Jewel Staite

Hi Jewel and thank you so much for giving us at SGPnet the chance to have this interview with you. We are very proud about that opportunity, because we know you must be very busy at the moment. You’re making a lot of German Browncoats happy with this interview.

On "Firefly" you played the mechanic Kaylee Frye of the space-ship "Serenity". Kaylee was a sweet little girl with a heart of gold. She was so innocent and adolescent, that she just needed to be protected. She was clever, friendly and always optimistic, and that’s what made Kaylee so likeable.

Thank you, Jewel, for bringing Kaylee to life, for showing us her way of living in this rough and dirty universe and for co-creating one of two parts of a sweet couple that finally got its chance to get together in "Serenity". That must have been a great day for all shippers, when Kaylee and Simon kissed each other.

So, are you ready for the questions? Then let’s go!

SGPnet: How are you today?

Jewel Staite: I’m great, thanks! It’s pouring rain here in Vancouver so I’m holed up in my house with my puppy. Nothing better.

SGPnet: Let’s talk about "Firefly" first. Can you tell us, what is so interesting for you about the "Firefly"-universe Joss Whedon created? And what makes "Firefly" so different from other science-fiction-shows?

JS: The thing that interested me the most was the fact that it was about a family who just happened to live on a space ship. I’ve never seen "Firefly" as a science fiction show; it’s more about the relationships between characters who are from completely different worlds. They’re stuck with each other, they have to count on each other, and they have to take care of each other. Ultimately, it’s about growing to love the ones you’re with.

SGPnet: How did you get the role of Kaylee Frye? Did you have to go to an audition? And is it true, there was a condition, that you would have to gain 20 pounds for the part?

JS: I got a call from my agent here in Vancouver that Joss [Whedon] was interested in having me put an audition on tape. When I read the breakdown of the characters, I was a little confused, since Kaylee was described as "sweet and chubby". I thought it was a mistake and I should be reading for River! But I did it anyway, and soon got the call that Joss wanted to meet me in person. So they flew me down to L.A., I had a great meeting with him, and then later that day I tested in a room full of network executives (Can we say "terrifying"? That NEVER gets easier!). I got the call later that night that I had the job. Joss had explained to me that he viewed Kaylee as "round" in every way. He wanted an actress that was a little heavier because he wanted to depict that Kaylee lived life to the fullest and let herself indulge once in a while ... so he asked me to put on the weight, which I did gladly!

SGPnet: "Firefly" did never make it to the air on German television yet, it just came out on DVD two years ago. What can the audience expect of Kaylee? How is she like?

JS: Kaylee is warm, loving, intelligent, honest, flirtatious, and very special to me. She has an ability to make anyone feel comfortable enough to trust her completely. She’s very much the "little sister" of the crew.

SGPnet: How was a day for you on the set of "Firefly" like?

JS: Usually a LOT of laughing. It was pretty much Nathan [Fillion] goofing off 24/7 and us trying to keep it together in front of the cameras.

SGPnet: What is your favorite episode and can you also tell us why?

JS: I think I have to say Out of Gas. I still cry every time I see it. It’s such a beautiful piece of writing.

SGPnet: Morena Baccarin told me, that you both had your moments on set, where you couldn’t stop laughing. What was your funniest moment on set? Was there anything happening like someone messed up his lines and couldn’t get them out right or somebody had a funny accident? And Morena also told me there was a moment when Nathan Fillion bent over and split his pants, what’s the story behind that?

JS: I have no idea what Morena’s talking about. Seriously, every single day there would be a moment where we were just howling with laughter. When Nathan split his pants, that was almost at the very beginning of the first episode we ever shot, so we didn’t know each other that well yet. It was during the scene where Kaylee’s been shot, and she’s lying on the floor with everyone crowded around her. Nathan bent over me and we all heard this "Riiiiiip", and there he was with his pants split up the back. That broke the ice quite well. We played a lot of pranks on each other; there was a scene in the dining room where we were all supposed to start the scene laughing at a joke Book had just told. Nathan went around the room and told everyone but Ron [Glass] NOT to laugh once the director said action ... So nobody laughed but Ron, and he just stared at us with the most bewildered expression on his face, and then kept laughing, trying to save the scene. Poor Ron. That was hilarious.

SGPnet: Has there been any improvising or was it not allowed? And how was working with Joss Whedon like?

JS: Adam [Baldwin] did the most improvising, I think. He has a very interesting way of working and loves to have props to play with, even if he doesn’t have any lines in the scene (very smart actor). But in terms of the actual dialogue, not a whole lot of it had to be improvised. The writing was always that good. Joss is a pretty brilliant man; he’s able to do ten things at once perfectly, but he never pressures you and always lets you take your time. He’s a perfectionist, so sometimes there would be a lot of takes, but he knows what he wants, and he always gets what he wants. I have to admire that.

SGPnet: How did you and your fellow cast members react, when you learned that "Firefly" got cancelled in the middle of its first season?

JS: It was awful. I think we all knew we were going to be cancelled. The rest of the shows on the network for that season had already been picked up and we hadn’t. We knew our ratings weren’t what they should have been, so I think when the news broke, it was almost a relief to actually know SOMETHING. We spent so much time worrying about whether we were going to be cancelled or not, at least the worrying was over. We were all incredibly disappointed and hurt, because we just felt like we didn’t get a fair shot. And it was Christmas. Like, happy holidays! Thanks, guys!

SGPnet: Let’s leave "Firefly" for now and talk about the movie "Serenity": What made you come back to play Kaylee again, when you heard, that they were making a feature-film?

JS: I always said I would come back and play Kaylee no matter what. There was no question about that.

SGPnet: "Serenity" wouldn’t have been possible, if there hadn’t been Joss Whedon first, but also if there weren’t so many enthusiastic fans of the show from all over the world, who wouldn’t take this bad ending and who started campaigns, raised money, wrote letters to get a complete season and bought the DVDs. Do you think that such things have an influence to the decisions of the bosses and does the opinion of the fans still matter in the business, or is it just about ratings and numbers?

JS: I think those things have a tremendous influence, and if it weren’t for the fans, there may not be a movie at all. They fought for us and they stood by us, like true Browncoats!

SGPnet: What was your favorite scene in "Serenity" and which one was the hardest and can you also tell us why?

JS: Kissing Sean [Maher] was probably one of the hardest, ironically, since he’s so gorgeous! Sean and I had gotten to know each other really well and had developed a brother/sister relationship ... so it was kind of like kissing my brother. We were giggling nervously and being silly, and Joss kept saying "I want romance! Make it romantic!" which just made us laugh harder. My favorite scene, though, is probably when Mal gives the speech to the crew after we’ve seen the devastation on Miranda, and he says "I aim to misbehave". Nathan is such a brilliant actor!

SGPnet: What kind of message do you want the fans to pick up from "Serenity"?

JS: Stick to what you believe in, and don’t let anybody tell you different.

SGPnet: Some female visitors of my site wanted me to ask you, how kissing Sean Maher was like?

JS: He’s a great kisser. And he smells yummy.

SGPnet: Would you come back again, if there was another movie or a TV-film or even a TV-show again set in the "Firefly"-universe, although chances are going slowly down to zero?

JS: In a heart beat.

SGPnet: How much of Jewel Staite is in Kaylee? What is different?

JS: I guess that all depends on the day. Kaylee forgives a little easier than I do; she’s a little sweeter. I have a much more sarcastic, sardonic sense of humor. But we both love to live life to the fullest, and we’re both big flirts!

SGPnet: Let’s talk about your current projects. You did a horror-action-adventure movie called "The Tribe" last year, which is still in its post-production at the moment. Can you tell us something about the film and its content? What is Liz, the character you play, going through?

JS: "The Tribe" is more of a suspense-thriller than a horror movie. I’m not a fan of horror movies; I think most of them are pretty silly. It’s a story about a girl learning to fend for herself and step up to the plate; Liz starts out as a dependant, scared little thing and grows into this strong and vibrant woman who can take on anything. I love the stamina she has and how in control she becomes.

SGPnet: Can you also tell us some experiences you made, while you were shooting the film in Costa Rica? I heard something about spiders, mosquitoes and mud. What was terrifying, what was fun, what did and didn’t you like?

JS: Yep, that pretty much sums it up: bugs, dirt, lots of getting hurt, and pretty much being freaked out of my mind every day. One of the main reasons I took the part was because it was going to shoot in Costa Rica; I wanted to have the experience of leaving all of the comforts of home and literally "roughing it" in the jungle. It really changed me and toughened me up, which I needed. My husband came to visit me about a month into shooting, and when I left home, I had my designer white Juicy Couture bag, about ten pairs of heels, a full face of make up, you get the picture ... and when he saw me, I had bug bites up and down my legs, scabs from falling when I was doing stunts, a Jansen backpack on my back, and I was wearing bug repellant instead of perfume. He was like "Who are you and what have you done with my wife???" It was great. I missed home like hell and really had to bear a lot every single day, but I did it, and I’m still alive! I feel like I can do anything now.

SGPnet: Somewhere I’ve read, you like the ABC hit-series "Lost" a lot. Was that one reason you were interested to work on "The Tribe"?

JS: "The Tribe" and "Lost" pretty much have no similarities. Unfortunately, there are no Josh Holloways or Matthew Fox’s. (Damn!) I do love "Lost", but "The Tribe" is about something different. You’ll see!

SGPnet: Are there any news on the character of Dr. Keller you will be playing next year in "Stargate - Atlantis"? Do you already know, if we see her in season four for the first time, or if she will be introduced already at the end of season three? And are you happy to get back to the show, to the catering and the breakfast sandwiches, which you said, you liked the best?

JS: Yes, she will be introduced at the end of season three. I can’t say a whole lot about her, because truthfully, I still don’t know a whole lot! I’ve only done one episode! I do know I’ll be on for a few episodes, but we still don’t know how many, and I can’t tell you any secrets unfortunately! I will say that the cast is great and a lot of fun, and the whole vibe on the set is very relaxed and easy-going. And there’s nothing wrong with a big greasy breakfast sandwich to start the day!

SGPnet: This time you will be playing a human woman without a mask, but you first appeared on the show as a Wraith-girl named Elia in the episode "Instinct" of season two, wearing heavy prosthetics and contact lenses. Through the experiences you made on this episode, would you still be up to play another alien or would you choose your role more carefully next time?

JS: Hmmm. Well, I definitely need a break from the prosthetics for a while, I will say that. That was TOUGH. I’ve never been so distracted from my performance before; it was a real challenge to concentrate on the scene when I was so uncomfortable under all of that stuff. I have such respect for actors wearing prosthetics now. It’s a true art to do it and still be a nice person to work with!

SGPnet: Another site in our SGP-Network is a site for "The X-Files", the famous mystery-show, in which you were also guest starring and played the role of Amy Jacobs in the episode "Oubliette" of its third season back in 1995. I guess everybody might ask you that, but how was getting mouth-to-mouth respiration by David Duchovny? And how was working with him and Gillian Anderson? Where you proud to be a part of this popular TV-show?

JS: Yes, I do get that question a lot. David and Gillian were very sweet to me. I was only thirteen years old, so I don’t think I truly understood the magnitude of being on such a hit show. To me, it was just going to work on the set again, like every other time. It was a hard role to play though, and the director really pushed me, which I’m so grateful for; after that, I was pretty fearless!

SGPnet: Joss Whedon is still (and maybe forever) working on the script of his remake of "Wonder Woman". If he would ask you to play the super-heroine, would you be doing that?

JS: Um, YES.

SGPnet: Are there any other projects you are working on right now or are planning to do in the near future? Is there anything you can tell us about them?

JS: I’m always reading scripts and considering roles, taking meetings and auditioning, but nothing in the pipeline yet. I’m going to be tied up with "Stargate" for a little bit, but who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to fit in a movie in there!

SGPnet: What would be your dream-role and which famous actor or actress would you love to play with in a movie someday?

JS: I’ve always wanted to star in a really great, really funny sitcom. I love doing comedy and admire comedic actors a lot. But I would kill for the chance to work with Meryl Streep, for sure. I also adore Cate Blanchett, Matthew Fox, Hugh Jackman, Judi Dench, Jodi Foster ... there are so many wonderfully talented people out there!

SGPnet: How does it feel, seeing yourself on the big screen, on TV, magazines or posters? Do people recognize you on the street? Is it strange that everybody thinks to know you?

JS: It is a weird thing to get recognized, definitely. Especially when you look like crap and you’re just at the store because you’ve run out of milk. But people are so nice about it, and it’s pretty special to be told that your work is being enjoyed. As far as seeing myself on screen, I pretty much can’t stand it; I can watch something that I’ve done once, and that’s pretty much it. I start to second-guess myself and nit-pick, and that’s not healthy!

SGPnet: What kinds of music do you like? What is your favorite song at the moment? And what CD did you buy recently?

JS: I love pretty much everything, but I have a soft spot for R&B and jazz. I’m loving Gwen Stefani’s new album, and Nelly Furtado’s new album, and I do love me some Beyoncé!

SGPnet: Do you like watching TV or going to the movies? Is there any science-fiction-TV-series you like?

JS: I am a TV addict, and I used to try to hide it, but you know what? I love TV! I watch a ton of movies, too, and just really enjoy getting lost in something great. I’m not a huge sci fi fan, though.

SGPnet: When I look outside my window it seems like winter is not gonna come this year. It didn’t snow in Germany, yet, and that’s a little bit strange. But still I do like the winter the most. What is your favorite season of the year and why?

JS: I adore the summer time. Vancouver in the summer is divine; it’s lush and green and not too hot, and spending a day on a boat up Indian Arm in British Columbia is pretty much the best thing to do ever.

SGPnet: How do you try to relax after a long day of working? What is helping you to kill the stress?

JS: I love to cook, and I’d say that’s the easiest way for me to relax. I talk about my day with my husband, cuddle my dog, watch some TV, basically everything everybody else does.

SGPnet: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

JS: Happy, healthy, and still making movies!

SGPnet: I read somewhere, you are the youngest of seven children - growing up must have been hard and challenging for you. What was it like growing up with so many brothers and sisters?

JS: They’re all a lot older than me, so most of them had moved out by the time I was born. It’s more like having a lot of aunts and uncles; I’m very much the "baby" and they all feel like they have to take care of me, which is funny, because most of the time I’m taking care of them!

SGPnet: Have you ever been to Germany? If you have been here before, what did you like the best? If not, what would you like to see and which city would you like to visit?

JS: I haven’t been there yet, but I’ve just been invited to a convention in June in Germany, so I’m really excited about going! I love to travel and explore places I’ve never been.

SGPnet: You already visited some conventions. What do you think about conventions and what do you expect from them for yourself?

JS: The conventions are pretty insane, I have to say. I had no idea they went on at all until I was invited to one a couple of years ago. It was totally surreal! It’s an incredible feeling to have so many people like and respect you, all in one room! Everybody should try it!

SGPnet: I know you have your own blog on the internet that you call "Dear Roj" and now you have a new account at www.myspace.com, so you must be using the internet very often. Do you sometimes browse the net to find out, what the fans think about your work? What is your opinion about this kind of feedback or interaction with your fans? And by the way, can you tell me, who Roj is?

JS: Roger is a fan I’ve known for quite some time that set up a beautiful web site about me. We got in touch and I started writing blogs for the fans to read when I was filming "Serenity", because I was starting to get quite a bit of fan mail and it was the easiest way of keeping in touch with the fans without having to write back to everyone individually. I think it’s important to have a connection with my fans and let them know what I’m up to, and to also make them realize I’m a normal person! I don’t think it’s healthy to browse the internet, though, because it’s easy to stumble on negative things people are saying. For every ten compliments you get, there’s going to be one negative criticism, and that’s going to be the thing that sticks in your head and eats at you. Actors have fragile little egos, and since our job is to pretty much get rejected every day, it’s important to keep those egos as strong as possible!

SGPnet: Quick-Shooting-Round - I give you a headword and you reply with one or a few words, which are coming into your mind spontaneously.

1. Thunderstorm ... cuddling
2. Candle ... white
3. Fast Food ... ew
4. Internet ... fun
5. New Year’s Eve ... drunk
6. Audition ... anxiety
7. Soccer ... bo-ring
8. Joss Whedon ... genius
9. Ice-Cream ... vanilla
10. Traffic Jam ... yawn

SGPnet: That would be all for now. If you would like to write some greetings or a personal message to your German fans, you can do it now.

JS: I love you guys and can’t wait to meet you in person some day!

SGPnet: Last but not least I have to thank you for the time you took for us and I wish you all the best for 2007 and for your future. Sorry again for this huge list of questions. I would be very happy, when we can do another interview someday again.