Sugar Magazine
Interview
February, 2001

You and Sarah have been together for yonks. How come you’re both still tight-lipped about your snog status?

Our relationship is really just for me and her to discuss. We manage to maintain a certain degree of privacy and it helps that we don’t speak about it in public. The only thing I’ll go on record as saying is that I care for Sarah a lot and I always have, done.

You were broken-hearted when you split with Kim, your previous girlfriend. How do you feel about her now?

Well, whenever a relationship ends especially if it’s with someone you love it’s always going to break your heart to a certain extent. It’s not like she was mean and broke my heart on purpose by doing something cruel. Something that was special came to an end but she’s still a great person, I’ll always love her but it’s in another way now.

You’ve worked with some gorge actresses like Claire Forlani in your forthcoming flick Boys and Girls and Rachael Leigh Cook in She’s All That. How lucky d’you feel?

I’ve been very fortunate with the women that I’ve worked with! We’ve always just clicked and it’s been cool. I think that chemistry is just something that you either have or you don’t, it’s like going on a date, you either like the person or you don’t, you know what I mean?

How does that ‘chemistry’ help when it comes to doing saucy bedroom scenes?

Well, when you have a trust with someone, it makes those scenes really easy. You feel safer and you feel you can allow yourself to give a little bit more without feeling a little bit embarrassed, it’s a professional environment though, so I can kinda cope with those scenes.

How well do you get on with Anna Paquin, who co-starred in She’s All That?

Anna’s cool! She’s very proper and smart, a lot smarter than me. I was always trying to get her to swear on set but she’d just say, “You’re deranged! I’m not going to say that.” We had a lot of fun when we worked together.

How freaked out are you by your fame?

Not much. I just feel really lucky. I don’t know why I’ve been as well received as I have, but I’m very grateful for it.

What’s it like being mobbed by your fans?

It can be embarrassing sometimes but I think I’m getting better at it. My mom raised me in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the foot of the mountains far away from any fast lifestyle so it’s weird being recognised all the time. I’m trying to get used to it, though.

How hard is it to stay chilled out when your life’s so crazy?

Well I have to go to the store late at night. I try to be smart and not cause problems for people at stores, so I kinda go there when people aren’t around. But I really don’t mind if people come up and say, “Hey, I liked your movie.” It’s better than them booing and yelling at me.

Hollywood’s choc full of celebs, does living there make it easier to cope with your fame?

No! People can go nuts anywhere but for me it’s just not that much of a problem. I don’t really know why maybe it’s just a part of me or maybe I’m just fortunate but it doesn’t really bother me. I can easily say, “Excuse me, not right now”, and that’s the end of it. I guess I understand why it can be a problem for some famous people but for some reason it’s something that’s never got under my skin and I don’t think it ever will.

How hard is it living up to your image as Mr Perfect all the time?

Y’Know, the way I see it there’s no such thing as being perfect. We’re all pretty much made the same but some people are better at certain things than others. Everybody is great at something..you just have to find what that is.

As well as being gorgeous, you’ve got a reputation for being clean-cut..so do you have any faults?

Oh, there are lots of things! For one, I’ve got a bad memory. I forget just about everything before I go out. I always end up going home to get something I forgot and then, when I get there I usually forget when it was that I came back for! Anyone who knows me would say that I’m far from perfect!

You’re a pretty handsome fella!

No way! My face is all messed up and I’m covered in scars! Just look at me, I have parts of me that aren’t perfect at all. I appreciate that people think I’m this big heart throb filmstar, but movies are designed to make you look much better than you are in real life.

Is there anything you’d like to change about the way you look?

To be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing, cos’ I like me the way I am. That’s the way I was made and I don’t think people should try to change that.

How much of a hit were you with the girls at school?

I was a dork in high school and I barely even got to go to the prom! Everybody thought I was this weird guy cos’ I had this strange imagination that nobody understood. I would pretend I was a superhero and stuff like that so people just thought I was weird. I didn’t really have many opportunities to dance with girls.

How much longer do you think you’ll be able to play teens in your flicks, given that you are 24?

Well, I can’t pull of being 18 anymore so that’s kinda halted any of those roles but I don’t mind the age thing. If I like the character, I’ll go for it and that’s what I’ve always tried to base my decisions on when it comes to making movies.

Copyright © 2001 Sugar Magazine. All rights reserved.