, but specifically Robert and his wife (Elizabeth Avallan,
producer) They're so fucking awesome... excuse my language. I'm sorry, this
is
for a high school paper, right?
Q: That's cool, it'll also go up on the site, too.
LH: Oh, no! I hate that!!
Q: Why?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!
LH: Just because I'm a little bit private, like a lot bit private, a
whole
bunch bit private. I don't even mind if it's clean or not, it's just that I
get a little bit freaked out when I think about a lot of people reading what
I've said. I immediately start doubting myself.
Q: So, the best thing was working with Robert.........
LH: Yeah. Just the vibe on the set was so awesome, so positive, so
creative.
It was full of integrity, and there was money backing it. It's like an
independent film with a studio backing. It was the ideal situation for a
set.
Then this man, this gentle, beautiful creature directing everybody so
wonderfully. His beautiful, amazing wife who makes sure everything runs
smoothly. It's kinda neat people to be working with.
Q: That's almost exactly what Elijah said, too.
LH: It wouldn't surprise me if anyone said it. When people ask me
for a sorta
QUINTessential sum up of the experience, I say that I think any one of the
cast members would probably be a grip or work for free on any movie of his
in
the future, just to be able to work with him. That's how inspiring he is.
Not
that being a grip is bad or anything, but you know what I'm saying.
Q: How does the set of The Faculty compare to the other movie sets
you've
been on?
LH: Well, it was the first non-independent movie that I ever worked
on, so
the feeling of money, you know. The catering. It was like a little less
frenzied. Everyone really stayed within the confines of their job.
Everything
was fulfilled. You know what I'm trying to say? Like on an independent film
everyone's doing a bunch of jobs at once and this was like, there's a person
to do every single little thing. It added to the ease. To the flow. It just
flowed really easily. There were no real problems that I recall.
Just the attitude on the set because the tone that Robert sets is
so...
what's the word?... he just has a lot of grace and ease. Everyone wanted to
be there. Everyone wanted to tell the story. Everyone wanted to contribute
to
the good time of it all. There was no bullshit, which was nice.
I think the money stresses on independents put more strain on the
set. It's
not like I had to put up with any bullshit on any other set, but there was
just more of a strain, more pressure.
Q: How do you think it'll turn out?
LH: I have no idea. Again, like I think about the process. I have no
idea. I
trust Robert completely that it'll be a really entertaining movie. I mean,
to
the Nth degree of entertainment. I have complete trust.
I've never liked horror movies and when I saw From Dusk 'Till Dawn,
I didn't
know what it was about. I had no idea. I had no idea that they turn into
vampires. I thought it was a movie with some really great actors that I
liked
in it, so I just went to see it. It was the first movie that I've seen with
much violence and monsters or vampires or whatever that I sat there and
believed. That to me is like a really incredible accomplishment. It's really
hard for me to suspend disbelief in situations like that. I don't want to
suspend disbelief. I just to not believe it. I want to say, "Fuck this. This
does not exist. Don't come into my psyche, thank you." So I totally trust
that
the result will be phenomenal.
Q: So, how do you think this movie will affect your career?
LH: It honestly doesn't matter. I don't think about it. I honestly
don't
think about it. I don't know how it'll affect my career. I don't know that
it
will or won't. I guess any credit on any studio movie that gets a lot of
attention, obviously makes a person's name a little more recognizable, which
I
guess can help in some places. I don't think about it.
It's an ensemble cast. It's not like it's "Robert Rodriguez and
Laura
Harris!" I mean, it's six people doing their thing, so it was more about the
work than about.... I don't care! (Laughs) It honestly doesn't matter to me
how it'll affect my career because I'm just happy to have done it.
Q: Any future projects coming up?
LH: Actually I don't. I'm unemployed... Just trippin' around. I'm
actually
really craving nature right now. I've been in cities for too long. I
couldn't
go outside in Austin. I mean I could go outside, but it was so hot I
couldn't
like have any physical activity there. So, I'm gonna take off to the woods
for
a little while. Just hang out.
Q: That's cool. I'm invited right?
LH: Of course, [Quint]. As always, I'll go to the woods and you can
come find
me.
Q: (Sarcastically) Wow! Thank you! Will you at least tell me what
state it's
in?
LH: (Laughing) No.
Q: Ok. You're laughing now, but that grin's gonna fall off your face
when you
see me sitting on the steps to your log cabin.
LH: Exactly. I'll be like, "What the fuck?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Dude!!!!!!"
Q: You were at most of Harry's parties. What'd you think of them?
LH: What do I think of the parties? Or what do I think of Harry?
Q: Both.
LH: I love them. They're just a really cool way to spend an evening.
Go check
out some 16 mm films and Harry has such a sweet-ass family. His dad and
him...
they're just cool people. Everybody who showed up, all really cool people. I
felt a little.... uh.... film dumb, film ignorant. Really film ignorant
actually. I mean, I normally feel film ignorant, but in that crowd
especially
I was just lost. But it was cool because I got to learn some stuff and I got
to see my first blaxsploitation film.
Q: You'd never seen any blaxsploitation films?!?!?!?!?!?!
LH: Never! We got our first VCR when I was 17 years old and by then
I was
moving out anyway. I might have been 15, but really later on. We didn't get
cable, so we weren't really a movie watching clan.
Q: You poor child!
LH: I guess! I kind of appreciate it now because I have enough
lonely nights
spent renting videos, watching them one after another after another. I had a
free open childhood and I didn't have to worry about that stuff, now I have
to
catch up.
Q: Your nights wouldn't be so lonely if I was there.....
LH: OK! OK! (Laughing)
Q: How would you describe one of Harry's parties to somebody who
wasn't in
the know?
LH: Umm. Just a really casual excellent night of film and friends.
Q: Ok, now. This one is kinda serious. You need to now tell the
world why you
left me standing at the alter 3 pm, June the 12th, 1998, the agreed upon
wedding day.
LH: I'm sorry, baby. I sent the note. You didn't get it?
Q: I didn't get no note!!! That's ok. I forgive you.
LH: July 12th, huh?
Q: JUNE 12!!!! You have the only invite, remember?
LH: I knew it was a "J."
Q: (Sarcastically) That makes me feel better! Tease.
LH: (Laughing really hard).
Q: Ok. For all those AICN fans who don't know me, Quint, personally,
how
would you describe me to them?
LH: An adorable high school guy, who, ah... who should... ah... Let
me think.
Girls look out that's all I got to say. (Laughs)
Q: That's cool. I'm gonna like put that on a resume somewhere.
LH: (Laughing) Watch out for this bad boy!
Q: Alright. What's your favorite dirty joke?
LH: I have a pretty good joke actually. Ok... My friend Chris Martin
tole me
this joke and his dad told him, so I have to say that before I tell it. I
don't want to take credit for it.
There's this gorilla and he's really, really, really horny. He
really has to
get laid. And he's looking around and there's no female gorillas around, so
he's just walking around the forest. His hard-on is just fuckin' ripping him
up. He's blue-ballin' it all the way through the forest until he sees this
lion bending over to get a drink of water and he just runs up behind the
lion
and fucking nails him up the ass, gets off and runs away. The lion is all,
"What!?!?!?" So he turns around and starts running after the fucking
gorilla.
The gorilla is like running really fast. He's looking through the trees,
looking for a place to get away, to escape, but he can't find one. There are
no trees tall enough and the lion's just gonna fucking kick his ass. He's
still a head, though because it took the lion a while to figure out what
went
on.
So the gorilla gets to this human camp, runs into a ten, picks up a
newspaper
and puts it in front of him, puts it in front of his face. The lion runs
into
the tent and says, "Have you seen a gorilla that just passed this way?" And
the gorilla goes, with the newspaper still covering his face, he goes:
(Laughs) Sorry. I always laugh at the punch line before I tell it. And he
goes: "You mean the gorilla that just fucked you up the ass?" And the lion
says, "Oh, no! It's in the papers already!" That's my favorite dirty joke.
Isn't that a good one? I like that one.
Be sure to back and check out my interview with other Faculty cast
member
Elijah Wood that was up on the page back in July.
And feel free to drop me a line at
AICN Quint@aol.com.
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