Here's the interview, as promised. The accompanying photo is in my photo album at the link below:
photos.yahoo.com/bc/ty2che/lst?.dir=/%27Buffy%27+and+%27Angel%27+cast+pictures&.view=t
(it's the last photo in the album.)
This interview is from the March 2003 issue of 'Spirit and Destiny' magazine. It's a British magazine about mind, body and spirit-type subjects, hence the questions they ask Amber. They also had some (inaccurate) character summaries of the 'Buffy' characters - the ones for Willow and Tara are at the end of this post.
Supervamp!
As a star on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) is finding out about life after vampirism. Amanda Vilestra catches up to ask about the occult, and Hollywood.
You know her as Tara, Willow’s lover and partner in witchcraft from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. But in real life, Amber Benson is calm and sweet, despite being a major US TV star. Recently she wrote, directed and starred in her first independent film ‘Chance’, a charming coming-of-age movie. She’s also co-written ‘Ghosts of Albion’, a recent radio programme for the BBC. Not bad for someone who’s still only 24...
Are you similar to your character in ‘Buffy’?
She’s insecure, uncomfortable - and I’m a loudmouth! It was a lot of fun playing a character who had such a social impact - she’s a lesbian and a Wiccan, which was fantastic. I don’t think it should matter what you believe, or who you sleep with!
Was it awkward kissing Alyson Hannigan?
I was kissing Johnny Depp! In my head, anyway. I get embarrassed kissing anyone on screen but it’s something you have to get used to as an actor. When you’re not attracted to someone, male or female, but have to kiss them anyway, you just go to a place in your head where you’re with someone who you are attracted to!
So what’s Sarah Michelle Gellar really like?
I’m a huge fan of Sarah. She’s the nicest person. And her husband, Freddie [Prinze Jr] is just the nicest guy. They hold hands and kiss and it’s just yuck! Freddie would come and visit her on set and play video games. How sad is that? But they’re lovely.
Tara’s very much into magic - are you?
As a kid I was obsessed with magic. A lot of people are. I think it’s all to do with this fear of what’s going to happen to us when we die. If you can find proof that magic actually exists, you think maybe it’s proof of something beyond, and that something happens to us after we die. We all want to know the answer to that!
At the moment, there seems to be a massive explosion of interest in Wicca and paganism. What do you think that’s all about?
Well, I think a lot of young women are drawn to the idea of Wicca and magic because we’ve been disenfranchised for so long. We live in this very patriarchal society - I mean, it wasn’t until very recently that women were allowed to go to college!
Go back to the time of earth magic and the idea of the goddess, and women were worshipped for their fertility. We’ve got so far away from that. Women are starting to come out and say ‘Hey, we want to be treated equally.’ And Wicca makes you feel like you have the power to go out and change things.
And Buffy’s a powerful role model too...
Absolutely! You’ve got this girl who goes out and kicks ass! But she’s also human. Has she dated a guy yet who’s treated her right? No. So she’s dealing with that, and also with the whole question of whether she wants to be this supernatural figure. She just wants to be normal! And so many young women can identify with that. You want to be different, but not so much that you’re out of the norm.
What’s your most spooky experience?
There’s a place called The Limp Mansion in St Louis, Missouri. Three people committed suicide there and there’s a ghost called The Lavender Lady. Her father-in-law and his two sons all committed suicide, then she died miserably and still haunts the place.
I was making a film called ‘King of the Hill’ nearby, and a few of us went on a tour of the mansion. As soon as I walked in there, it was like something pushing on me, this huge pressure. I just felt like something awful had happened there.
Are you a spiritual person?
Yes, I certainly believe that there’s something out there. I like what Einstein said, which was, ‘God doesn’t play dice.’ We’re responsible for our own actions, but I think that there’s a reason for everything, there’s no randomness. All the insanity out there .. there has to be a reason for it!
My boyfriend has just told me that we never really touch another human being. We’re all made up of particles that repel each other. It’s why we can’t walk through things, like ghosts do! Isn’t it weird that you can never touch anything in this world? You’re just constantly repelled!
Do you believe in fate?
I think that we have free will. And I know people will disagree with me, but I think life is about getting from point A to point B. Point A is where we’re born and point B is where we die. And everyone has different ways of getting there.
Have you ever visited a psychic?
I have, yes. My mum saw one who was really accurate. I can’t remember any of the details, but afterwards it turned out that a lot of the stuff she predicted was really accurate.
Ever had any psychic experiences yourself?
I’d say I’m more intuitive than psychic. My mum and sister and I are very connected and sometimes we finish each others’ sentences. I’ve even missed a flight before because my sister told me she had a bad feeling about it. Everything was OK, but you never know! I think that we’re all pretty intuitive. It’s just that some people trust their intuition better than others.
You’re very down-to-earth. Do you feel the pressure to be a size-six Hollywood starlet?
God, yeah! I mean, if you eat in LA, people look at you funny. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s having dessert!’ It’s insane, I’m a normal-looking girl! And even if I was fat, who gives a crap?
But for some reason, the people in Hollywood think that if you weigh more than a few pounds, you’re unattractive. I think it’s gross. Look at Sophia Loren .. sex on a stick, and she had a body!
So you don’t punish yourself with celebrity diets and grand fitness regimes?
I try and go to the gym, but to be honest, I’m more interested in checking out the celebrities wandering around than working out myself. I’m a vegetarian and have been for 11 years. And if I want dessert, I’ll have frickin’ dessert!
Your singing voice in the musical episode of ‘Buffy’ was great! Any plans to do a J-Lo and relaunch yourself as a pop singer?
Oh no! J-Lo and Ben Affleck - that’s so odd, isn’t it? Seriously, I have no plans to become a pop star! I like singing and I guess if someone approached me and said ‘Do you wanna do this?’ I’d be interested, but it’s not something I’d actively pursue. It’s hard enough making it as an actress - making it as a singer is even harder!
[end of interview]
Character profiles
Willow (Alyson Hannigan)
High school computer geek turned lesbian über-witch, Willow is Buffy’s best friend and helps out in the fight against all those undead ghouls.
Tara (Amber Benson)
All-round good guy (OK, girl), white witch Tara introduced Willow to the joys of magic. And sex. And in doing so, drove Willow so mad with grief she nearly destroyed the world. Oh well.
Edited by: tyche at: 2/18/03 12:54:11 pm
I would love to see that pic close up.
And then Amber, as many times before, says this:
More and more everyday!! 
/ 
. Really every time I read an interview with her she "resets the scale" in how much I respect and admire her, such an amazing woman (now just ditch that boyfriend and she would be perfect, 
... only kidding... I'm truly happy for Amber). 
at: 2/18/03 6:41:07 pm
Oooh, um... could I... um... possibly... you know, take it off your hands? 