We Got Moore!
(
MEG Magazine - Philippines [ December 2002 ] )
In the scene where young pop divas try to outdo each other in the look-at-me look-at-me department, Mandy Moore emerges as refreshingly real, not to mention, the one possessing the best fashion sense. Named as the "Superstar of Tomorrow (Female)" at this year's Young Hollywood Awards and winner of the 2002 MTV Movie Award for "Best Breakthrough Performance: Female" for her role in A Walk to Remember, 18-year-old Mandy looks like she has a bright future ahead - a future that she predicted at the age of six. This talented singer/actress knew she wanted to be a performer ever since she saw the play Oklahoma! When she was six, but it wasn't until her parents finally took her begging seriously at the age of 10, when she began doing musical theater and singing the national anthem at sports events at her hometown, Orlando, Florida (also home to BSB, 'N sync and Otown…hmmm, there must be something in their water!), where producers spotted her, and before she knew it, she made her first album So Real when she was only 14.
"I know my first sing 'Candy' was a 'hit' - but to me that just means a lot of people liked it. I guess the more people you can reach with your music, the better - I try to remind myself that that's the main goal," says modest Mandy in her website. "[When] I'd do an autograph signing and there'd be all these people waiting in line for hours. I'd be thinking, 'For me?!?!'… Meeting my fans really drove home the point that so many of them are a lot like me - teenage girls just starting to really find out what life's all about."
In her self-titled third album, Mandy Moore, she's started to write her own music, which she says is "a sign of how much I'm maturing and gaining more confidence. That's so important, because to me, confidence means being comfortable with yourself - and that's true beauty… if I'm going to get any attention for my looks, I want it to be because I'm unique and happy just being myself."
Though singing is Mandy's main thing, she has other exciting things going on. She's a spokesperson for Neutrogena, an MTV host, and you'll soon see her in two new movies, Try Seventeen with Elijah Wood, and How to Deal with Peter Gallagher, where she plays a jaded teenage girl who doesn't believe in love. By the way, in her first acting stint, Princess Diaries, she played a mean but popular cheerleader. "The role was so not like me - so it was fun for me to find my inner "rrrrr!" says this sweetie. She also has a cameo in Elton John's "Original Sin" video, and of course, who doesn't know that she's the newest image model of our very own local brand Penshoppe?
"She was a perfect fit for the brand. She's dynamic and vibrant," says Bernie Liu, Penshoppe's head honcho. Shot in Los Angeles, the commercial features Mandy together with local hunk Brad Turvey, who told meg she was "sweet and personable." Want moore? Read on, as Mandy answers meg's burning questions!
In many of your interviews, you sound like a very grounded person who's just happy with what she's doing. What do you think keeps you grounded in spite of having to move in a business that can get really
crazy?
I am very lucky to have an extremely supportive family who has been with me, literally every step of the way, since I was 14. At the end of the day, I know they love me and not just what I am blessed enough to do. Plus, I think I have a sense that all of the fun I am having will eventually have to end… so I don't take it for granted.
You mentioned in your website that "when you're confident, you don't need to wear super-sexy clothes or develop some kind of fake "look-at-me" image because how you feel about yourself shines through," So, how would you define your own
style?
Casual, classy, relaxed. I always want to feel comfy with what I wear and to be able to look back 10 years from now and not be embarrassed by my choice in attire.
What's your favorite beauty product and why?
I am a big fan of moisturizer with sunscreen and an eyelash curler.
Were you surprised that A Walk to Remember became such a hit and that you got a lot of awards for your
role?
Absolutely. Making the film was such a thrill for me that even if it ended up not living up to expectations, I would have been satisfied knowing I had such an amazing experience under my belt. No one could take that away from me. Being part of the film changed everyone who worked on it. You wanted to do better, be better. I loved belonging to something that introduced people my age to a positive story.
You're soon coming out in two films (Try Seventeen and How to Deal), what roles do you play in them and how do you choose which movies to
make?
I decided upon Try Seventeen (With Elijah Wood and Franka Potente) right after AWTR came out in the States. It was a quirky, offbeat independent film that wasn't the obvious choice after a studio, film, such as AWTR. It offered me the chance to play in a film with wonderfully talented actors and [b]become the girl who wasn't like me at all - whiny, flirty self-obsessed. [/b]With How To Deal, it was again the opportunity to work with people I admired and create a story and a character that I felt passionate about. Haley (my character in HTD) is so strong and forthright about how she feels that I felt I definitely had something to learn more from her.
It's rare that a celebrity is equally successful in different fields - what do you like doing better, singing or
acting?
Singing for sure.
What made you go from long, blond hair to short and brunette? Do you prefer being a
brunette?
I am blond right now for this movie I am doing now (Saved). I miss being a brunette. I feel more like myself.
It was rumored that you were the girlfriend of Billy Crawford a long time ago? Is that true? (Excuse the curiosity, because he's Filipino, too!) And, are you seeing anyone right
now?
I met Billy during the summer of '99 (we both toured with 'N sync) and we dated for about two weeks. LOL :D He is such a sweet guy and unbelievably talented. And yes, I am seeing someone right now.
(And yes, he has a name - Mandy's happily seeing tennis cutie Andy Roddick. - Ed.)
This being for the Christmas ish, we'd like to know, how do you celebrate
Christmas?
I always celebrate Christmas with my family. This year, we are going away skiing for the holidays - a nice change from the muggy Florida Christmas.
Pierra
Calasanz and Mabel P. David - MEG Magazine ( December 2002)
