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This site was created February 16, 1997
It was last updated June 1, 2001 

These are some online articles about Rachael that I have found. Some include interviews and articles on some of the films she has done. Enjoy!  
 

"Prancing with Pussycats"
Audrey Diehl
http://www.teenmag.com/

Opening Wednesday, April 11, Josie and the Pussycats is a movie about three best friends who become mega-rock stars overnight. Josie stars Rachael Leigh Cook (She's All That), Tara Reid (American Pie) and Rosario Dawson (He Got Game). It's full of glamorous clothes, rockin' tunes and hilarious comedy. How could this movie get any better?

How about if it opens with a boy band parody starring Seth Green, Breckin Meyer and Felicity star Donald Faison?

That's right, Josie and the Pussycats has got all this and more, and I got to check out a special screening of the movie and interview Rachael, Tara and Rosario so that you guys can get the inside scoop on this Spring's hottest teen movie.

First a little bit about the film: Josie and the Pussycats tells the story of three regular teenage girls--Josie (Rachael), Melody (Tara) and Valerie (Rosario)--growing up in the town of Riverdale and trying to make their rock 'n' roll dreams come true. They're as close as close friends can be, and full of integrity and ambition.

Things just aren't happening for them until one day they miraculously catch their big break when big-time music manager Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming) discovers them as they cross the street. Suddenly, the Pussycats are rocketed to super stardom. Things happen incredibly fast and their single hits the top of the charts in a matter of days.

But it seems things may be going a little too fast, and the girls start to get suspicious, especially after they meet MegaRecords CEO Fiona (Parker Posey). Fiona is a bit of a nut job, and soon the girls start asking questions and trying to figure out what Wyatt and Fiona are up to. This leads to trouble which leads to more trouble and then… Well, I wont tell you how it ends except that the finale involves a huge concert scene with thousands of screaming fans.

Now it's time to have a little chat with the stars of Josie and the Pussycats, beginning with Rosario Dawson, who plays the strong, smart and sassy Valerie. Rosario walks in wearing a cool snake-skin lookin' jacket and she is gorgeous. She looks even better in person than she does on screen.
How are you doing?

"Almost back to normal. In my clothes."

You didn't like Josie's clothes?

"Josie's clothes were cool but they were like one-day wear. You know, they kind of sewed you in, and after that they cut you out." [laughs]

Did you have a favorite of the outfits you wore in the film?

"Um, my Riverdale clothes. I liked my little t-shirts that had like funny sayings and stuff like that. Very retro old-school. Sort of like 70s t-shirts, and cut off stuff, and little shorts, and Adidas old-school sneakers, and little leather jackets that they got in thrift stores. So, I kind of liked that stuff."

Was it tough for you to learn how to play the bass?

"No. I really liked doing it. I know the girls really hated playing, but I really loved doing it. I was shooting Pluto Nash (Eddie Murphy's new movie) in Montreal when I started playing, and I'd just be in my trailer jamming along. And getting used to holding it at least. Sometimes playing to the music and learning the music, but also just listening to other music that I like just so I could get used to holding the bass. And I'd just be jamming along. My trailer was shaking and people were trying to figure out what the hell I was doing by myself in there. But I had a lot of fun."

Rosario adds:

"I knew the cartoon, I think that's what it was. I knew the cartoon. I knew the comic book. So I was really excited about bringing it to live action and making the movie happen. Just being a part of it got me really hyper. I was pumped to get on the stage and jam. It's definitely not necessarily my kind music normally--very poppy and stuff like that--but you know I just kept the Go-Gos and Pat Benetar in my head and I just went with it."

What was most fun for you about playing this role?

"I have to say the girls. Playing with the girls. Having fun with the girls. There's not normally a project like this that you really have to feed so much off of your fellow actors. But in this one you're playing a concert scene in a stadium, and you're going wild. And we'd throw back looks to each other and really play off of each other. And the smiles and everything were really encouraging and supportive. And I think that was really it.

"And I was nervous about that. You know, first of all, being a fan of the comic book and wondering how we were going to really realize this. If we were going to actually be able to capture a new generation of fans for it. But also a lot of problems can happen. You know, three is a crowd. But it just worked out really well, and I think we got a great cast and we were just blessed with something that really worked."

Have you seen your doll yet?

"Yeah. It's actually is a little crazy. She has nipples, they're hard. They're awesome. I mean, I don't know if I'm supposed to talk about that. But I think that's really kind of cool that my doll's probably totally gonna get it on with G.I. Joe, and she has nipples. She'll totally kick Barbie's ass. [laughs] She's cool. It's very cool to have a doll and very strange. And every once in a while I'll kind of lean over to my friend and say, 'I have a doll?!'"

Tell us how they made you into a doll.

They take a 3-D sort of photograph of your head. This camera goes around your head, and you've gotta stay very still. They put a cap over your head, because it doesn't pick up in any hair. It's very weird because the photo image comes onto the screen flat. So like your ears are all the way over here, and your eyes are all stretched out. Then it kind of morphs into a 3-D head inside the computer. And it's without eyelashes and eyebrows and all that. In the movie, they kind of made my birthmark kind of stand out a little bit more, but on my doll it's a little bit too much." [laughs] (None of the girls are totally happy with their dolls. Tara says hers looks like a man and Rachael says hers is cross-eyed.)

How weird is it gonna be to walk into a store and see your doll on the shelf?

"I just think it's so amazing. It's crazy because we were just on TV Guide. That to me was really mind boggling. And my grandmother called from South Carolina going, 'I almost killed the postman because I was so excited jumping all over him saying, This is my granddaughter!'"

"It's really amazing the kind of stuff that's come out with this. And having my own doll is very trippy. I mean, I'm not even supposed to talk about the things that my friends are doing but they're like scanning it into their computers in like sex poses. It's definitely cool and really fun. The girls totally laughed at me for it because the first thing I did when we got our dolls is take the clothes off. But I'm like, that's what every child's gonna do as soon as they get it, and I wanna know what they're looking at."

Now we must bid farewell to Rosario, who is great in the movie by the way, and say hello to Tara Reid, actress and fiancée of Carson Daly. Lucky girl! Tara plays Melody, the sweet and spacey drummer of the Pussycats.
How challenging was it for you to play drums?

"Well, when I first took lessons I thought, 'There is no way I'm going to learn how to play drums. There's no way.' Because I couldn't uncoordinate my hands. You have to learn how to separate your hands and your feet. So then finally after about like two weeks of taking drums five days a week for three hours a day, I finally learned how to separate my hands and feet. The first time I did it I was like, '[Gasp] I did it!,' and then once you get it it's kind of like riding a bike. You just keep doing it. And it was just so much fun. I really got into it, and I'm like, 'Oh, this sounds good.' Then it really gets exciting."

What was it like filming the concert scene?

"That was sick. That was unbelievable. We did that and it was like out of control. I totally lived out that rock star fantasy that we all have--every one of us. That's one thing I love about my job is that I get to play all the different kinds of people and live out that fantasy. And it was pretty great when it was like 6,000 extras filling up the stadium. And I just remember looking off the stage, and I was like, 'Oh my God! There's people everywhere, everywhere you look, screaming for you.' You know, it was insane. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever gotten. I mean, I could see why a lot of rock stars get into a lot of problems because of that high. It's so intense.

What was it like working with Carson? (Carson makes a cameo in the movie.)

"It was great, it was fun. It was nice because I always see Carson in his element, like what he does, but he'd never seen me in mine. He'd never done a movie. He didn't know what it was. It was nice for him to come to Vancouver while I was shooting it, come to the set, and see what my routine was. See what I do for a living."

"It was funny. He said to me, 'You know Tara?,' and I said 'What?' He goes, "Don't take this the wrong way." And I said, 'Alright I won't take it the wrong way. What are you talking about?' And he says to me, 'You're much nicer. You're just more… you're more patient. You're just nicer when you're working.' He's like, 'Normally if something or someone was doing something wrong, you'd want to snap or whatever, but I've never seen you in your work situation.' He said, 'I just see how happy you are. It just gave me a whole new respect for you and what you do.' When he said that to me, it made me think, I never stopped and thought about that before. And I realized he was right, and it made me want to be nicer not just on the set. It was funny that this guy could see me exactly. For someone to observe that and see that is someone that has to know you so well, and I thought it was one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me."

Now that you and Carson are engaged, there are photographers everywhere. Are you comfortable with the camera on you?

"Yeah, it's alright. I mean, there's moments where you just wanna be like a regular guy and girl going' out. Sometimes it gets tough."

Is there anything you can tell us about American Pie 2?

"You know, I gotta be honest with you guys. They made us sign confidentiality papers, and if anything leaks out we can get sued. So, there's not much I can say. I mean, the whole thing is it's the first time we all come back and see each other, and things have changed."

Was making American Pie 2 like a reunion for you guys?

"Yeah. Everyone really grew up a lot. It's pretty interesting. Everyone got older. We were all kind of new kids on the block, and now everyone seems a little… it was just different. You know, the movie has some reality to it. It's fun to work with each other again, but it's weird to be back in Stiffler's house. Or to be back with an ex-boyfriend again in a movie. Where it's like, 'Wait, I thought we broke up.'"

What do you want audiences to take away from Josie?

"One of the things I want the audience to see coming out of Josie is that friends are really important. If you can be a good friend, then you're doing alright. Karma will definitely come back your way."

Now we must bid farewell to Rosario, who is great in the movie by the way, and say hello to Tara Reid, actress and fiancée of Carson Daly. Lucky girl! Tara plays Melody, the sweet and spacey drummer of the Pussycats.
How challenging was it for you to play drums?

"Well, when I first took lessons I thought, 'There is no way I'm going to learn how to play drums. There's no way.' Because I couldn't uncoordinate my hands. You have to learn how to separate your hands and your feet. So then finally after about like two weeks of taking drums five days a week for three hours a day, I finally learned how to separate my hands and feet. The first time I did it I was like, '[Gasp] I did it!,' and then once you get it it's kind of like riding a bike. You just keep doing it. And it was just so much fun. I really got into it, and I'm like, 'Oh, this sounds good.' Then it really gets exciting."

What was it like filming the concert scene?

"That was sick. That was unbelievable. We did that and it was like out of control. I totally lived out that rock star fantasy that we all have--every one of us. That's one thing I love about my job is that I get to play all the different kinds of people and live out that fantasy. And it was pretty great when it was like 6,000 extras filling up the stadium. And I just remember looking off the stage, and I was like, 'Oh my God! There's people everywhere, everywhere you look, screaming for you.' You know, it was insane. It was the biggest adrenaline rush I've ever gotten. I mean, I could see why a lot of rock stars get into a lot of problems because of that high. It's so intense.

What was it like working with Carson? (Carson makes a cameo in the movie.)

"It was great, it was fun. It was nice because I always see Carson in his element, like what he does, but he'd never seen me in mine. He'd never done a movie. He didn't know what it was. It was nice for him to come to Vancouver while I was shooting it, come to the set, and see what my routine was. See what I do for a living."

"It was funny. He said to me, 'You know Tara?,' and I said 'What?' He goes, "Don't take this the wrong way." And I said, 'Alright I won't take it the wrong way. What are you talking about?' And he says to me, 'You're much nicer. You're just more… you're more patient. You're just nicer when you're working.' He's like, 'Normally if something or someone was doing something wrong, you'd want to snap or whatever, but I've never seen you in your work situation.' He said, 'I just see how happy you are. It just gave me a whole new respect for you and what you do.' When he said that to me, it made me think, I never stopped and thought about that before. And I realized he was right, and it made me want to be nicer not just on the set. It was funny that this guy could see me exactly. For someone to observe that and see that is someone that has to know you so well, and I thought it was one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me."

Now that you and Carson are engaged, there are photographers everywhere. Are you comfortable with the camera on you?

"Yeah, it's alright. I mean, there's moments where you just wanna be like a regular guy and girl going' out. Sometimes it gets tough."

Is there anything you can tell us about American Pie 2?

"You know, I gotta be honest with you guys. They made us sign confidentiality papers, and if anything leaks out we can get sued. So, there's not much I can say. I mean, the whole thing is it's the first time we all come back and see each other, and things have changed."

Was making American Pie 2 like a reunion for you guys?

"Yeah. Everyone really grew up a lot. It's pretty interesting. Everyone got older. We were all kind of new kids on the block, and now everyone seems a little… it was just different. You know, the movie has some reality to it. It's fun to work with each other again, but it's weird to be back in Stiffler's house. Or to be back with an ex-boyfriend again in a movie. Where it's like, 'Wait, I thought we broke up.'"

What do you want audiences to take away from Josie?

"One of the things I want the audience to see coming out of Josie is that friends are really important. If you can be a good friend, then you're doing alright. Karma will definitely come back your way."

Tara, who is wearing a trendy turquoise top and sporting her massive engagement ring from Carson, must hurry off to do some more interviews and then get back to shooting one of the two movies she's currently working on. She's a busy girl! So, now it's time for Rachael, who plays Josie, the lead singer and guitar-player of the Pussycats. In the movie she's sweet and idealistic, and in person she appears that way too.
What was playing Josie like?

"Pretty fun. Pretty fun. It was a really good time. Honestly, when I signed on to do the movie, I read the script and I just thought, 'There's no way this can't be fun.' You get to hang out with two cool girls and wear great clothes and learn to play guitar. It sounds great."

What were some of your favorite outfits to wear in the movie?

"Anything that I could walk in. The clothes were pretty difficult. The shoes were really high."

What was it like performing in front of a live audience?

"It was cool. We were performing to playback except for Tara, because you can't fake the drums, but it was a really good time. It was insane, just to realize that there were that many people there who were into the music that we were supposed to have written. And it was a rush, just such a rush.

Do you have rock star aspirations?

"Not really. The reason I don't do theater is that I actually don't do well with crowds. So, suffice to say that early on in the concert scenes, um, not my finest hour. But, it was OK. It was OK after a while. But it was having the other girls there that made everything OK. I was just saying, 'It's not me. It's not me! It's a character.' Even at award shows, 'Waah,' I can't talk." (Who knew Rachael was such a shy girl?)

Why do you think you girls got along so great?

"Well, it's easy for us to be friends as actresses, because, you know, the resemblance between the three of us is not exactly uncanny. So we don't compete for the same parts, ever. And I think that's wonderful and it makes it easy on that level. Rosario and Tara are both very strong, independent, motivated, free thinking women, and I love that about them. You know, they are both very…forward. I don't know how to put it. Lots of times I'd be in the middle. I remember the biggest fight we ever had on set was between the two of them. Tara said that tuna was more healthy than chicken, and Rosario had seen some special on TV and didn't agree. I love how passionate they both are."

You didn't have any scenes with Seth, Breckin or Donald, but what were they like?

"They are great. I love those guys. The Du Jour (that's the name of the boy band that the guys are playing) parts of the script were some of my favorite stuff. And, they came in and actually everything went out the window. They pretty much wrote their parts completely by themselves. Although Deb and Harry wrote great things, I think they loved the ad-libs even more so they used a lot of that."

So there you go, a teen movie about friendship, rock 'n' roll and love starring three awesome young stars and featuring hilarious appearances by Seth Green, Breckin Meyer, Donald Faison, Alan Cumming and Parker Posey. (Parker is so funny I almost choked on my popcorn laughing every time she came on screen!)

Get ready for some grrrl power, because Josie and the Pussycats are coming to a theater near you!

--Audrey Diehl

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