The Jewel Staite FAQ
V.70
Last Edited: 8/26/97
Currently Maintained by:
Ryan Stewart (jewelhp@hotmail.com)
An HTML version of the FAQ is available at
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/3908/jewelfaq.html
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Table of Contents:
[* = updated]
Section 1: Who is Jewel Staite?
A. The Basic Bio
B. Quick Facts
C. An Interview
Section 2: Filmography
Section 3: How can I contact Jewel Staite?
A. E-mail
*B. Snail Mail
Section *4: What new things (ie moveies, shows, ect) is Jewel doing?
Section 5: Where can I find information about her on the net?
*A. Webpages
B. Newsgroups
C. IRC
D. Other
Section 6: Credits
Section 7: About the FAQ
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Section 1: Who is Jewel Staite?
A. The Basic Bio
Jewel's career found her early in life when a Sears photographer offered her any doll in the toy department if
she'd appear in the store video. She turned him down; he was condescending. Soon after that she saw her first
fashion show and, coming from a long line of clothes addicts, she just had to wear all those beautiful things. She
soon discovered she could have them if she worked for them, so Jewel took her first modelling course at age six.
After a couple of years modelling and doing commercials, she met an inspiring and dedicated director and teacher
named Mikal Dughi who convinced her to get serious. Jewel began her study of the craft in earnest, pouring most
of her modelling income back into acting & film classes. She's still doing that.
Like many young Vancouver actors, Jewel attributes a lot of her passion for the craft to the time spent with
Vancouver Youth Theatre (both on stage and on the road with touring companies). There's nothing like a three
month tour de force ( hitting three different schools a day) to fine tune the work ethic. A couple of seasons at
Vancouver Film School helped sharpen the on camera skills and provide that ellusive professional edge. In fact, at
age ten she was chosen Best Actor (out of 500 films)at the Houston and Yorkton Festivals, for her touching
performance in the short "Meeting Dad".
Jewel has been very lucky to work with some big names and respected people over the years and has an
amazing album of memories. Early on, she guest starred in the Canadian children's series The Odyssey. She's
worked with Patty Duke, and co starred in TV movies with Henry Winkler, and John Ritter, and Linda Carter,
and later guest starred in two episodes of Are You Afraid Of The Dark. She worked with Christina Ricci and
Anna Clumsky in the feature Goldiggers and has a cameo in the feature Carpool. Last fall, Jewel guest starred on
The X Files as the kidnap victim of a obsessed psychotic. Hey, she'll tell you, " it was a tough job getting mouth to
mouth from David Duchovny but somebody had to do it."
Since last year, she's been appearing as Catalina in "Space Cases", originating on Nickelodeon and recently
picked up by the Family Channel and the Sci Fi Channel. SC fans are a special breed and are totally addicted to
the sometimes bizarre live action comedy about five misfit space cadets who accidently launch an abandoned alien
vessel. The kids get stuck "cruising outer space" for seven years with an extremely reluctant principal and a
neurotic teacher. In second season, her character is invisible. This is because a previous commitment with Disney
forced her to leave her buds and move to Toronto to start Flash Forward. This was very very difficult for Jewel.
Space Case fans were furious and didn't know it wasn't her decision and some very nasty speculative comments
were made on the Nick Show Posts. Not only that but she had to leave her best friends and start all over again in
a strange city with a new show and all new people.
The result of this earth shattering, tearful, life changing move is Flash Forward, a wonderful Disney/Family
channel series which chronicles the lives of two best friends (Becca & Tucker) next door neighbors, born on the
same day to best-friend parents. The inseparable pair are entering their teen years and testing their best friendship
on an almost daily basis. It's touching, poignant, hilarious and Jewel found it a joy to work on. She made friends
amongst the cast and crew which will last a lifetime and was, once again, heartbroken and devastated when the
final episode was wrapped.
Since that time she's been in constant contact with cast and crew members from both shows and often visits back
and forth. Her phone bills are outrageous. After a wild and crazy three months in Hollywood (auditioning
sometimes twice a day during pilot season) and trying out every new experience and LA party scene she could
talk her mom into, Jewel walked away from the fast life and decided there was no place like home. She's back in
Vancouver now, renewing old friendships, and playing hostess to a constantly changing visitor list. She's decided
to take advantage of this break to train her voice and has a new passion and a new mentor in the music industry
(Mr. Platter himself, Ray Caroll). She's rehearsing daily in the studio and attending acting workshops to keep her
edge and hopes to join a touring company in the fall. In the last few months, she's been doing voice overs for a
variety of animated series and is rehearsing a guest appearance on the new Super Dave Osbourne show, starting
soon on Nickelodeon.
Jewel is fifteen and the youngest of four sisters and two brothers. Her home base is Vancouver, B.C. but she
hasn't seen it much in the last two years. She goes to school by correspondence and maintains a frantic social life
by the Internet and phone. Jewel's goal is to have one of her novels published. Writing is not just a hobby, it's an
obsession. She has a cat and a 3 lb Yorkie named Malibu who goes to the studio with her every day. She's still a
bit of a clothes horse but the novelty wore off after she overdosed on Melrose, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive in
LA, and Bloomies in New York and Canadian fashion capitals like Montreal and Queen Street in Toronto. She
realized that Vancouver's Robson Street and Gastown fashion districts are right up there with the best. Besides,
when you're at home, boxers and TShirts are perfectly acceptable, if not downright attractive not to mention
appropriate - sometimes.
B. Quick Facts:
Height: 5'6
Weight: 115 lbs
Place of Birth: Vancouver, BC
Date of Birth: June 2nd, 1982
Current Residence: Vancouver, BC
Current School: tutoring/correspondence
Favorite Subject: English or French
Hobbies: writing, socializing, shopping, clubbing, singing :),
Nicknames: currently Ms. Moss, Jujub, Jazzy G, Jewely Newmar, Princess
Hand Preference: right
Favorite Colors: green, baby blue, cream
Favorite Sport: volleyball, basketball
Favorite Athletes: Dennis Rodman
Favorite Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, George Clooney
Favorite Actresses: Alicia Silverstone, Claire Danes, Renee Zellewager
Favorite TV Shows: Saturday Night Live, music videos, Flash Forward (heh heh,
j/k)
Favorite Automobiles: Volkswagen Cabrio, Nissan Pathfinder, BMW convertible
Favorite Cereals: oatmeal (yum), those sugary rainbow colored cereals, cornflakes,
raison bran, Honey Bunches of Oat's RULE
Favorite Foods: sundried tomato pasta, cheeseburgers, chocolate(I live for this),
fruit pies, Reeces Peeces, Cookie Dough Haagan Dazs ice cream...I could go on.
Favorite Drinks: iced tea, water, guava juice, apple juice.
Favorite Music: R&B and some jewel stuff
Favorite Song: right now it's Cupid
Favorite Music Artists: 112, Allure, Blackstreet, Jewel, Foxy Brown, BIG, 2Pac,
Tamia, Fiona Apple, No Doubt( ok actually just Gwen)
Favorite Countries: USA, Canada. (specifically California, Hawaii, Vancouver,
Montreal, Toronto, Boston)
Favorite Animals: cats
Things She Couldn't Live Without: chocolate, music, people
Type of Computer: ? PC something or other... ?
C. An Interview
What are your interests and statistics, i.e. height,
weight, DOB, etc.?
I'm 5'4, 118 lbs, my birthdate is June 2nd, 1982, and I'm
into music, socializing, shopping, ACTING(of course, :P),
singing when no one's listening, writing, and watching romance
movies. I am a total, sickening romantic, I am somewhat
obsessive, I love people, and I love magic. It's something I
rely on I guess.....I have these thoughts like, "it was meant
to be if I meet them" or "we were destined to become friends",
so I believe in fate and karma.
Who has been influentual in your life?
There are many people that are influentual in my life, so many
that I can't really count. My old acting teacher who put up
with me from when I was seven until about twelve....She really
is the greatest, her name's Mikal Dugi and she has taught me
everything I know and I love her ability to influence people
that they will make it if they try hard enough and all of
their work won't be just for nothing. And of course, there's
all sorts of movie stars that have influenced me in their own
ways, like Winona Ryder in Mermaids---her performance blew me
away. The beauty of Gwyneth Paltrow, the unbelievable chaos
that goes with Gwen Stefani, the romanticism Claire Danes
carries, the naivety of Natalie Portman......the list goes on
and on forever. And my mother has influenced me quite a bit,
especially since she has been so supportive and she's told me
all the ights and the wrongs in this world.
What goals do you hope to achieve in the future?
There are no special "goals" I want to achieve. Right now
I'm just having fun and I am doing something that I have
always wanted to do, and the thought that people actually
enjoy it just blows me away, I think it's hysterical that
they actually watch the shows and they love the characters
almost as much as I do. Both shows have such a great cast,
I'm very lucky and I'm very greatful. I guess I've always
wanted to be a respected actress that has played many
different roles and someone that people like to watch....but
mainly I just love being somebody else for a while. That's
why I get so attached to the characters.
How did you get involved in acting?
I started out modelling and when that didn't work out with me,
I got some good advice from my modelling/acting teacher to
get an agent, since she said I would probably do better in
that field. I started out doing commercials and when I was
eight or nine, I did my first tv movie and a guest spot on
The Odyssey. It was very exciting for me to tell my friends
at school to "catch me on the tube at eight". They still
haven't gotten used to it.
Is acting anything like you thought it would be?
I didn't have time to think. I was only six ;) But as I was
training and getting up there and doing commercials, I was
always taught that it wasn't all fun and games so I was
prepared that it wasn't going to be just a "hobby". And it's
not, it's my career and I am so happy I got into it when I
did. Maybe it was fate...LOL
What would advice would you give to someone that has
a passion for acting?
A passion isn't really enough....you have to have dedication,
and be prepared to give up your life. You can't miss auditions
for birthday parties if you want to get anywhere and you have
to leave home for months at a time to shoot a television
series. It's an amazing and wonderful field, but it's also
very competitive and very difficult.
Who would you like to work with in future projects?
Anybody I talked about in the "people that have influenced
me" question..;) Also Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Johnny
Depp, Robin Williams, Julia Louis-Dreyfus(she is INCREDIBLE
on Seinfeld), Robert Redford, Steven Spielberg, Billy Bob
Thornton, Amy Heckerling, the list goes on and on and on....
What was experience of filming The X-Files episode,
The Oubliette like?
It was one of the most amazing and exhilerating and draining
experiences of my whole career. The whole feeling on the set
was so intense, so quiet, and everyone was working really
really hard, which is maybe why it turned out to be such a
good episode. I love the X-Files cast and crew, I have so
much respect for them.
What do you think about Flash Forward?
What do I think about it?? It's my baby, I love it. Sometimes
I'm upset with it, but I always love it. It was definitely a
learning experience and there was such a heavy bond with
everyone on the set that it was difficult when we found out
it was going to be on hold for a while. It was my home for
six months, I got so used to the whole routine of driving to
the studio and going to my dressing room with an egg Mc muffin
and watching bloopers at lunch time....It was sad when it was
all over, but I guess that happens.
What are a couple of the experiences that occur in
Flash Forward that have happened to you?
It was like a regular family on set. It was me and Ben being
best friends, Theo keeping to himself, Asia always making us
laugh, me and Ben going out, Theo and Ben argueing, Asia and
I turning down wardrobe....At the beginning we were all very
careful what we said to each other, because we didn't know
each other very well and we all wanted to make this phony,
good impression. But in the third month, we really opened up
and thats when things started getting interesting---but every
arguement brought us a little bit closer until we were just
like siblings on set. It was a big blow when it was all over.
We cried for a long time, and we didn't realize what he had
until we didn't have it anymore.
What are your favorite episodes of Flash Forward?
I like every one of them for little things, but my big
favorites are Presents and Flossed in the Woods. I liked
Presents because that's when Becca and Tucker finally show a
little bit of feelings for each other, and the script was
beautifully written and it was shot really well. Flossed in
the Woods, the one where we all went camping, was actually a
very moving episode. The cast comes together to get themselves
out of a problem near the end and I thought it was totally
realistic. And of course, I love That's My Baby, because Ben
is HYSTERICAL in that one. I die laughing everytime I see it.
What were your favorite Flash Forward episodes to
film?
"Flossed" was a great one to film because it was mostly shot
at night when we were totally hyper on coffee and candy and
screaming and doing the dumbest things just to get a
laugh.....Everyone really bonded during that week, and some
of the funniest outtakes were made on that one. Funny Like
Me, an episode about a talent contest, was the best to film
for me, because the director gave me so much freedom with
comedy and the script was great and everyone did such a cool
job. I haven't seen the final product yet, but I know that
it was one of the best weeks we've had on the show.
What do you think of Ben Foster, or "The Blond Guy,"
as most refer to him?
Ben is an incredible person, and I knew that he was the first
day I met him. He's really really tense about everything,
he's totally intelligent, and he's one of the best actors
I've known. I respect him a lot and I wish people would get
to know him as ben instead of "the blond guy"...but I'm
usually known as the nerdy girl. LOL (I guess you have to get
used to that in this business). He's also insecure, like most
actors are, so if he does a good job, he never believes you if
you tell him. I love talking to him and I love him for
listening.
What do you think about Space Cases?
I think Space Cases is a great show, maybe because I know
everyone works so hard on that set to make it a great show.
It's also one of my "baby's" because it was my first series
and my first experiene working steadily like that for months.
I loved it, and I can't believe how different it is from the
Flash Forward set. Space Cases is always upbeat, the people
are usually happy and joking and laughing and eating way too
much and just being stupid.....and so supportive! We always
made sure to tell each other we did a good job in a certain
scene and we always felt good about ourselves. They are a
wonderful group.
What are your favorite episodes of Space Cases?
I like The Impossible Dram and I like Kangaroo Court, because
they're pretty "fantasy" like and I love that kind of stuff.
"Dram" was great because it was beautifully written and
"Kangaroo" was so funny, we were all so in character in that
one.
What were your favorite Space Cases episodes to film?
Forever Young because of the food fight and Ricky Mabe, the
guy who played young Goddard. Ricky is hilarious no matter
what character he's playing and I love him--he's like my
little brother.
What was the transition like to go from Space Cases
to Flash Forward?
Like I said, both sets are very very different. Leaving Space
Cases really upset me and it was hard to get over that and
move on to a totally different group. I felt intimidated...but
after a week on Flash Forward I was okay again. I adapt very
well and both groups of people are like my families. I do
miss "Catalina" very much...and I miss "Becca" now. But
hopefully they will be re-lived sometime.
What is your relationship like with the cast from
Space Cases, and do you still keep in touch with them?
Kristian is my best friend and I love him, and Paige is my
sister who looks out for me and I look out for her, Rahi is
my personal comedian, Anik is my idol, Cary is my mom, Paul
is my dad, and Walter is the guy that keeps me on my toes,
constantly teasing me--he's so cool. I do keep in touch with
them as much as possible and I miss them very much. I miss the
whole atmosphere of the Space Cases set...I would love to be
back there.
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Section 2: Filmography
Title Character Played Year Released Where
Flash Forward Becca Fisher 1996 Television Series on Disney
Carpool Soap Opera acrtress 1996 Theatrical and Home Video
Space Cases Catalina 1996 Television Series on Nickelodeon
Prisoner of
Zenda, Inc.
(Double Play Theresa 1996 Television Movie and Home Video
on home video)
Golddiggers:
The Secret of Samantha 1995 Television Movie and Home Video
Bear Mountain
The X-Files -
Oubliette Amy Jacobs 1995 Television Series on FOX
Are You Afraid
of the Dark? - Cody 1994 Television Series on Nickelodeon
Tale of the
Unfinished Painting
Liar, Liar Dorianna 1993 Television Movie
The Only Way
Out Alexendria 1993 Television Movie
Are You Afraid
of the Dark? - Kelly 1992 Television Series on Nickelodean
Tale of the
Watcher's Woods
The Odyssey -
Prophesy and Lobelia 1992 Television Series currently running
Believers on SciFi Channel
Meeting Dad Megan 1992 Vancouver Film School Students Film
Posing: Inspired
by Real Stores Jennifer 1991 Television Movie and Home Video
(I posed for
playboy on home
video)
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Section 3. how can I contact Jewel Staite?
A. E-mail: Jewel can be E-mailed at Jewelinc@aol.com
B. Snail Mail: You can reach Jewel at:
Jewel Staite c/o
Carrier Talent Management 2nd Floor 1260 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6Z 1W2
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Section 4: What new things (ie moveies, shows, ect) is Jewel doing?
Jewel is currently in Calgary working on an episode for the
new TV series "Honey I Shrunk the Kids".
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Section 5: Where can I find information about her on the net?
A. Webpages:
The Jewel Staite Homepage - http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/3908/jewel.html
Jewels of the Heart - A Jewel Staite Site - http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/4311/
The Unofficial Jewel Staite Homepage - http://members.aol.com/jewelfire/index.html
Budding Hollywood Starlet-Namesake Page - http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m606/haug0066/realbhs.htm
The Jewel Staite Page - http://members.aol.com/wormie1138/jewel.html
My (well, not really MY) tribute to Jewel Staite - http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/7753/jewel.html
The Jewel Staite Fan Page - http://members.aol.com/nofeus/jewel-e.html
Want a Jewel Staite Page? - http://www.fortuneCity.com/lavendar/ridleyford/17/index.html
Jewel Staite and Asia Vierra - http://members.aol.com/JewelState/jewelinc.html
Jewel Staite - http://members.aol.com/Gemini1785/jewel.html
Jewel Staite! - http://scnc.fvl.k12.mi.us/~lenk/jewel/jewel.html
Kiel's Jewel Staite Home Page - http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/5472/jewel.html
Jewel Staite's Odyssey - http://pw2.netcom.com/~jivefive/odyssey/staite.html
Jewel Staite Now! - http://fascination.com/pub/collin/jewel_now.html
B. Newsgroups:
There is a newsgroup on AOL the address is :
aol://4344:1050.wb316.8388678.508188697 but you may have
to be a member of AOL, I don't know.
C. IRC:
There is an IRC channel being started - #JewelStaite Get info at:
Jewel Fans on the Undernet - http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/3980/jewelirc.html
D. Other:
There is a chat at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/3980/chat.html. That one is java based.
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Section 6: Credits
Maintainers, Jewel Staite FAQ:
Ryan Stewart (stewartcorp@hotmail.com)
Thank you to:
Alternity (for the Filmography and some additions)
Wormie (for the interview and for some additions)
Remy (for the bio)
Jewel Staite (for her "quick facts" and for being so nice)
Cher Staite (for helping me out with the new info)
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Section 7: History of the FAQ
7/12/97 - *Officially created* version .50 released
7/17/97 - version .65 released
7/18/97 - version .70 released
8/26/97 - version .80 released
(
geocities.com/hollywood/academy) (
geocities.com/hollywood)