Jordana Brewster and her ATWT character evolve

by Nancy M. Reichardt

NEW YORK - At 16, Jordana Brewster is a cross between the level-headed Nikki Graves, the character she plays on As the World Turns, and Dani Andropoulous, her character's trouble-making best friend (played by Ashley Williams). Ironically, her character started out as more adventuresome, while Brewster used to be more easygoing. ''I used to get along so well with my family. Now, we fight all the time,'' she says. Much of the arguing revolves around curfews. ''On sitcoms, they are always sneaking out. But,'' with her
level-headed side showing, Brewster admits, ''I wouldn't even try. I just know that I'd be caught. I just know it. And, if I broke curfew, I'd be grounded for a month. ''

Yet, in the blink of an eye Brewster takes her mother's side when it comes to her younger sister Isabella (14), saying, ''She wants the same curfew I had at her age, but I was more responsible then. I have trouble being a big sister -I take on the motherly role. '' When it comes to school, it is the responsible Brewster who wins out. Now in her junior year, she finds it harder to balance her career with her schooling. ''I do well as long as I keep on top of things,'' she says. ''But, to get intoa good college, good grades are important. I'd love to go to Yale, even Columbia, but those are long shots. UCLA or NYU would be more realistic. '' Brewster says one of the reasons her co-star Williams is leaving the show is to concentrate on getting into college. ''Obviously,'' she says, ''Iunderstand why she wants to do this, but I'll really miss working and playing with her. '' (Williams' role is being recast.) ''Sometimes I wish I was playing the Dani character. Everybody says it is more fun to play the bad girl. But I do like that Nikki is responsible. Well, maybe I'd like toplay a mix of both.''

What Brewster hates are the intimate scenes. ''Oh - my - God. Those are so '' She can't even come up with a word. ''It is getting easier. When I did the first one, we were both 15. It was with John Daver (who played Jeremy Wheeler). Honestly, I had a major crush on him when I first came on the show. I was so embarrassed I never even discussed doing the scenes with him. ''Now, with Kerr Smith (Ryder Hughes), we talk about it. It's more comfortable to play out. Plus,'' she adds, ''he's a lot older so I think of him like a brother. '' There was a time when she first came on the show that she claims to have had a crush on most of her male castmates - especially Shawn Christian (who plays Mike Kasnoff). ''I played the 'if I were only a little older' game alot. '' If Brewster has improved as an actress since joining the show, she gives much of the credit to many of the veteran actors, who she claims are "more talented than I'll ever be." And no one has been more helpful than Ben Hendrickson, who plays herlong-lost father, Hal Munson. "Ben sets such a good example. He's so subtle in his gestures. One of my biggest fears is that I'll be too melodramatic in a scene that ends with an exclamation. So, sometimes I play it down too much, so that I think it is boring."