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Hangin' With Archives
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Getting “Aquatic”with JoJoby Lynn B.
Now working on her sophomore album, JoJo has branched out into films with a very agreeable screen acting debut in the teen-friendly fantasy Aquamarine in which she co-stars with Teen TV faves Sara Paxton of “Darcy’s Wild Life” and Emma Roberts of Nickelodeon’s series “Unfabulous”. JoJo plays a young teen who finds a mermaid in her seaside swimming pool! We cornered the friendly artist/actress in Beverly Hills recently and had a chatty sit down in which we learned that the three actresses in Aquamarine bonded and are now close gal pals. Wearing jeans, plaid green, black and white sweater, copper metallic belt and huge hoop earrings, the star played with a big gold bangle bracelet while giving us the scoop on her new film and upcoming album. We took note that JoJo looks cute but much younger in the film. Today’s she’s well…. Hot. AGW: You just had your first movie interview with MTV. Going from music to movies, is it different for you? JoJo: It is different. There is a different responsibility that you have. As an artist, you can be yourself or whoever you want to be. When you’re playing a role, you obviously have to play that person who is different from yourself. I took that very seriously and I tried to make my character of Hailey different from who I am. I’m not shy and she was kind of uncomfortable with herself. She covered up with baggy clothes and I’m not like that. AGW: What is your history with the mermaid legend? JoJo: I think every little girl is fascinated with mermaids whether you are familiar with Splash or Little Mermaid or things like that. I did remember the film but I didn’t watch it going into Aquamarine. AGW: It’s good that Sara plays the mermaid because, as a kid, she swam like a mermaid and even gave herself a mermaid name. JoJo: I know. She was talking about that in other interviews. I am ashamed to say that I didn’t read the book (for Aquamarine) going into it. I just read the script. It was probably not a conscious thing but a lazy thing that I didn’t read it so I’m going to front and say it was a conscious thing because I wanted to connect with my character from the script. That’s my lie answer. [laughs] AGW: Have you taken acting classes? JoJo: I hadn’t done that before but I have done professional theater in Massachusetts and in L.A. as well. We had an acting coach on set actually, and she helped me find my character more; do some exercises like that which was really beneficial. AGW: In Aquamarine, the scene where you are swimming with dolphins…real dolphins, CGI dolphins or evil robot dolphins? JoJo: [laughs] I wish I could say evil robot dolphins because that would be really neat but they were real dolphins and we did it at Sea World then, with movie magic, they put them in looking like it was the ocean. I was really scared because I’m kind of afraid of animals actually. I’m afraid of sea creatures and things that could potentially bite me. My dad’s friend had her arm bitten by a dolphin and, ever since then, I was so frightened. Of all of the girls, I was the one that had to ride the dolphin. I was like ‘oh my God, they’re going to bite my neck and I’m gonna die. I’m gonna bleed!’ Thank God, they were nice but I took it really emotionally. I was really scared but we had no problems. The trainers were really nice and eased me into it. AGW: Are you working on your sophomore album? JoJo: Yes. Sophomore album will be coming out this summer. We have a single coming out this Spring, March or April. We’re going to be shooting the video very soon but we still have to pick the single because I’m not finished recording yet. I’m going next week to record with Scott Scorch who is probably the hottest producer out there now so I’m so excited. I’m going to Miami and doing that and then we’ll start doing the album shoot and photo shoots that come along with it and setting it up. Then I have another film coming out. AGW: What is the film? JoJo: RV with Robin Williams and Jeff Daniels. I play Robin’s daughter. He’s a good person and he’s so funny. He’s always on. He never stops. AGW: Is there a chance of a duet with Sara or Emma (all three girls sing)? JoJo: I like to keep it separate. I like to keep my acting and my singing separate and we have different visions of the kind of artists we want to be and I love their visions but it’s not mine. AGW: So that’s why you didn’t do a song for the soundtrack? JoJo: No, I didn’t. It was a conscious decision. I don’t want you to think it’s because I think I’m too good because I’m so not too good. I wanted to just keep my acting and singing separate. That’s why I chose not to play a singer in films or sing in films. AGW: They have your full name in the credits. Is that why? JoJo: Only in acting I’m going by Joanna JoJo Levesque. In singing, just JoJo. AGW: What came first, wanting to sing or act? JoJo: Wanting to sing but I’ve been acting since I was six. I actually played a boy when I was six in Tommy. I played Tommy and they put up my hair and put this little boy wig on me and that was my first acting experience. Then I did some other professional theater. I did Shakespeare when I was older in Boston. I’ve been singing since I was two. Music was my first passion and I love writing, singing and being creative. AGW: In the movie, if you help a mermaid, you get a wish. What would you wish for? JoJo: There are so many things but something that is not a selfish thing. Of course world peace because there is a lot of unrest and misunderstanding in the world and I think that if we had that, then all the other issues would be solved. I’d start there. AGW: What about a selfish wish? JoJo: [laughs] A selfish wish would be for a Mercedes SLK. AGW: Do you drive yet? JoJo: Not yet. Later this year. I turn sixteen in December and I’m counting down the days. Hopefully I’ll get that Mercedes. AGW: What happened to your thumb? You’ve got a little band-aid on it. JoJo: You know you have a hangnail or a little piece of skin and you peel it off and I started bleeding. My mom gave me a band-aid to cover it. AGW: Mystery solved. What do you listen to in music? JoJo: Last night I was listening to James Taylor and Joni Mitchell and DeAngelo and Erika Badu. I have pretty eclectic taste. AGW: In the film your character has to move away. Have you ever had to move away and leave a best friend? JoJo: All the time. I’ve moved a lot. I have three best friends now, actually. It was never like that before. I always had one best friend. But now I have three people that are the most important people in my life and I have to leave them constantly. My best friend since we were eight moved to Florida after I moved to California for seven months so we were very far away from each other. Then I moved back to Boston. It’s hard but we keep in touch through phone and we still have that connection of friendship. AGW: You, Sara and Emma hung out on set and afterwards. Do you hang out still?
AGW: How is it to see yourself on screen doing acting rather than performing? JoJo: It’s a different thing. It was really weird to see myself on there. This was a year ago that I shot it so first of all, I was ten or fifteen pounds heavier. I had no make-up on. I was wearing very ill-fitting clothing and I was like watching myself with my hands over my eyes, like ‘oh, my God, I can’t believe this’. But, as far as the acting, I was very pleased with the way the girls were portrayed and the way that I was portrayed and the jobs that we did. As far as the vanity thing, I was like ‘dude, I need to look cute in my next movie!’ [laughs] But I think it’s good to separate the artist of JoJo from acting and play different roles. AGW: You talk about the vanity of watching yourself act but can you listen to your own music as a fan? JoJo: I can. I don’t know why. I listen to it all the time so I can critique myself and so I can understand what is most flattering to my voice and what is something I should stay away from. Sounds that are best for me. I listen to everything. I have a pretty good ear for things like that. AGW: Did you collaborate with other song writers on your new album? JoJo: Yes. I did collaborate with writers a lot and I also wrote a few of my very own songs. I don’t know how many of my own songs will make the album because we recorded like thirty-five or forty songs. We’re going to have to narrow it down from all those. We have life four albums’ worth of songs. AGW: What do you draw from when you write songs? JoJo: I pretty much draw from personal experience or things that my friends have been through; things that inspire and intrigue me. It’s all things that are on my mind. For example, I don’t know anything about culinary arts; making food so I wouldn’t write a song about making food. I write about things that are close to me. AGW: It’s a couple of years since your first album came out. For most teenagers, it’s like ‘let’s go’ (and record another one right away). Why not? JoJo: Another conscious decision. [Waiting] was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I made another decision not to release my third album until I’m eighteen and that’s going to be really, really hard for me but I want people to see growth. I recorded my first album at twelve so twelve to fifteen is personal and professional growth for me. Then fifteen to eighteen is different as well and I want people to be able to see that and see that in the writing, the lyrics and the vocals but I’m going to do a film in between as well. That’s what will keep me busy cuz I hate not doing anything. AGW: Is there a theme to this new album? JoJo: I wouldn’t say there is a theme. It’s just things that everybody can relate to. I think everyone will enjoy it. AGW: How was it shooting in Australia and was it hard to be away from home? JoJo: I had my mom with me all the time. I feel like home is where my family is. But, Australia was beautiful. We were in Queensland and we were staying right across from the beach. We would go shopping all the time and hang out with the locals. We made some local friends and that was fun and we went to the beach a lot too. AGW: Is there an artist who made the transition to movies that you try to emulate? JoJo: Oh, Aaliyah. I’m on her label Blackground Records and her uncle started that. She started when she was fourteen and fifteen and I absolutely look to her for inspiration because she was such a powerful spirit but she was mysterious. You never knew everything about her. You always wondered ‘what is she doing? Why is she so reserved? Why does she talk so smooth?’ Things like that. A very intriguing individual. I definitely look to her for inspiration. Unfortunately she didn’t get to show us all the potential that she had. I also think someone like Beyonce is perfect is every single way. In that sense, I’m jealous of her. She is just flawless; her vocals, her performance, her fashion choices, her career decisions and her choice not to speak so openly about her relationship; even though she is obviously in a loving relationship. I have so much respect for her. AGW: How does school fit in with your busy schedule? JoJo: It fits in well. I’m doing really well in school. I’m a little bit behind but I have a tutor that comes with me on the road and at home and I fit in school whenever I get the chance. AGW: Do you have any particular goals between fifteen and eighteen? JoJo: Getting my license and buying property. I want to buy real estate at eighteen. I can’t wait to be on my own. I’m really excited. Even though I’ll miss my mom but I’ll see her all the time. I know real estate is a really good investment and I’m excited to be able to have my own credit card, withdraw money and all that. It’s mine!! AGW: Do you have a movie star crush or guy you would love to act with? JoJo: I don’t know but I’d like to play soccer with David Beckham. I think he’s so beautiful. I don’t play soccer but my boyfriend is a professional soccer player so he’s mad when I say David Beckham but I don’t play. I watch it. AGW: Are the last three years surreal for you or do you realize it’s actually happened? JoJo: I realize it’s happened but sometimes I’m like ‘it’s so cool’. I’m just this girl from Foxboro and I still live in Foxboro. It’s so real there. Nobody treats me any differently. My family still puts me in my place. I’ll say ‘Aunt Connie, could you get me a glass of water?’ She’s like ‘you can’t get your own glass of water? Do you think you’re so good?’ They always put me in my place. It’s so refreshing. People, especially in L.A., jump at your every need and it’s good to be kept in check like that. AGW: What is there to do in Foxboro for visitors? JoJo: Go to a Patriots game or a Revolution game. Revolution is the soccer team whoo, whoo! AGW: What is your heritage? JoJo: I think it’s awesome to know about your heritage. I have an Irish, French, Native American and Polish background. I’m very interested in all different cultures. I just read a story about Nelson Mandela and right now I’m reading the autobiography of Malcolm X because I’m fascinated with him which is really weird. AGW: Is there somewhere you are dreaming to go? JoJo: I’m dreaming to go to Egypt because right now, I have this fascination with King Tut. AGW: Okay, Malcolm X and King Tut. Is there a country you’ve been to and want to go back and visit? JoJo: I want to go to England. I love England. It’s so awesome, the music and the fashion. I love Brit Pop and Brit Rap as well. AGW: What’s your favorite beach in the world? JoJo: Australia was beautiful but my favorite beach is in the Bahamas. I love the Bahamas. I love going jet skiing. I love the locals. I love it all!
Pictures courtesy of and copyright 20th Century Fox, 2006 |
 
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15-year-old
Joanna “JoJo” Levesque (pronounced Layvek) blew the recording
industry away at age 13 with her billboard topping 2004 pop tunes “Leave
(Get Out)” and “Not That Kinda Girl”. Before her huge
hits, the petite, big-voiced singer won a spot on Bill Cosby’s TV
show “Kids Say the Darndest Things”, Oprah saw it and offered
the young artist a guest shot on her show. A gig on “America’s
Most Talented Kids” garnered the Boston-area native the attention
of producer Vincent Herbert who pushed the careers of the late Aaliyah,
Toni Braxton and Destiny’s Child. JoJo was signed to Blackground
Records and was on her way. 
JoJo:
Yeah, we do. We’re really good friends. I think that’s one
of the most special things that came out of this film is that we got two
other awesome friends. It was magical. I just love that and I take that
off set. I was just with them last night after interviews. I was in Sara’s
room until two o’clock last night just talking. It was really good.