The many moods of Rachael Leigh Cook (Cosmo Girl September 2000) By Elizabeth Kuster CosmoGIRL!: I interviewed īN Sync for our May issue, and when I asked Joey which celebrity heīd most like to go out with, he said Rachael Leigh Cook. He said you even came up to him once. Rachael: Oh my gosh, thatīs the funniest thing! Iīll tell you the story. I went to some party and I saw this guy who had on this necklace that was pretty cool. it had a huge chain and this Superman S that was encrusted with these things that looked like diamonds, which I figured could not have been the real thing because then the necklace would have been worth more than the property value of every building in a tenmile radius. [P.S. they were real.] Anyway, Iīm looking at this necklace, and Iīm curious: Is this guy Clark Kent and he needs this necklace to become superman? So I went up to him and I was like, "Whereīd you get that? And why Superman?" He was like, "Actually I had this made. Iīve always liked Superman." And I was like, "Okay Superman, youīre one of those guys who has a Japanese character tattooed somewhere on his body and isnīt quite sure what it means, arenīt you?" And sure enough, he pulls up his pant leg and there were like five Japanese Character tattoos, and he was like, "This one means music, and this one means family..." He did know what they meant. CosmoGIRL!: Did you know who he was? Rachael: Well, he said he was into music, and he looked familiar. But I couldnīt put my finger on it. He was pretty interesting, though. I mean, Superman fights for honor and decency and is against the common man being oppressed by evil forces, and he chose to represent that by creating this diamond-encrusted necklace. And he knew what his tattoos meant... CosmoGIRL!: So youīre not surprised to find out he has a crush on you? Rachael: Actually, Iīm very surprised! I didnīt think he even knew who I was! CosmoGIRL!: Iīm so impressed that you just went up to him. Are you known for being gutsy when it comes to guys? Rachael: Kind of. But it doesn't always turn out like I planned. Several months ago, I saw this guy at a party who I really wanted to talk to. I got up this weird courage; I was telling myself, "Go talk to him, Rachael! Just do it! What's the worst that could happen?" And sure enough, the worst did happen. I went up to him and what came out of my mouth was "Have I met you before?" Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. I had not met him before and I full well knew that. He called me on it, too. He was like, "No, I'd remember. trust me." CosmoGIRL!: Did you go out? Rachael: Yeah, we actually went out a couple of times. But now weīre just friends. CosmoGIRL!: So the worst didnīt happen. Rachael: Well, I just felt so dumb I cannot tell you. But sometimes youīre going to have to go through a little embarrassment to get what you want. If I had said to him, "Hi, do you know what time it is?" -you know, played it safe-he wouldnīt have asked me out. I think going to it earned me the points. But I would like to say that if you have a conversation with a guy and you walk away from it thinking, "Stupid, stupid. Too dumb to live!" It could mean that you and that guy simply arenīt compatible. So donīt kill yourself over it. CosmoGIRL!: The last time we talked with you [in our March issue], you were newly single and like, "Being alone is going to be so great!" Howīs that going? Rachael: Iīm doing it! Itīs a good thing! Itīs nice to live completely on your own terms. Usually, Iīm either with a guy or pining after a guy to such an extent that I might as well be with him. Iīve got to say, I really like being boyfriend-free! Iīve learned the importance of friends. Girls, ask yourself this: If you run some errands for your mom and come home and there are messages from two of your friends and your boyfriend, who do you call back first? If you always call back your boyfriend first, you need to do some self-evaluating. CosmoGIRL!: So youīve been hanging around with your girlfriends? Rachael: I have friends that are guys, too. CosmoGIRL!: Thatīs cool. But does this really work? I mean, have any of your guy friend ever wanted to be more? Rachael: Itīs funny: Every guy Iīve gone out with has told me, "No guy is ever just your friend!" And Iīm like, "Thatīs not true! We used to be friends!" And theyīre like, "Exactly!" But I do have guy friend who donīt want to be more. Like Shawn Hatosy [Down to You]. Iīve known him for years, and Iīm friend with his girlfriend now, too. CosmoGIRL!: And you and Shawn are shooting a movie togehter now, right? Rachael: Itīs a conspiracy-therory movie called Tangled, and Iīm co-producing! CosmoGIRL!: Wow-youīre like the boss. Do you get to order people around? Rachael: No. Well...I kinda did have one fit. CosmoGIRL!: You had a fit? Rachael: Well, every single outfit they wanted to put me in was either tight fitting or a really little dress. I was like, "For goodness sakes, people! I know the audience is supposed to think Iīm attractive or whatever, but do we have to sell it that hard? Iīm wearing a big sweater in this scene." And theyīre like, "No, no,no. This is the cute, sexy scene." And I was like, "This is the scene where Iīm having a fight with my best friend! Iīm wearing a big sweater." And they were like, "No, youīre not." I couldnīt handle it. I just went of on the director on how sick Iīm about being objectified. I made it into this big thing, but it was really important for me. CosmoGIRL!: Did you win your point? Rachael: I did! They didnīt let me wear the sweater, but I got to wear a enormous leather jacket that was even bigger. CosmoGIRL!: Good! Thatīs one small step for girl, one giant leap for girlkind! Rachael: Sometimes youīve got to stick up for what you belive in. You know: Be yourself! If people donīt like you, then donīt hang out with them. Parents always say that, I know-but I swear itīs true. Rachael really hates.... Spelling words with k instead of c: "Whatīs cuter about the letter k? Nothing! But for some reason, people think it makes certain c words look more fun. The example that totally drove me over the edge was this place called Krazy Kar Rental. Yuck!" Roller coasters: "I went on a childrenīs roller coaster once when I was maybe 12-or some age when I was considered a little old to be on a kiddy ride. Absolutely terrified. Thought I was going to die." Driving: "I hate it more than anything in the whole world. Iīm just an awful, awful driver. I get lost, I hit things: parked cars, one moving car, a pole in my parking garage... Just when I think I got everything under control, Iīll miss seeing something out of the corner of my mirror. My friend Shawn [Hatose] knows how much I hate to drive, so he always says, "Iīll come getcha, Cook."" Annoying guys who act like their opinions are really facts: "Being a girl, youīre going to meet a lot of guys who are used to having people listen to them all the time. Consequently, they start to think that theyīre always right about everything. But interestingly, sometimes theyīre not! The next time some outspoken guy tells you "This is the answer. Iīm right, donīt let it intimidate you into thinking that you might be wrong. instead, just jump in there and say to him, "Well, thatīs your opinion."" Poodles: "Theyīre not dogs, theyīre art."