Majandra interview from May 7
Thanks to MistyMue and Jenni for this interview that they did with Majandra on May 7. The original is online here and has exclusive pictures.
By Jenni Lumpkin & Kathy Wyman
Photos property of eFanGuide.com
At 19 years of age, Majandra Delfino is no stranger to the limelight. As a teenager in Miami, she began her career by singing with her all girl group, China Doll. From there, she made her acting debut in the 1997 film Zeus and Roxanne. During that same year, she landed the role of Tina on the Tony Danza Show.
When the Tony Danza Show concluded, Majandra took a short break, returning to acting in 1999. She made a string of movies including “The Secret Life of Girls” (1999), “I know what you Screamed Last Summer” (1999), and “Unglued” (1999). She was recently signed to play a dysfunctional, drug-addicted teenager in the upcoming movie, Traffic, with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Her latest TV series is the WB alien drama, Roswell, where she plays a normal, human, earth girl (Maria Deluca) whose world is turned upside down by her discovery that aliens are among us. Specifically, that her boyfriend (Brendan Fehr) is an alien as is the boyfriend of her best friend, Liz (Shiri Appleby), and the girlfriend (Katherine Heigl) of her other best friend, Alex (Colin Hanks).
At this writing, the WB still has not announced the series has been renewed, but it is the hope of all the dedicated Roswell fans that the news of the renewal will come with the WB announcement of the new fall lineup on the 16th of May. For Majandra fans, this will indeed be great news.
Recently, The WB and Levi’s came together on a campaign for Levi’s Lot 53 clothing line. Levi’s used the core cast of Roswell as the models for the line and feature ads have been appearing in publications such as Rolling Stone, Spin, and Seventeen. Levi’s also provides many of the Lot 53 items to the Roswell wardrobe.
In order to promote the Lot 53 line and indirectly, Roswell, Majandra, along with Brendan Fehr (Michael) and Katherine Heigl (Isabel), have been doing public appearances in stores that feature the Levi’s clothing line. Fans in the selected areas such as New York, Atlanta, and Seattle were treated to an up close and personal glimpse of their favorite stars.
On Sunday, May 7th, Majandra appeared at the Burdines store at the Miami Dadeland Mall for Lot 53. Prior to this appearance, eFanGuide was granted an opportunity to interview Majandra. It was for us, an honor, because of our recent focus on beginning a network of fan sites dedicated to the cast of Roswell.
The interview was to have started at 12:15, but Majandra was running late. When she arrived, she said her driver got lost trying to find the Will Call entrance at Burdines.
She laughingly told her publicity agent she got lost in the store and as she tried to find her way, she was approached by one of the Levi’s associates handing out the announcement cards of her appearance. The young girl proceeds to tell Majandra that, “Majandra Delfino, from Roswell will be appearing today at the Levi’s area on the first floor men’s department.” Majandra laughed and said, “tell me about it.” She found the whole thing pretty amusing.
The first interview was conducted by the local Miami WB affiliate, Channel 39. Once the WB interview ended, we were ushered into the conference room where the petite actress was sipping on an iced coffee. After the formal introductions and few minutes of chatting to break the ice, we began the interview.
eFanGuide_Jenni: Okay, first question. Are you ready?
Majandra: Yes.eFanGuide_Jenni: Can you describe your role in the upcoming movie, Traffic?
Majandra: Okay. Well, it’s this girl named Vanessa and she basically deals with {sigh} she’s kind of an uncomfortable, you know, sort of teenager and she deals with that by being high 24 hours a day.eFanGuide_Jenni: Right�
Majandra: Yeah, she’s serious about the drugs. What can I say?eFanGuide_Jenni: What can you tell us about “I Know What You Screamed Last Summer?
Majandra: Hmm� It’s a parody of all things trendy. All those scary movies, all prophecies, everything teenage trendy, poppy that makes fun of it all. I know�{Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: “If I looked in your VCR/DVD player now, what movie might I see?”
Majandra: I would have to go with, um, Dracula�. {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: Oh cool! {Laugh}
Majandra: Yeah, {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: Do you have a DVD or a VCR ?
Majandra: A DVD Player. I have a DVD and a VCR too, obviously, but I just received the DVD player.eFanGuide_Jenni: To date, what has been your most difficult character to portray?
Majandra: I would say Tina from the Tony Danza show. It is actually a lot easier for me to be dramatic than light, bubbly, and loud and funny.eFanGuide_Jenni: But, you do it so well..
Majandra: Well, In TV, Drama-wise, light and bubbly is a different story from a sitcom. On a sitcom, its so overdone you just can’t tell because I was shot from like really far away, but in order for anything to translate onto the tiny little TV in the little shots that sitcoms give you, you have to be really huge.eFanGuide: Hmmmm�..
Majandra: And, that was really hard for me because it was going against all my acting. You know – all the understanding that I had of acting, which was all the subtleties and showing what you were thinking and stuff like that. It went against that completely. {Laugh} So it was very hard for me.eFanGuide_Jenni: Do you write music often?
Majandra: Yes, I write.. a lot. I’m always writing. It�s my therapy.eFanGuide_Jenni: What is your music writing process?
Majandra: Well what I have is� I have many books that I write down poetry and lyrics like 24 hours a day, whatever comes to mind, random times, so I always have something with me. Whether I am writing it on a random piece of paper, back of a matchbook, or like a napkin, and then I transfer it over to sorta like these poetry books that I have. I guess it’s poetry. And, um, {Laugh} I then later on, sit myself down and put it to music with the guitar.eFanGuide_Jenni: I downloaded your MP3 music and I thought it was so cool!
Majandra: Oh, {Laugh} Thank you!eFanGuide_Jenni: Yes, I loved it and I just had to tell you.
Majandra: Oh, Thank you! {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: Okay. When you write a song, what instrument do you play most often?
Majandra: Oh, Guitar because it’s the one that you can, you know, travel with so I can always have it on the set or whatever.eFanGuide_Jenni: If I looked in your CD player now, what kind of music might I see?
Majandra: Hmmm�.You might see Nine Inch Nails. {Laugh}. Let me see� probably�hmm, let me think. Right now? Fiona Apple, the new album. I’m now going back to Portishead Dummy after I have been through Portishead Dummy, Normal Portishead, and Portishead Live. Now I am back to like the first one. You know what I mean? When you don’t know what to do with yourself? And, I have you know like a Pretty Hate Machine Nine Inch NailseFanGuide_Jenni: Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
Majandra: Probably married and with doggies and not leaving the house because I just want to spend time with my husband and dogs. {Laugh} Probably. Well, 10 years from now, that’s not bad. {Laugh}eFanGuide_Kathy: Majandra. I have to interrupt. Are you sure this constant picture taking isn’t bothering you?
Majandra: Oh, no, no, no! Go crazy! {Laugh}
eFanGuide_Jenni: Yeah, go crazy {Laugh}
Majandra: {Laugh}
eFanGuide_Kathy: Okay! {Laugh} I’ll go crazy!
Majandra: Yeah, {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: What is your worst habit?
Majandra: Oh my god! My worst habit is procrastination and like just lack of discipline in general. Yeah, {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: What is the one thing you couldn’t live without?
Majandra: “The one thing I couldn’t live without would probably be�.a pen.eFanGuide_Jenni: Okay. And Paper? {Laugh}
Majandra: “Yeah, You know I guess I you don’t really need paper because that’s 2 things. Right? {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: Yeah�you’re right. {Laugh}
Majandra: Yeah, I guess I would have the pen and I would just write on whatever. Yeah, I need to write things down.eFanGuide_Jenni: Who would you consider to be the biggest influence on you?
Majandra: Ah, I’d say my mother and not because I’m like “oh, she’s such a hero in my life.” It’s all that but, I just realize that I think like my mom. So many of the things that I believe in, I know come from come from her. You know what I mean?eFanGuide_Jenni: Yeah, I do.
Majandra: So that’s definitely the biggest influence.eFanGuide_Jenni: Out of your whole life, what do you consider the highlight, the moment you are most proud of?
Majandra: Oh. This is probably the dumbest thing in the world. Um, I’d have to say in Calculus�. In the 10th grade, I was in Calculus and I had missed so much school because of acting. I had to come back to school and take six tests. Six calculus tests in like one day and I was “I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” So, I studied. It was basically like studying from midterm, right after we just had our midterms, and so there was so much, so much stress. I got A’s on all six of the tests and that was like my most proud moment.. Just getting it like that {snaps fingers} one two, three, four�.like right in front of your nose!
eFanGuide_Kathy: I have to say that was quite an accomplishment.
Majandra: Right! Isn’t that so cool? {Laughs}
eFanGuide_Jenni: It is!
eFanGuide_Kathy: Yes, it is!eFanGuide_Jenni: If you never got into show business, what kind of career would you have chosen?
Majandra: I’d probably be a scientist of some sort. That’s probably what I’d be. I would have aimed to be in genetic analysis. You know? I love that kind of stuff, because I love Doctor stuff, anything medical. I swear I would make up appointments to go and visit my doctor or dentist for no reason. I have always had a doctor or dentist, because I love the status thing and I usually love the surroundings and all the stuff. It’s the weirdest thing. The whole mood of it I love. And then I also love the mathematical aspect of DNA simply because it is so perfect�..you know?eFanGuide_Jenni: Do you find yourself acting different towards people in the limelight as opposed to outside of it?
Majandra: Well I have a little more faith, this is terrible to say, because it ‘s very, very, very, stereo typical. It’s very prejudiced. But, I have little more faith in the people outside of the limelight. I ‘m very nice to people in the limelight. I’m very polite, as you would be with someone, that you know, you are introduced to . You know, polite – manners, but I do not put very much trust in them. And it’s very easy to dismiss them because they are in the limelight and you’re like “Oh, they’re an actor.” You know?eFanGuide_Jenni: Uh-huh.
Majandra: I had a boyfriend that was an actor and I broke up with him. It was a while ago and I had dated this actor-boy. We would go to a party and he would work the room. Oh, he’s like huge now. {Laugh} That’s probably why he’s huge because he would definitely work the room and would make everyone his best friend and somehow pretend it was all a coincidence. You know? And I can’t deal with that kind of thing. You know what I mean?eFanGuide_Jenni: Oh, yes I do know what you mean.
Majandra: It just�I separate business from pleasure.eFanGuide_Jenni: How would you describe yourself?
Majandra: I would describe myself as {Laugh}. It’s so funny because whenever someone asks me this, I always think of how would you describe your friend, like she’s tall, has dark hair. To describe myself , personally� personality wise I would say I am kind of like a recluse. Is that the right word?eFanGuide_Jenni: Yes
Majandra: In the sense that I would love�. like I’m a lone wolf, you know I love to like sit at home, and do�.eFanGuide_Kathy: It’s your by yourself time.
Majandra: Yes!eFanGuide_Kathy: Your me time.
Majandra: Yes – the quiet time. And, my room its� anyone would have so much fun in my room because there’s so many things to do, because it’s my world..this room. You know? You can paint with any acrylic you could ever think of and there is music and instruments and recording devices. It’s pretty cool .eFanGuide_Jenni: Is there any other question you wish I asked you that I haven’t yet?
Majandra: What’s my favorite color? {Laugh}eFanGuide_Jenni: Okay, What’s your favorite color?
Majandra: {Laugh} Dark purple and moss green. Yeah, My room is actually those two together. I like anything dark purple and moss green.eFanGuide_Jenni: If you could lunch with any person from history (living or dead), who would it be?
Majandra: Oh, I would say John Lennon.——————————————————————————–
The interview was officially over as all the questions had been asked, but no one was ready to leave. Majandra’s publicity agent had not come to take her to the public appearance, so we took the time to chat informally, offline.
Majandra is very open, sweet, and seems unaffected by her growing celebrity. She has a bubbly personality and tells it like it is. When she speaks, she is very animated and it’s clear she has a passion for life.
We laughed and giggled over her amazement with Internet and the fan sites that have been devoted to her. When asked if it blows her away, she responded that it does. And, that in some ways she feels silly because she can’t make a website.
Our time was up too soon as her publicity agent finally came to get her. Before leaving, he put a Levi’s jacket on her and announced they (the fans) were going to fall in love with her.
It’s too late. We already have�
Be sure to visit our site Majandra-Delfino.com
