Jaimie Alexander brings a little more mystery (okay, a lot more!) to ABC Family’s Kyle XY as Jessi XXX. She tells us about her dark character and the show’s second season.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Tell us about you character on Kyle XY.
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
I come in as his counter. He’s very light, and grateful, and he sees the best in people. My character is very dark, she’s a bit hostile. I am being brought in during the second season to throw a darker edge on the show.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What’s it been like to join a show that has such a big buzz around it?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
It’s a blessing. I was so happy to get the part and I really enjoy playing this character. She’s different from anybody I’ve ever played before. I’m very glad and everybody on the show is just really great, very accepting of new people.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Can you tell us about how you got the role?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
It was an audition. I had a neck injury, and I went in with my head kind of cocked to the left, so I looked a little strange. But for some reason, I guess it worked to my advantage. It was a pretty fast process. The whole thing has been great, and I hit it off with [everybody].
THE STAR SCOOP:
Do you expect that your life will change a lot when the show comes out?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
Well, aside from all the interviews, I’m in Vancouver, so I don’t really see the Hollywood side of the industry right now. When we go back sometimes, I hang out with Matt Dallas a lot, who plays Kyle, and when we go out in public, it’s so funny because little kids will come up to him and get so excited. He loves it. He loves little kids and making them laugh and making them happy. That part to me is going to be the most fun. I haven’t done anything yet where I’ve gotten to play toward a younger audience as well as a more mature audience. I definitely won’t become any different.
THE STAR SCOOP:
The show does appeal to all ages. Why do you think it is this way?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
Definitely the little bit of humor in there, I think and then younger kids, have this strong, kind of powerful role model, that is good, and kind of like a superman innocence. It’s very attractive to kids that are younger. It gets into real life issues…there’s lots of issues, love, anger, those types of things. It’s almost an every day family but with a slice of supernatural. That just appeals to an older audience. It’s kind of like Buffy the Vampire, where that appeals to all ages. The younger kids can watch this because we don’t have any blood. Of course, my character is added to spice things up and add a bit of an edge to the show, but it’s never a very horrific edge, kind of like Buffy had. It’s hitting all the corners, but very safely.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Had you seen the show before when you got on it?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
I saw the first two episodes when they originally aired. It made me cry. I think Matt’s so lovable as Kyle. I really like it, and it’s not corny. There’s just really good morals. That kind of attracted me to it. Then I started working really long hours, so I wasn’t able to keep up with it. They sent me the first season on DVD and I watched that. I come in to kind of give it that darker edge.
THE STAR SCOOP:
There’s been talk of a love triangle. Is there anything you can tell us about it?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
Jessi definitely is planted in the Trager family and there is a special connection between her and Kyle. Whether or not they’re going to end up being love interests, I don’t know. But she does at first, she’s drawn to Declan, that’s her initial instinct. She doesn’t go toward Kyle originally. Something happens, and she starts to go towards Kyle. But the thing is, is she naturally going towards Kyle, or is something else driving her towards him? In that, there’s a very big potential for a love triangle, but we’re not sure. I think they do that so we don’t tell you guys [laughs].
THE STAR SCOOP:
What can the fans expect from the other characters this season?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
Everybody from last season will have…it will be the same, but there’s this new edge on the show. Declan becomes a lot more strong and independent and Laurie is a little bit more compassionate. Jean-Luc has grown up a lot. He plays Josh. He grows up a ton in the show. With his character, there’s lots of first time experiences. Everybody kind of brings a touch to the show now. It’s not just all about Kyle, I guess.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Any last words about the show?
JAIMIE ALEXANDER:
The season is really spicy, and I hope that people enjoy it, and I hope they like it, and I look forward to hearing what people’s thoughts are on the show. I’m really excited for it to air.
Jean-Luc Bilodeau returns as Josh Trager on the hit series, Kyle XY. With his amazing comedic timing and good looks, he has charmed fans everywhere.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Kyle XY is returning. Are you excited?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
The shooting process is going by really quickly. My character becomes more of a teenager. I’m definitely excited. It’s gonna be really good.
THE STAR SCOOP:
The first season was a hit, and there was a huge amount of buzz around it. Is it different going back this time around?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
I mean, the more fans you have, the bigger budget you get. There is definitely more exciting episodes. There is just so much more you can spend on. We’re definitely coming into the second season knowing what we’re doing and knowing what we’re gonna give our fans. The writers have been writing so well…some pretty big shockers. Definitely the second season is going to be amazing.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Can you tell us what’s going on with your character, Josh?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
Josh becomes more mature, believe it or not. He’s still his funny character with his clever, witty lines and stuff like that. I mean, that’s always good but, he’s growing up. So, he gets his car, he gets a girlfriend, he gets a job. You definitely see a change in Josh, maturity-wise, and the way certain things affect him and stuff like that, and the situations he’s put it, definitely changes him, and you get to see that. In the second season, there’s definitely two sides to Josh, and they’re pretty big story lines. Josh has got a big part in the second season. So does everybody else. He still is kind of on the trip that Kyle is an alien. He is definitely living in his own world in the show.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How has your life changed personally?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
No, I mean, shooting the show, the maturity process becomes way faster than a normal age. I definitely matured more, during the shooting and stuff. I’m from Canada, I live there. The show wasn’t as big of a hit as it was in L.A., so I don’t really get noticed at all. It’s kinda changed me, it’s kinda kept me the same, which is nice.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What do your friends think about you being on this hit show?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
Well, actually, my friends are really mature about it. I think they’re just trying to keep me on the ground kind of thing. They were pretty excited when I got the show. I was excited when I got the show. I think it’s going pretty well. I got my weekends off. Sometimes I’ll work Saturdays, but that’s really rare. I’ve still got my weekends.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How would you explain the success of Kyle XY? Why do you think people liked it, and why will they tune in for the second season?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
For the first season, I think it was the publicity that it got. The advertising, I don’t know if it’s been done before…seeing a guy on a big billboard, with his shirt pulled up without a bellybutton is pretty wicked. I mean, I would have been interested. I don’t watch much TV, but I think I woulda definitely maybe tuned in a couple of times to see what it was. There’s definitely a bunch of aspects of the show people looked at. I think that’s why it got a big buzz. I think that for the second season, it’s definitely going to bring back the people who watched the first season. The first season left such a big cliff-hanger, and within the first couple episodes of the second season, it answers all those questions that the fans had. It’s going to be really good.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Have the writers been able to come up with new mysteries and secrets?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
Oh yeah, oh yeah, definitely. I’m like, where can they take the show, right? I mean, within the first week of shooting, I got the first six episodes. I was reading, and it’s amazing. They come up with these scripts answering a lot of questions and they’ve got to bring up more to keep you tuned in, and they’re definitely doing that. They have a lot of work to do. So far, it’s amazing.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Have you seen any changes in your costars?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
We haven’t changed, I don’t think. Matt is huge. He’s still Matt. He hasn’t changed, and I’m glad he hasn’t. We’re getting more well known, and I think we’re all keeping it cool.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Do you have any other projects you’ve been working on or anything else to say?
JEAN-LUC BILODEAU:
I got a movie. I did a movie. Michael Dougherty [is] the director; Bryan Singer [is] the producer. It’s called Trick ‘r Treat. It comes out [in]October. That was my first movie. I got to do that, and that’s about it for the work. I’m a pretty normal person. Just ’cause I’m on a TV show, I mean, people think that, oh, he lives differently than I do. But I don’t. I’m totally normal. As far as 16 year-olds go, I’m a pretty normal 16 year-old, except, on a TV show.
April Matson stars in Kyle XY as Laurie Trager. Her portrayal of this sassy teen has girls all over the country relating to her tough teenage trials, which include her on/off relationship with the hunky Declan, fights with her friends, and yes, the occasional squabble with her parents. April gives us the inside scoop on her life since Kyle XY started.
THE STAR SCOOP:
We have to start out with Kyle XY. How has your life changed since the show premiered?
APRIL MATSON:
I guess I’ve definitely been stalked a couple times [laughs], which never happened to me before. That was really interesting. It’s nice because, people’s reaction is usually like, are you the girl from Kyle XY and I say yeah, and they’re like, oh my gosh, I sort of accidentally stumbled upon the show, and I’m addicted now; I can’t stop watching. That to me is the most rewarding thing, that people are like, I just kind of was like, it was on, and now I’m obsessed with it. [Also], I guess just shooting it in Vancouver, and having the experience of living in another country.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How did you get the role?
APRIL MATSON:
I got the audition and I went in, and I sort of knew right away, when I looked at it, I was like, I totally get this girl. This girl’s totally part of me. And so, it was a really easy audition for me in that I just really connected with her. I almost didn’t even go back, I wasn’t sure what it was all about, and then my agent was like, you have to read the whole script before you go back in, and I did, and I started to go into the whole thing that people do when they watch it. I was so sucked it, that I just fell in love with it and I really went for it. I think I was the first one cast, too. I think Kyle was cast last.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Are you anything like your character, Laurie?
APRIL MATSON:
A little bit, I think that in the earlier episodes, she’s a little bit snottier wit her parents and has a little more of an attitude than I ever did, but as far as her being kind of the girl next door with an edge, I definitely relate to that.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Kyle is about sixteen years old. How old is Laurie?
APRIL MATSON:
You know what, they haven’t said it, and I’ve sort of talked to producers, and people are like, well, we’ve never said how old she is exactly. But I think that episode six was her seventeenth birthday. I was driving a car in the first couple episodes, so I would assume she turned seventeen in episode six.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What do you find to be the most interesting aspect of Kyle XY?
APRIL MATSON:
What I love about it, is the way that it sort of shows human behavior, as far as, you know, the way we interact with each other, and just sort of exposing it, seeing it through Kyle’s eyes makes you think about, what does it mean to be human and have relationships with people, and why do we do the things we do and say the things we say? I think the fact that it’s sort of self reflective.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What will happen to the show when Kyle’s secrets are finally uncovered?
APRIL MATSON:
I think that the thing is, whenever something is unveiled, whenever something is revealed about Kyle’s mystery, there’s a whole other thing, to sort of uncover. I feel like the mystery of Kyle could go on for years because even though you might learn something about him, or where he came from, or who he is, then all of a sudden, something else unfolds. I sort of feel like there [are] a lot of mysteries that go in, and they’ll just sort of slowly be revealed.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Why do you think the show has become such a hit?
APRIL MATSON:
I think the mystery. I think people like shows where they have to use their mind to figure things out, put things together. And also, it’s not just the element of mystery or science fiction, it’s dealing with real relationships, within families, within young love, within all of that. In addition to wanting to know what’s going to happen next, and figuring out the mystery, people are relating and connecting with the characters.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What is one interesting thing about you?
APRIL MATSON:
That’s a tough question. I have a horse. I endurance race horses, or I have in the past. That’s probably something that people wouldn’t normally know about me. When I got older, I got a horse, but even before I got her, I would ride with my sister, and we started entering in endurance races. It’s all about coming first, but your horse also passing the vet check and being in the condition to do it. We just started doing it for a couple years, we did endurance races all the time. Now, I’ve been busy, so we haven’t been able to do it, but I still have my horse. She actually lives with Bruce [Thomas], who plays my dad on the show.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What other projects are you working on?
APRIL MATSON:
Nothing yet. I just got back into town. There hasn’t been a lot of opportunity for the next thing. We’re just kind of waiting to hear about our second season pick up, and I won’t really know what I’m available for, until we find out when we would be going back. I’m in New York right now, I’m auditioning for some things on tape out here. I love TV, but I definitely want to do films.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What message can you give to the fans? Any last thoughts?
APRIL MATSON:
I guess if there’s anything I would want people to know at this point about the show, is that, I’ve heard a lot of people say, that Declan guy is such a jerk, but I want them to know that they’ll see the softer side of Declan coming. He has a very sweet side, I think it’s all revealed, what it is that Laurie sees in him. Watch out America, you’re going to fall in love with him. Girls are going to see the soft side of Declan, and they’re going to be swooning like crazy, if they haven’t been already. [Also], the whole experience of shooting Kyle XY, that whole experience so much surpassed anything I expected, that it really was, for us, icing on the cake when people received it, and we did well. I already was just blown away by the experience of it, and then to see it do well, and people embrace it, it’s totally overwhelming.
Matt Dallas is the hunky star of the new ABC Family show Kyle XY. With a stellar cast and a captivating storyline, it is sure to be the next big hit with teens across the country. Everyone wants to know who is Kyle XY, but we’re asking, who is Matt Dallas? He’s just like everyone else, following his dreams one day at a time.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Can you give us a little background on yourself?
MATT DALLAS:
I grew up in Phoenix, and all my brothers, we’re all into sports. I was never just that into it. One day this theater company came to town and my grandma took me to an audition. Ever since that first day I knew that was what I wanted to do. I moved to L.A. as soon as I turned 18 and started doing the actor thing, looking for agents. It really took off. I was in L.A. for five years. I know some people will be here for ten, twenty years. I was in L.A. five years before Kyle happened. I’ve been pretty lucky. I worked hard.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Tell us about Kyle XY.
MATT DALLAS:
The show is about a mysterious young boy. He looks like a normal teenager but he acts like he’s a newborn. He experiences everything for the first time. This family takes him in. He uses [about] forty percent of his brain. He doesn’t have a bellybutton. He’s a super genius when it comes to math. So it’s about him learning about society and humanity and these things we take for granted.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What was the process like for getting the show?
MATT DALLAS:
This process happened so fast. I had three other auditions that day. I had to go back for a callback that night. Everything was cast by the beginning of the next week. It was cast so fast. Before I knew it, I was packing my bags. It was kind of nice.
THE STAR SCOOP:
So now that you have the job, how is working with all these new people?
MATT DALLAS:
We were together for about a month when we shot the pilot. Everybody working on the show is so great, the cast, producers, directors. The cast is so amazingly talented. Everyday I’m like wow, I’m so lucky to be working with these people.
THE STAR SCOOP:
So, the show has a great cast. Why else will viewers be attracted to it, and why should they watch?
MATT DALLAS:
It’s definitely that WB crew that we’re going for. It’s something different. It has an extremely interesting concept. It kind of deals with some deeper issues and some real issues. Also what’s kind of nice about it is we’re Sci-Fi/Family Drama meets Sitcom. It’s got these dark undertones of a Sci-Fi thing, but I’m in my trailer laughing out loud. There is a lot of family drama. It’s an interesting mix and it works really well. It doesn’t deal with a lot of the superficial things other shows deal with. You should watch this show because it’s a unique show that deals with real things. It will creep you out, make you laugh, and make you cry. A lot of great talent.
THE STAR SCOOP
How has the show changed you as a person or impacted your life?
MATT DALLAS:
It has been a huge change in that I kind of went from working day jobs and now I’m finding myself considered a real working actor. It’s funny, I don’t know. It definitely puts you on a different level, it feels like I’m a working actor and I’m finally getting to do what I love to do and I’m getting paid to do it, which is all so amazing. This is what I’ve worked for since I was twelve.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Is this all you’re up to these days?
MATT DALLAS:
Right now, it is. It’s kind of hard. I work pretty much every day.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Enough about work. Let’s talk a little about you. What do you do when you’re not acting?
MATT DALLAS:
I love the movies. That’s probably what I do with my spare time. You’d think I’d want to get away from it, but I’m always at the movies. I love camping. Skiing, I wish I could do more skiing. Hang out with my friends and family. I try to make to make it back to Phoenix.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but should?
MATT DALLAS:
That I’m a huge dork. I spend a lot of time trying to pretend that I’m cool, but I’m a huge dork. It’s important to me to have fun and be goofy and play around.
Introducing Kirsten Prout, who stars on ABC Family’s new show Kyle XY. She will quickly capture your hearts as she takes over the small screen. Also known for her role in Electra opposite Jennifer Garner, she has certainly racked up some impressive credits at such a young age.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What can you tell us about you so we know you a little better?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
I have been acting since I was in grade three, and I just got a TV series. I go to regular school. I don’t do home schooling. I’m in grade 10. I’m blonde and 5’4. I’m pretty much a brunette naturally.
THE STAR SCOOP:
So it sounds like you have an interesting new project to talk about then.
KIRSTEN PROUT:
It’s called Kyle XY. I had just finished a movie before I read the script. I wasn’t planning to do TV but I was just blown away by it. It struck me as very Smallville-esque. It’s very dramatic and it has something to sink my teeth into. It’s about a boy who is very exceptional. He has to learn everything about society again. He has to start from scratch. There is a lot of mystery. Everyone on set is speculating. Every episode is a surprise. We basically get the script and that’s when we know. It’s a realty exciting project.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What is your character’s relationship to Kyle?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Basically I’m the girl next door, Amanda Bloom, and he kind of has shown up and has no idea any idea about society or anything. I’m kind of the girl who introduces him to normality.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Similarities? Differences?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
She’s very quirky. Very quirky sense of style. I love the fact that she’s really unique e both have similar traits in the way that we look alike (laughs) we both are geared toward art, she’s very creative. She’s a very dedicated and intense person. Not intense, but a focused girl she knows what she wants out of life. I can relate to her. She’s one of those characters that I can play around with a lot. She’s had a lot more problems, a few more difficulties than me. She’s a bit of a workaholic in some ways.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Who are your role models?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Well, I never really modeled myself around a certain actor. Acting is something that came naturally to me. I never have tried to imitate anyone acting wise. The actors who I adore. I love changing myself for a character. I love Johnny Depp. He changes all his mannerisms and that is something I really look up to. I tend to try to do that. With a character, you want to suit them to their role. You put your whole self into it. He does all of that more.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How have your friends been in support of your acting career?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
I mean, when I did Elektra, it was basically my crash course in how people…its amazing how many people will be your friend when they can get some recognition. I have a great group of friends, who I’ve been friends with even before I got heavily into acting. It might come up in a conversation, but I don’t really try to bring it up that much, I suppose. I try to stay a normal teen, and just enjoy being a teenager while I’ve got the time.
THE STAR SCOOP:
How about the challenges of a regular school?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Definitely, when you work on a movie set, you get a look into the outer world. You get a real perspective. It’s hard going back to high school when you know what’s out there. The adult world is a great world to be in its tricky to remember to be a kid. I kind of see the big picture a lot, so sometimes it’s tough to get pumped about little things that in the big scheme of things matter that much. Managing schoolwork. I’ve got an onset tutor. I do a lot of AP courses, preparing for universities. I’ve always been very geared toward school. I think important. I’m all about the balance. I kind of get away from myself, talking about being on set. It’s hard sometimes to try to explain to somebody I don’t go on set and get paid for sitting around and doing nothing. It’s a little bit tricky to keep that understanding that they don’t know everything about it. Of course they’re going to be judgmental. They don’t know a lot about how it works. I find it’s really refreshing to go back to being a kid. It takes s a lot of stress off your shoulders. Life is supposed to be fun.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Why acting? It’s hard enough as it is. How did you discover it?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
When I was younger I used to watch Disney movies. It started out I wanted to be the princess. Then I realized it could be a career. That feeling of success, that satisfaction knowing that I did the best I could do it’s why I continue doing it. My mom always comments on how I’m a different person on the film sets. I just enjoy being on set, in front of the camera experimenting with the camera, creating new things.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Tell us about working with Jennifer Garner.
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Oh my gosh, it was phenomenal. It’s one of those things that I totally miss it sometimes. Jennifer was such a pleasure to work with. She was so exciting to be onset with. She was just such a normal person and so full of life. She gave me so much advice. She gave me a lot of advice on how to keep your private life private. She’s such a devoted person to her fans.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What else should we know about you?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Music is something that totally inspires me. I always put some on, whether I’m reading for a role, or going on the way to an audition, right before I listen to a certain CD. I’m huge on Music. I’m one of those people that just enjoys it so much. I’m an extremely superstitious person. Don’t even put me near a ladder. I always wear the same outfit to a call back that I wore to an audition.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Where do you see yourself in the future?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Short term – kind of finishing up Kyle XY and enjoying the after effects of making a series. Having a finished product, look back on my hard work. In the long term, I guess my plan to go to a university which is going to be hard to handle with my schedule. Probably in school and working on a few movies.
THE STAR SCOOP:
What kind of role would you like to do next?
KIRSTEN PROUT:
I’ve always wanted to a period piece. I think just anything in the past. It would just be a dream come true for me. I also, for a period piece, Keira Knightly.
THE STAR SCOOP:
Give us a closing line about acting.
KIRSTEN PROUT:
Be prepared to put a lot of time into it. Be dedicated.