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Updated 1/23/02

We're Hangin' With....

SHANE WEST

23-year-old Shane West, who plays Eli on the t.v. series "Once and Again", is back in high school again as Landon, Mandy Moore's love in the new romantic film A Walk to Remember. Shane also starred in Get Over It and Liberty Heights. He's very passionate about making music and writes songs, plays guitar and sings with his band Average Jo. They have a song on the movie's soundtrack CD. When we talked to him in L.A., Shane looked hot in black sweater and silver chain with a lock on it. His leather, studded watchband was a gift to the cast from the director of the film. He told us about juggling music and acting and being in the film with relative acting newbie Mandy whose music is nothing like his.

AGW: Is it hard making the jump from t.v. to film and finding a movie character to play that's different from your Eli character?

Shane: For me, Eli has similar troubles going on in his life as Landon does in this film. Also, for a lot of people, if you're doing a sitcom like "Friends" it could be difficult to make that jump but "Once and Again" is an hour drama shot on film so for me it was a training ground. Good practice.

AGW: Who are you more like? Eli or this movie's Landon character?

Shane: I think I'm more like Landon. Eli's troubled. Landon, in the beginning of the movie, is an angry teen. He's got abandonment issues and he doesn't know where he wants to go or do. That was a little bit more like me. I didn't have abandonment issues but Eli is a little more self-destructive and I'm not exactly that way.

AGW: Mandy is a self-assured person but she's not a really experienced actress. Did she need reassurance from you?

Shane: Her personality shines and her natural ability was easy but the little things were funny. One of the scenes we did in the cemetery with the telescope, we did four takes in a row where she didn't step on her mark. Little technical things like that. But she got it and it was part of learning something new. I would just crack jokes and try to make her feel comfortable.

AGW: Did you talk about music with her?

Shane: We come from two opposite sides of the (musical) spectrum. I'm more into The Clash and things like that. I understand where the pop music industry comes from. It makes things more radio-playable. With my band, we bring some of that "Clash" type stuff in but I still have that pop sensibility in me to have a catchy hook. We talked about it a lot. She was very instrumental in getting my song on the (movie's) soundtrack. Our band is called "Average Jo" but that will change due to legal problems. On the soundtrack we're just West, Gould and Fitzgerald which are our names. We had 24 hours to think of a band name so we just went with our names. We're meeting with Sony. We have a couple of other labels that suddenly have interest. We're talking to managers and are playing The Roxy (in L.A.) later in January.

AGW: You're kind of young to know about "The Clash" and "Sid Vicious". Where did you get that?

Shane: My parents. I was born in '78 right when that was happening so my parents who were about 22 were listening to that. I heard "The Clash", I heard "The Kinks", "Iggy Pop", "The Pretenders", "The Jam"...that's what I listened to at 4-years-old.

AGW: Do you play an instrument?

Shane: I sing and play the guitar. We have guitar, bass and drums.

AGW: What are you more passionate about right now, music or acting?

Shane: I'd say right this minute is music simply because I'm doing what I love..acting right now and I'm definitely passionate about it but since this (music) is so new, I'm leaning toward that. I'm never going to give up acting though. I'm going to try to do both and die of an ulcer at age 30 (laughs).

AGW: Did you write the song that's on the soundtrack ("So What Does It All Mean?")?

Shane: Yeah, I did. Mandy and I both write songs.

AGW: Did you give each other musical advice?

Shane: I gave her advice about keeping her sanity because I'd seen her schedule. I just said 'say no'. Say no to something. You're so young. You've got more energy. Try to be your age but take care of yourself. I'll be the first to call her when we have a record deal.

AGW: How about your schedule? Can you balance being on "Once and Again" and the band?

Shane: It's fine right now. The show's based in L.A., the band's based in L.A. I don't work every day on the show. I could work two days on one episode and the rest of the week I'm practicing or playing a gig. I've played gigs after shooting. It's easy right now but may be worse later.

AGW: Did you and Mandy have a misconception about each other when you first got together?

Shane: Yeah, I guess. Mandy and I had tested together..I think she thought I was some punk or pompous jerk. I just thought 'who is this music girl coming in trying to act'? As soon as she smiled and was so cool, after probably the first two days, we bonded really quickly.

AGW: Since you two are in love in the movie, that had to help.

Shane: Yeah, it did. She was really nervous in the kissing scenes and I got a little nervous for her. I was okay at first 'cuz I'd done it before but she's so sweet and so innocent looking. I swear to God I saw her tremble or something at one point and that made me want to cry. I would joke around, trying to make her feel better. The kisses onscreen were so real. The characters were supposed to be awkward for a while.

AGW: Your character goes against his friends to go after the girl he loves. Would you have done that?

Shane: I totally would have. I didn't run into that person in school. I went through a little of both sides in high school. Probably from fifth to tenth grade, I was in the unpopular clique. Beginning of 11th, I met some kids that were in the popular group so I finished off high school in that group and got to see both sides. But I would have dropped anything for something that would have been more real.

AGW: What's coming up for your character Eli on the t.v. show?

Shane: I got a script for the first time in my life that said 'Do not show anyone'. That was trippy. My character is just going down and down and something's going to happen that will bring us all back up. Right now my character is stoned 24-7, pissing everybody off. It's a lot of fun, really. I'm always eating. They make a joke on the set. What's he eating this time? The main scene may be on somebody else but I'm walking in with a sandwich.

AGW: How do you think young guys are going to react to this film? And..what did you get out of it?

Shane: What I got out of it was a great experience, working with great people and becoming a family that none of us wanted to leave. What I would want guys to take from this...we're cynical creatures.. I'd like this movie if I saw it and I wasn't in it. I don't know if I'd cry. This movie kind of has something for everyone. It's a love story but there are things that guys will be fine seeing. I don't know how many of them would admit it but they're lying. It's not that sappy. It's a coming of age story. Couples should be fine with it.

AGW: When you were in high school, would you have been ready to walk down the aisle?

Shane: Oh no. I was very introverted. Girls started noticing me a little bit more junior and senior year and that was a little bit weird. I got taller. When I got long hair, things changed. That was a weird time. Glad I'm out of it. It was junior high and high school here (L.A.), elementary school in Louisiana.

AGW: You're 23, was it hard to act like you were in high school again?

Shane: I graduated in '96 and that's a significant time to be out of school but sometimes it just seems like a year. Me being on the t.v. show playing 18 and now this, hey I know that stuff very well. I was friends with all the groups. . At lunch, instead of hanging out with the 'popular' group I'd go say hi to all the groups. I was one of the few that understood people. A lot of what I play is what I've seen.

AGW: What would be your idea of a dream date?

Shane: (Grinning) Ooooh, I can't answer that one. No. I'm really simple with that stuff. The more I like a person, the more I want to do things that are almost more simple..stay home and watch a movie by the fire or I'm a terrible cook but I can try. That's what makes me happy.

AGW: What are you doing next?

Shane: The three months left of the t.v. show...then figuring out what the next project is.

AGW: Was that car you drive in the film as hot as everyone says?

Shane: The '67 Camero? I bought it. I have it. It's in the shop. It was enjoyable to drive. I paid about $5,000 for it. Now I'm basically putting in $5,000 to replace the engine but it's a cool car and it means something to me. They brought it in from North Carolina and put it down outside my house. What was great was I had sides (script pages) in there from months before. It was really cool. I'm completely ignorant of cars but I'm gonna learn now.