Interview with Amanda and Elijah

Amanda Bynes and Elijah Kelley sat down with Collider for a long interview full of great info. Here are some highlights.


Can each of you talk about getting involved with this movie?

Amanda Bynes: I feel like all of young Hollywood wanted to be in this movie so we were just blessed to be the ones who they felt were right for the role.

Elijah Kelley: My mortgage was due, that’s why I did this. I needed to pay my mortgage.

Amanda: I’ll speak for myself then.

Elijah: But, no, these are parts and opportunities that literally, when it hit the fan, everybody wanted a crack at this movie. They were really going for all the heavy hitters. With people like John Travolta and Michelle and Queen and all those guys, it was just a really amazing thing and to pass it up would be the most craziest thing you could do in your life.

Amanda, can you talk about creating that character? She’s just such a wonderful, innocent…

Elijah: Well, that’s what you say [laughter].

Amanda: It was funny. I talked to Adam [Shankman] about the fact that it was the most pulled back I’ve ever been in a movie because I’ve been a man in one and I’ve done Nickelodeon where I’ve been many characters; very goofy. So, for this movie, I had to sort of pull back and be kind of quiet and sort of be the observer which was actually kind of fun for me and different. This was the type of movie I want to be in which is a movie with the heavy hitters and the veterans who I hope to, one day, be like. So, for me, I just wanted to do my best. I was game every day to just be the best Penny I could be. And, a lot of times, when I do a role, I think, ‘what if someone else was playing this role?’ and, if I was watching it, ‘how would I do it better?’ So I’d kind of go in there and just do the best I could do. And, as far as the transition goes, it was kind of like me, in that she’s growing into a woman. I felt kind of shy at the beginning. It’s like all these people I don’t know and, in the end, you get kind of comfortable and speak your mind.

I wondered if you are sick of lollipops yet?

Amanda: I am. Those were the cherry kind. Now I like watermelon. So, I’m sick of cherry but I like watermelon. No, I’m sick of those too.

The movie portrays you two in an interracial relationship. Were you concerned about that?

Amanda: Not really. To us, that’s so not even an issue that’s real in our minds anymore. I know that some people may feel that way but, for me, I grew up on a show called “All That” which was a mix of Black and White people and we were just people. I had crush on and had a kiss with an African-American kid when I was eleven and, to me, I didn’t see it as anything other than the boy I liked. It wasn’t anything to me.

Elijah: Yeah and then we met back up later in life.

Amanda: Yeah, who knew that we’d work together again.

Are either of you Broadway fans or, since this movie, do you have a desire to do something on stage?

Amanda: I would love to, definitely.

Amanda, you’ve been working since you were very young. Do you set aside time every year to take a break or have you been driven to work since you were a kid?

Amanda: I’m definitely driven to work. I don’t know why. I guess it’s because you get a taste of this job and it’s sort of addictive and I get why people want to do it but, for me, it’s like I want to do movies that are cool like this. It’s very hard to find a Hairspray so I don’t take breaks so much as I don’t do them on purpose. I do it while I’m waiting for find a good project. Any time I’m not working, it’s not because I’m like ‘oh, I hate my job and I don’t want to do it’, it’s because I’m like I’m searching for the right movie.

Can both of you talk about staying grounded because we’ve seen other young people getting into problems. Is it certain people in your life or something that comes from within?

Elijah: I’m still afraid of my mother [laughter] so a lot of the things I’d consider doing if I saw her afterwards, it wouldn’t be….

Amanda: That’s exactly how I feel. It’s weird that you say that because I want to still do what I want to do. I don’t love listening to what people say I have to do but I don’t want my parents to be disappointed in me so, a lot of times, I really want them to be proud of me and I want to have their seal of approval. So, a lot of times, with things that I don’t do is because I have a family and also, I look at Will Smith. He did rap but he rapped about, like he didn’t drink and do drugs. What a good role model when that’s not as cool in the streets to do. I just think that’s very refreshing.

Elijah: I think we are both conscious that people are gonna look at us and look up to us for stuff. That’s something that comes along with the territory so we’re very conscious of it.

Amanda: And also, I think we’re very appreciative of our opportunities. For me, why would I ever throw that away by being a jerk? For us, we’re both focused and we want to have long, successful careers. Why would we want to throw that away by being jerks or going out too late?

There is more of this long interview here.

I love this interview, Amanda is so grounded and funny and down to earth. She's a good role model.