Chat Transcript: Shiri on Sci-Fi.com (Jan 7, 2002)

Thanks to Vicki for sending this in!

ChatMod: Hi everyone, thanks for joining us here. I’m Ben Trumble for SCIFI. Tonight we’re pleased to welcome Roswell actress Shiri Appleby. Hard to believe, but Shiri has been been in show business for twenty years, appearing in series as diverse as Doogie Howser MD, Xena, and Baywatch, as well as in feature films like last year’s Swimfan. On Roswell, Shiri plays high school student Liz Parker who works in her father’s diner, the Crashdown Cafe.

Roxy: If you could choose the people you work with on a movie, who would you pick and why?
Shiri: I want to work with John Ritter, Kevin Kline — he’s classy. And Cameron Crowe as a director.

moni31: Here’s my question for Shiri. Why did you cut your hair?
Shiri: Time for a change!

psloveml: Watching you on Roswell was great. What was your favorite episode?
Shiri: The pilot. In that episode, the story was so rich and it encompassed everything the show was supposed to be about.

AlienJunkie: Ms. Appleby, did you ever read the Roswell High books before you tried out?
Shiri: No, I didn’t. The whole Roswell thing was new to me.

MrShiriAppleby: Who did you enjoy working with more, Jason Behr or Jesse Bradford?
Shiri: Both dolls. Really fun and easy to work with. Charming.

djou: Do you like travel? Would you to come in switzerland?
Shiri: I’d love to go to Europe to meet fans. It would be my pleasure.

Lost: I hear you are working on a new movie, “The Skin Horse.” Is this true? and I was also wondering if you would still do music videos?
Shiri: I did do the movie, and I would do a video again. I’m not sure yet when the film will come out. Watch for it.

sierradanielle: What is your favorite memory of when you were on the show?
Shiri: I think maybe meeting Majandra for the first time during a wardrobe fitting.

Adam: Hello, Shiri. First, I would like to say you are great! My question is – What do you think of the Virtual Season 4 Roswell fanfics, such as www.roswellthefinalchapter.net?
Shiri: I’ve never heard of them. I’ll check it out.

moni31: There’s a rumor going around about a Roswell movie. Would you consider reprising your role as Liz Parker Evans?
Shiri: I haven’t heard the rumor, but if everybody else signed on I would certainly do it.

Margarita-Salt: What are some of your favorite TV shows?
Shiri: I like shows that are clever and fresh. I love “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”.

ChatMod: Hi, Shiri! Out of all the guys that you have worked with, who was the best kisser?
Shiri: God, that’s a really hard question. They are all so polite and well-trained.

psloveml: Do you still keep in touch with everyone that was on Roswell?
Shiri: I try to as much as possible.

lizzy285: Which scene was the more difficult to turn in Roswell?
Shiri: I guess my final scene, which was a flashback. I think it was difficult because I knew it was the last scene I would ever do for the show.

dreamgirlj: Shiri, you are a wonderful actress let me just say! If you had the opportunity to do a TV show again in the future, would you? and what kind would you like to do?
shiri: I would definitely do a show again. I would really like to do a comedy in front of an audience.

planetarian: What new projects are you in?
Shiri: I’m look for something inspiring at the moment.

lizzy285: In Swimfan, you turned a scene in the swimming pool.How was that?
Shiri: Frightening. I had to learn to scuba dive and I had to stay underwater for long periods of time. My eyes were closed, so it wasn’t about my talent, but rather my good will.

Therron: Hey Shiri. What are you into right now musically? If we opened your CD player what would we find?
Shiri: Nora Jones

thekindler: Miss Appleby, thank you so much for being here with us! Will “A Time for Dancing” ever be released in the USA?
Shiri: That’s my question as well. I have no idea what’s going on.

AlienJunkie: Did you think there were similarities between your Roswell and Swimfan characters?
Shiri: Oh certainly. Loyalty. Sensitivity. Getting their hearts broken.

MrShiriAppleby: Who are your favorite actor and actress?
Shiri: Maybe Annette Bening. Or Susan Sarandon. Mary Louise Parker.

veralyn: What are you doing when you aren’t filming?
Shiri: Relax, go to the beach, work on my house, read, knit.

sierradanielle: Who do you get star-struck by?
Shiri: Everybody and anybody. I’m as much of a fan as anybody else.

thanette: Do you ever attend fan conventions or benefits like the Zeke Lerner Bowl-a-thon next month?
Shiri: I haven’t been to any conventions yet. I would consider conventions if I were invited.

norzLOST2: Shiri, just wondering if you have a website of your own like Brendan’s?
Shiri: No, I don’t have a website yet.

planetarian: Are you going to the SciFi premiere fan event?
Shiri: I’m not familiar with it I’m afraid

Mandy: If you could change anything about Roswell, what would it be?
Shiri: I wish that Liz was able to be happier earlier in the series, instead of waiting for the final episode.

roswellfan92: Will Roswell ever be released on DVD?
Shiri: I haven’t heard about it, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

A****ly: When the show ended, did you take anything from the set?
Shiri: I took my waitress uniform. Seemed fitting.

moni31: Shiri, I’m a huge Max/ Liz fan and I was wondering if you were upset by the Max/Tess baby storyline because I know alot of us were?
Shiri: I obviously felt for Liz. She was not happy with the situation whatsoever. It came out of left field.

SammyJ: Hey Shiri, was wondering what your opinion is about these two episodes of Roswell “Leaving Normal” & “Heart of Mine”?
Shiri: Those are two of my favorites. Those episodes came together very nicely and revolved around Liz.

Cshell: Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Shiri: As an actress, hopefully still employed. I’d love to do theater and make more films.

Diversity: Are you still knitting when time permits?
Shiri: I started knitting on Roswell during the first season. Now it’s one of my favorite ways to spend a quiet afternoon.

MrShiriAppleby: Since Roswell, have you taken an interest in science fiction?
Shiri: Not really. To be honest, I was drawn more to the love story aspect of the series.

veralyn: I know you have been doing acting since you were a little girl but you took a break in high school. Was it easy getting back into it… getting roles?
Shiri: I definitely had to work to get roles, but I looked at that as a plus. A mountain to climb.

qt4167013: In Roswell and Swimfan you played sort of the goody-two-shoes nerd sort of character. was it easy to relate to, or did you have to stretch?
Shiri: I’m not a dark force in life, or depressed, but I’m not shallow and happy-go-lucky all the time either. So it wasn’t the world’s largest stretch.

Margarita-Salt: What kind of character will you be playing in “The Skin Horse”?
Shiri: Now, she was a stretch. It’s a murder mystery within the porn world. Very dark.

Katherine-behr: Shiri, out of all the characters you have played, who was your favourite?
Shiri: Well, of course there’s a big spot in my heart for Liz. That’s really definitely my favorite.

SciFi: Do you have an opinion concerning the way the Liz character evolved? In the first season she was smart, independent, a leader of the group in her own right; by season 3, she lost a lot of that and became very dependent on her relationship to Max.
Shiri: I didn’t have much input on that. It isn’t necessarily what I would have chosen, but I could understand what the writers were after.

Dreamer4Ever: What was it like filming the “End of The World” episode, because you showed such extreme emotion in that episode.
Shiri: That was a stand alone episode, so we could have fun with it and do something new. I loved the story.

ChatMod: What would you do if you couldn’t be an actress?
Shiri: Probably go back to school and get a law degree.

Minanda: There were rumors that you were upset during the filming of “Max to the Max” and that something Jason said helped to soothe you. Could you possibly tell us what he said to soothe you?
Shiri: He was always very comforting.

bigspam: Your new film sounds like you want to really stretch your horizons from parts (i.e. waitresses), which I think we all look forward to by the way. Is it hard to totally reconfigure the way you think about playing a role? Or do you let the director nudge the character in the way he/she would like it seen?
Shiri: I don’t think it’s that difficult to take on new and different roles. It takes time and thought. But to an extent, something happens when they turn on the camera… the character comes out on her own. That’s the magic of it.

Olka: Would you like to play in soap opera again?
Shiri: I don’t know… I would never say never but… that’s grueling work.

norzLOST2: There is this question that a lot of people had about the show. Isabel and Max came out of the Pod the same time… then how come Isabel end up being older ?
Shiri: Wow. I have no idea. I thought they were twins? I think she just finished school earlier.

A****ly: Are there any limits that you would set when choosing a particular role? Such as no nudity, no playing someone who is abusive… those are vague, but yeah.
Shiri: I won’t do nudity. That’s where I draw the line.

SciFi: After doing three years on a series and also doing a few films, which type of work do you prefer?
Shiri: I really like both. Right now I’d rather do films because I’m not ready for the time television takes, but I enjoy both.

WasteKate: After Alex’s death, was it different on the set without Colin?
Shiri: Absolutely. He brought an energy to the set, and it was like a part of the family had left.

bigspam: I had the fortunate opportunity to watch filmings in Covina. Sometimes we thought you practiced facial expressions on the sidelines. Is that perhaps what we saw? And thanks for playing to our cameras at the ending of “Three Aiens and a Baby”.
Shiri: I’m not practicing facial expressions, I’m just really animated in real life.

WasteKate: As the show was coming to an end, do you feel that there were any regrets about how it ended or your experience on the series?
Shiri: I felt the writers did a good job wrapping the show up. We all did good work. It was a good experience.

ChatMod: How much leeway did the various directors give to the actors on Roswell? Did they allow you much input in how a scene was played?
Shiri: Sure. I think there was always room for discussion, but different directors had different styles so it depended on who we were working with.

AZfire: Shiri! Have you ever really disliked a role or script you have had to perform?
Shiri: I try not to take projects I’m not fond of. But I’ve been really lucky in terms of projects and the people involved.

Roxy: How was William Sadler as a co-worker and director?
Shiri: He’s great. So much energy, and he knows what he likes. He communicates that. He’s top notch.

Margarita-Salt: We know you and Majandra are close, but how did you get along with Emilie and Katherine?
Shiri: I wasn’t as close to them.

muse: Shiri, who did you learn the most from on the set of Roswell?
Shiri: The director David Nutter, I think.

ChatMod: How long between the pilot and the time you started the first season?
Shiri: 8 or 9 months

Mandy: Shiri, if you were to switch actors for a character, who would you change and why?
Shiri: I would have liked to play Michael’s part.

planetarian: Do you miss being on the show?
Shiri: Yes and no. It’s great to have a job. But after a couple years you are ready to make changes in your life.

sierradanielle: Was there any roles that you gave up because you were doing the show that you wish you hadn’t?
Shiri: Yes. But I don’t think it’s fair to name them.

Margarita-Salt: Awhile ago, there was a rumour that you were in negotiations to do a movie called “Van Helsing” with Hugh Jackman. Is there any truth to that?
Shiri: No truth to that one.

ChatMod: What advice do you give to aspiring actors?
Shiri: I give them the best advice I ever heard… When you think it’s over it’s not. Thanks so much for supporting me and the show. I’m so glad the show is back on the air yet again. Good night, everybody.