In 'Bridge to Terabithia,' the long-awaited film version
of the classic children's book, the kids take center stage -- but an adult who has an important influence
on young Jess is his music teacher Miss Edmunds, played by Zooey Deschanel. The in-demand actress chatted with us via AIM about music, her young co-stars and tackling the role of rock legend Janis Joplin.
MoviefoneTricia: hello
ZooeyTerabithia: hi!
ZooeyTerabithia: I thought this wouldn't work. but it is!
MoviefoneTricia: very cool
MoviefoneTricia: so how's it going?
ZooeyTerabithia: good.
MoviefoneTricia: i saw bridge to terabithia last thursday and loved it -- were you already a fan of the book before you took this part?
ZooeyTerabithia: I was indeed. it was one of my favorite books as a child.
MoviefoneTricia: little did you dream you'd be in it one day, i'll bet
MoviefoneTricia: how did this part come to you?
ZooeyTerabithia: I know! it was very exciting. it was actually really quick. I got the script, had a conversation with gabor [csupo], the director, and two weeks later I was on a plane to new zealand.
MoviefoneTricia: ah, new zealand is so beautiful. did you get to travel around at all while you were there, or was it all work?
ZooeyTerabithia: it was pretty much all work, but I did get to enjoy all that the lovely auckland had to offer. lots of great japanese food. good shopping!
MoviefoneTricia: and the people there are the nicest in the world
ZooeyTerabithia: just lovely!
ZooeyTerabithia: I agree!
MoviefoneTricia: in this movie you play a teacher, and jess, the lead character, has a crush on you
MoviefoneTricia: ever have a crush on one of your teachers?
ZooeyTerabithia: ummmm. I have certainly had teachers that I have admired very much! but crush, I don't know.
MoviefoneTricia: don't want to admit it, huh? (just kidding)
ZooeyTerabithia: I don't think so, ha ha.
MoviefoneTricia: so complete this sentence, then: In school, I was a ____.
MoviefoneTricia: ;)
ZooeyTerabithia: this is hard.
ZooeyTerabithia: I am thinking.
MoviefoneTricia: it's ok
ZooeyTerabithia: no I can do it!
MoviefoneTricia: i'll give you multiple choice
ZooeyTerabithia: okay
MoviefoneTricia: a) nerd, b) band geek, c) rebel outcast, d) teacher's pet
MoviefoneTricia: umm...
MoviefoneTricia: e) jock, f) drama geek
MoviefoneTricia: g) cheerleader
ZooeyTerabithia: z) zooey.
MoviefoneTricia: ha - i like that answer
MoviefoneTricia: back to the movie, how was it working with kids as opposed to adults?
ZooeyTerabithia: not really very different from working with adults. I am pretty sure that josh [hutcherson] and annasophia [robb] are more mature than I am.
MoviefoneTricia: oh, i doubt it!
MoviefoneTricia: they were great, though
ZooeyTerabithia: yes! they are terrific!
ZooeyTerabithia: adorable!
ZooeyTerabithia: stupendous!
MoviefoneTricia: :)
MoviefoneTricia: and did you have any input into the music that your character played for the kids? i know you're a musician yourself
ZooeyTerabithia: yes! I did! I had many conversations with lindsay fellows and george acogny who were in charge of the music about what would be timeless. I mean, you don't want to see the movie in 10 years and say "whoa, it's so OBVIOUS when this movie was made."
MoviefoneTricia: oh, that's a good point
ZooeyTerabithia: I really like the music we sang
ZooeyTerabithia: it's so fun to sing with kids. I am a big fan of an album called "the langley schools music project" that is all kids singing popular music of the seventies.
MoviefoneTricia: i thought it was interesting that the movie was set in the modern day, but a lot of the music was still from the 70s, like it was in the book
ZooeyTerabithia: I guess it was kind of a tip of the hat.
MoviefoneTricia: nice. and that was you playing the guitar, i assume
ZooeyTerabithia: well, I played it live and I also played the piano live but it was not me playing on the record. it had to be more pristine! but it was me singing.
Go to part 2
of the classic children's book, the kids take center stage -- but an adult who has an important influence
on young Jess is his music teacher Miss Edmunds, played by Zooey Deschanel. The in-demand actress chatted with us via AIM about music, her young co-stars and tackling the role of rock legend Janis Joplin.
MoviefoneTricia: hello
ZooeyTerabithia: hi!
ZooeyTerabithia: I thought this wouldn't work. but it is!
MoviefoneTricia: very cool
MoviefoneTricia: so how's it going?
ZooeyTerabithia: good.
MoviefoneTricia: i saw bridge to terabithia last thursday and loved it -- were you already a fan of the book before you took this part?
ZooeyTerabithia: I was indeed. it was one of my favorite books as a child.
MoviefoneTricia: little did you dream you'd be in it one day, i'll bet
MoviefoneTricia: how did this part come to you?
ZooeyTerabithia: I know! it was very exciting. it was actually really quick. I got the script, had a conversation with gabor [csupo], the director, and two weeks later I was on a plane to new zealand.
MoviefoneTricia: ah, new zealand is so beautiful. did you get to travel around at all while you were there, or was it all work?
ZooeyTerabithia: it was pretty much all work, but I did get to enjoy all that the lovely auckland had to offer. lots of great japanese food. good shopping!
MoviefoneTricia: and the people there are the nicest in the world
ZooeyTerabithia: just lovely!
ZooeyTerabithia: I agree!
MoviefoneTricia: in this movie you play a teacher, and jess, the lead character, has a crush on you
MoviefoneTricia: ever have a crush on one of your teachers?
ZooeyTerabithia: ummmm. I have certainly had teachers that I have admired very much! but crush, I don't know.
MoviefoneTricia: don't want to admit it, huh? (just kidding)
ZooeyTerabithia: I don't think so, ha ha.
MoviefoneTricia: so complete this sentence, then: In school, I was a ____.
MoviefoneTricia: ;)
ZooeyTerabithia: this is hard.
ZooeyTerabithia: I am thinking.
MoviefoneTricia: it's ok
ZooeyTerabithia: no I can do it!
MoviefoneTricia: i'll give you multiple choice
ZooeyTerabithia: okay
MoviefoneTricia: a) nerd, b) band geek, c) rebel outcast, d) teacher's pet
MoviefoneTricia: umm...
MoviefoneTricia: e) jock, f) drama geek
MoviefoneTricia: g) cheerleader
ZooeyTerabithia: z) zooey.
MoviefoneTricia: ha - i like that answer
MoviefoneTricia: back to the movie, how was it working with kids as opposed to adults?
ZooeyTerabithia: not really very different from working with adults. I am pretty sure that josh [hutcherson] and annasophia [robb] are more mature than I am.
MoviefoneTricia: oh, i doubt it!
MoviefoneTricia: they were great, though
ZooeyTerabithia: yes! they are terrific!
ZooeyTerabithia: adorable!
ZooeyTerabithia: stupendous!
MoviefoneTricia: :)
MoviefoneTricia: and did you have any input into the music that your character played for the kids? i know you're a musician yourself
ZooeyTerabithia: yes! I did! I had many conversations with lindsay fellows and george acogny who were in charge of the music about what would be timeless. I mean, you don't want to see the movie in 10 years and say "whoa, it's so OBVIOUS when this movie was made."
MoviefoneTricia: oh, that's a good point
ZooeyTerabithia: I really like the music we sang
ZooeyTerabithia: it's so fun to sing with kids. I am a big fan of an album called "the langley schools music project" that is all kids singing popular music of the seventies.
MoviefoneTricia: i thought it was interesting that the movie was set in the modern day, but a lot of the music was still from the 70s, like it was in the book
ZooeyTerabithia: I guess it was kind of a tip of the hat.
MoviefoneTricia: nice. and that was you playing the guitar, i assume
ZooeyTerabithia: well, I played it live and I also played the piano live but it was not me playing on the record. it had to be more pristine! but it was me singing.
Go to part 2