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CNN Live Today

Interview With Actress Keisha Castle-Hughes

Aired February 23, 2004 - 11:54   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.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "WHALE RIDER")
KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES, ACTRESS: They heard me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Not the best little clip we could have picked there, but it is just a glimpse of the low budget sleeper hit "Whale Rider." And the movie's star is a very interesting young woman, Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes.

I recently had a chance to sit down with this remarkable young woman. She made her film acting debut in "Whale Rider," the youngest person ever nominated in best actress category.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASTLE-HUGHES: I can't get around the fact that it's the Oscars, and that I can associate my name with it and the category. And I can't do it. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried, and it still hasn't kicked in. I know it's happening, but it's like I'm living in the moment, because I still haven't come to realization with it.

KAGAN: And so, when you come in a room and you these big stars, especially these other actresses, do you get a little starstruck?

CASTLE-HUGHES: I get really starstruck, like stupidly. I feel like I should be home, because all of these other people, you know, they're like -- they don't get starstruck. They all know each other, and they go, hi, hi. And then I feel like I'm just like a fan that snuck in. And then I'm like, oh, my god, look.

I mean, Clint Eastwood came up to me and he just put out his hand, shook my hand, and walked away. And I was just like, that was just Clint Eastwood, and he just shook my hand. And the whole time I'd be sitting there, and I was eating my lunch, and then I was like, oh, my gosh, Clint Eastwood shook my hand. And that's pretty amazing.

KAGAN: And finally, I have a source that tells me, Keisha, that you told a little lie.

CASTLE-HUGHES: I did, yes. The casting director who came into my classroom, she came up to me, and then she was asking me these questions. And then she asked me if I could swim, and even though I couldn't, I kind of just sat there and I was like, yes, sure, I can swim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "WHALE RIDER")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just over there.

CASTLE-HUGHES: I'll get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASTLE-HUGHES: And so when I found out that I needed to swim...

KAGAN: Oh, hello, you're in the ocean.

CASTLE-HUGHES: ... I was like, oh, no. So, I auditioned and auditioned, but I didn't -- I kind of didn't tell anyone that I couldn't swim the whole time. They put me in a pool, and I was like -- so, can you please do a lap of freestyle or whatever, and I was like OK, then, and I pretended I could swim.

KAGAN: They obviously got you swim lessons.

CASTLE-HUGHES: They just got me a double.

KAGAN: Interesting. Keisha, thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So, it's a body double in the movie.

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 February 23, 2004 - 11:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "WHALE RIDER")
KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES, ACTRESS: They heard me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Not the best little clip we could have picked there, but it is just a glimpse of the low budget sleeper hit "Whale Rider." And the movie's star is a very interesting young woman, Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes.

I recently had a chance to sit down with this remarkable young woman. She made her film acting debut in "Whale Rider," the youngest person ever nominated in best actress category.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CASTLE-HUGHES: I can't get around the fact that it's the Oscars, and that I can associate my name with it and the category. And I can't do it. I've tried and I've tried and I've tried, and it still hasn't kicked in. I know it's happening, but it's like I'm living in the moment, because I still haven't come to realization with it.

KAGAN: And so, when you come in a room and you these big stars, especially these other actresses, do you get a little starstruck?

CASTLE-HUGHES: I get really starstruck, like stupidly. I feel like I should be home, because all of these other people, you know, they're like -- they don't get starstruck. They all know each other, and they go, hi, hi. And then I feel like I'm just like a fan that snuck in. And then I'm like, oh, my god, look.

I mean, Clint Eastwood came up to me and he just put out his hand, shook my hand, and walked away. And I was just like, that was just Clint Eastwood, and he just shook my hand. And the whole time I'd be sitting there, and I was eating my lunch, and then I was like, oh, my gosh, Clint Eastwood shook my hand. And that's pretty amazing.

KAGAN: And finally, I have a source that tells me, Keisha, that you told a little lie.

CASTLE-HUGHES: I did, yes. The casting director who came into my classroom, she came up to me, and then she was asking me these questions. And then she asked me if I could swim, and even though I couldn't, I kind of just sat there and I was like, yes, sure, I can swim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "WHALE RIDER")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just over there.

CASTLE-HUGHES: I'll get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASTLE-HUGHES: And so when I found out that I needed to swim...

KAGAN: Oh, hello, you're in the ocean.

CASTLE-HUGHES: ... I was like, oh, no. So, I auditioned and auditioned, but I didn't -- I kind of didn't tell anyone that I couldn't swim the whole time. They put me in a pool, and I was like -- so, can you please do a lap of freestyle or whatever, and I was like OK, then, and I pretended I could swim.

KAGAN: They obviously got you swim lessons.

CASTLE-HUGHES: They just got me a double.

KAGAN: Interesting. Keisha, thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: So, it's a body double in the movie.

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