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CNN Live Today

Interview with Mena Suvari

Aired March 06, 2003 - 11:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A new movie coming out exploring the frenetic world of speed freaks, and we are not talking about the speed from behind the world. Spun is a dark and graphic look at a three-day monster drug binge. The star of "Spun" is Mena Suvari. She's in New York, and she joins us live this morning.
Mena, good morning. Thanks for being with us.

MENA SUVARI, ACTRESS: Thanks for having me. Good morning.

KAGAN: Looking down your resume, or your filmography, as they like to call it in Hollywood, a lot of Americans things -- you've got "American Pie," you've got "American Beauty," "American Virgin," "American, American."

SUVARI: Yes, it's funny, because "American Virgin" was originally called "Live Virgin," and that was something that I did very early on in my career, when I was about 16, and from the success of "American Pie" and "American Beauty," they just decided to change the title.

KAGAN: Did they really do that, because they are trying to play off other movies you've been successful in?

SUVARI: Yes, I mean, that's how it is, and I can understand that. But I guess it just wasn't the best thing for me, because just having "American Pie" I did before "American Beauty," and that's just how it happened. I wasn't looking for "American" in the title; that's just how it worked out.

KAGAN: If you look at those three movies specifically, three very different types of movies, and you continue to stretch your wings here, looking at "Spun." And I was just reading about this this morning, a twisted portrait of a monster three-day drug binge. When you're pitched this project, what was it that you went, yeah, I want to go do that.

SUVARI: Well, just everything about it. It's just so different from anything that I've done before. And as you can see, it's just so gritty and dark, and Yunnis Akalin (ph), our director, I was a huge fan of, and just the cast we have involved. I was just really excited to be a part of something like that.

KAGAN: So some projects is fun to go glam, but this one, it looks like they are trying to make you less beautiful than you are.

SUVARI: Yes, definitely. You know, it was never really about me having to look my best, or I didn't always want to play the pretty, popular girl. I wanted to do things that were just really challenging to me, and exciting and fun and different.

KAGAN: What exactly -- who is your character in this movie, and what is the challenge?

SUVARI: Well, it's ensemble. And my character's name is "Cookie" and John Leguizamo plays "Spider Mike," the methamphetamine dealer. And just, for me, as you can see, it's just all about the drug for me. She's just a methamphetamine addict.

KAGAN: And your inspiration? I'd imagine you can only take research so far in a role like this.

SUVARI: Yes, I just had pretty much a lot of information downloaded from the Internet on firsthand accounts of people who had done the drug, basically information medically and physically, what it does to you. So those are things that I kind of learned from.

KAGAN: OK, so that comes out when, "Spun" comes out when?

SUVARI: It comes out March 28th nationwide.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, good luck with that.

SUVARI: Thanks so much.

KAGAN: Next up for you?

SUVARI: Next up, I'm going to be working on a film in London in the middle of April. I'm -- it's starring Colin Firth. I'm really excited about it, and, again, it's very dark.

KAGAN: So we're going down a dark road.

SUVARI: It's just things that I'm interested in.

KAGAN: OK, well, good luck with all of that, and I know you'll do a great job. The movie is called "Spun." Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it.

SUVARI: Thanks for having me.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired March 6, 2003 - 11:44   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: A new movie coming out exploring the frenetic world of speed freaks, and we are not talking about the speed from behind the world. Spun is a dark and graphic look at a three-day monster drug binge. The star of "Spun" is Mena Suvari. She's in New York, and she joins us live this morning.
Mena, good morning. Thanks for being with us.

MENA SUVARI, ACTRESS: Thanks for having me. Good morning.

KAGAN: Looking down your resume, or your filmography, as they like to call it in Hollywood, a lot of Americans things -- you've got "American Pie," you've got "American Beauty," "American Virgin," "American, American."

SUVARI: Yes, it's funny, because "American Virgin" was originally called "Live Virgin," and that was something that I did very early on in my career, when I was about 16, and from the success of "American Pie" and "American Beauty," they just decided to change the title.

KAGAN: Did they really do that, because they are trying to play off other movies you've been successful in?

SUVARI: Yes, I mean, that's how it is, and I can understand that. But I guess it just wasn't the best thing for me, because just having "American Pie" I did before "American Beauty," and that's just how it happened. I wasn't looking for "American" in the title; that's just how it worked out.

KAGAN: If you look at those three movies specifically, three very different types of movies, and you continue to stretch your wings here, looking at "Spun." And I was just reading about this this morning, a twisted portrait of a monster three-day drug binge. When you're pitched this project, what was it that you went, yeah, I want to go do that.

SUVARI: Well, just everything about it. It's just so different from anything that I've done before. And as you can see, it's just so gritty and dark, and Yunnis Akalin (ph), our director, I was a huge fan of, and just the cast we have involved. I was just really excited to be a part of something like that.

KAGAN: So some projects is fun to go glam, but this one, it looks like they are trying to make you less beautiful than you are.

SUVARI: Yes, definitely. You know, it was never really about me having to look my best, or I didn't always want to play the pretty, popular girl. I wanted to do things that were just really challenging to me, and exciting and fun and different.

KAGAN: What exactly -- who is your character in this movie, and what is the challenge?

SUVARI: Well, it's ensemble. And my character's name is "Cookie" and John Leguizamo plays "Spider Mike," the methamphetamine dealer. And just, for me, as you can see, it's just all about the drug for me. She's just a methamphetamine addict.

KAGAN: And your inspiration? I'd imagine you can only take research so far in a role like this.

SUVARI: Yes, I just had pretty much a lot of information downloaded from the Internet on firsthand accounts of people who had done the drug, basically information medically and physically, what it does to you. So those are things that I kind of learned from.

KAGAN: OK, so that comes out when, "Spun" comes out when?

SUVARI: It comes out March 28th nationwide.

KAGAN: Very good. Well, good luck with that.

SUVARI: Thanks so much.

KAGAN: Next up for you?

SUVARI: Next up, I'm going to be working on a film in London in the middle of April. I'm -- it's starring Colin Firth. I'm really excited about it, and, again, it's very dark.

KAGAN: So we're going down a dark road.

SUVARI: It's just things that I'm interested in.

KAGAN: OK, well, good luck with all of that, and I know you'll do a great job. The movie is called "Spun." Thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it.

SUVARI: Thanks for having me.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com