It’s a tough question to answer because having fun is a necessary part of my work. It’s a strange concept but it’s true. If I’m not experiencing joy on SOME level, my work falls totally flat. That said, when things fall into place on a production in terms of personal relationships and creative fulfillment, or a project comes along that puts my career in a new and better place, it’s a remarkable experience, and certain projects stand out.

“Twilight” is a rare example of ALL those things. I had creative freedom, developed great friendships, and it’s been monumental for my career. “Lost Dream” was probably the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve ever done (at least up to this point). If you’re talking about fun in a traditional sense (dance parties, summer camp, and roller coasters), “The Beautiful Ordinary” (aka “Remember the Daze”) and “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane” were the most fun experiences I’ve ever had in making movies. “Joan of Arcadia” will always be special to me on many different levels. “Stargate” was fun AND career boosting. And the last play I did, “Speech and Debate,” was quite possibly the most fun I’ve ever had.

What do you feel has been the most challenging role for you and how did you prepare for it?

Like I said in the first answer, I think “Lost Dream” was the most challenging movie to make because it was my first lead role, and I had to live in a pretty dark place for a while.

My character, “Perry,” comes from great wealth and privilege but feels and sees nothing but emptiness and hypocrisy in the world, his family, and himself. His idealistic, intellectual young mind, along with his moral compass cause him to become completely depressed in the face of the corruption, greed, dishonesty, and unhappiness he sees in the world. He finds another lost soul, “Giovanni,” whom he appears to have nothing in common with, and they take a journey together to find answers, hope, and redemption.

How I prepared for that was to create Perry’s life, understand it, and then live in it. I’ve been as full of doubt and hopelessness as Perry at certain points in my life. It was just a matter of tapping into that feeling and going on Perry’s journey.

As an actor, it’s fun for me to go on that journey (as long as I come out of it, which I always do). The challenging part is that movies aren’t shot in relation to the chronology of the story. So I have to be very clear in my mind where the character is, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally in every scene, in relation to that character’s personal journey in the context of the story. This is the big challenge in ANY lead role for film or television. And it requires total mental clarity and focus, and a controlled vulnerability.

The scene in the diner, with Mike dancing outside the window… improv or scripted? Were you encouraged to improve or did you have to stick straight to the script?

There was a lot of improve in this film for the humans (Eric, Tyler, Angela, Jessica, and Me). Catherine didn’t really care whether dialogue or actions were improvised or scripted, or whether ideas came from her or the cast. Her priority was to create something real, empathetic, and entertaining for the audience. She always had respect for OUR role in the overall story, and our purpose in Bella’s life. And having made several movies on the subject, Catherine has a lot of experience in trying to capture the essence of teenagers.

In the case of the diner, the process went like this… The script said something like, “Mike waves and calls out, trying to get Bella’s attention.” Catherine showed me where this will take place, suggested a couple of ideas, and ultimately left it up to me to come up with something that works. I thought of that dance (for whatever reason), showed her, and she approved. Later in post-production, she had me come into a sound studio to record some various, “Bow chicka WOW wow. WOO WOOO!” whacky noises. She picks one of three choices, and there you have it. Mike Newton in all his goofy glory, dancing for the affections of Bella.

We’ve heard that you’d love to do more stage work, is there any particular play that you’d be interested in being a part of?

Ideally, I would love to do a play every year, or at least every two years. At some point, I see myself spending five years or more in London, New York, or Chicago doing nothing BUT plays. When I worked on “Star Trek: Insurrection,” all of those actors told me that they DO movies so that they have the opportunity to do plays. Movies were their bread and butter, but their real love was with the stage. Actors love theater because it’s raw. It removes all filters, and allows us to communicate directly with an audience.

I have to play some Shakespearean characters before I die. Hamlet, Puck, doesn’t matter to me. All Shakespeare is fantastic. I’d love to work with David Mamet. His movies always feel like plays anyway. Neil LaBute is always good. Anything from Tom Stoppard. My friend and I really want to put on a production of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.” Something from ancient Greece might be kinda fun like Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound.” You can never go wrong with guys like O’Neill, Becket, Williams, Miller, Kushner, etc. The Irish have been coming out with some killer stuff in modern years like “Doubt” and “The Pillowman.” I’d work with either of those authors in a heartbeat. “Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?” is a brilliant play. And of course, if Stephen Karam (“Speech and Debate”) ever wants to write a part for me, I’m here and waiting, buddy-boy. I’m open to anything really, as long as it’s well written. There’s not much worse than poorly written theater.

When Stephenie visited the set, she blogged back to her fans that you can really dance. So does that mean you’re going to audition for the next big dance movie?

I do like to dance. But I doubt that anyone will be hiring me to do it professionally in the near future. Stephanie’s assessment of my prom boogy stylings was very kind. But the truth is, anyone can dance. The big secret is to just hit the beat. You can do whatever you want in between beats, doesn’t matter. Just make sure you’re on top of the 2-4, or in the case of salsa, the 1-2-3, and you’ll be just fine.

Have you ever imagined that one character would give you so much exposure and gather you so many fans of all ages? How does that make you feel?

Like a southern bell with a fancy new hat! No, it makes me feel very humbled and appreciative that people would respond to me in a positive way. Although, the higher up the pole you climb, the more everyone can see your bum… Did I imagine this for myself? Not really. I always saw my career going the way of someone like Ed Harris (in a good case scenario). Great actor, well respected, works all the time, but nobody’s screaming for Ed Harris. To experience thousands of people screaming at you is totally indescribable. I never could have asked for this but now that it’s here, it feels very nice and I thank you for your intense and warm support. Not many people get to experience what I’m going through.

What career would you be pursuing if you were not an actor? Or have you ever imagined yourself in any other field?

The only other field I can seriously imagine myself in at this point is music. I’m a drummer. My hands aren’t really big enough for most other instruments. I have the hands of an eight-year old girl… Who knows, in another reality I could have been a teacher, a politician, or possibly an anarchist. But acting fits all the requirements of a good career choice for me. It’s what I love to do. I have natural instincts and abilities that make me uniquely qualified for it. It’s what I’m willing to work hard for, and I can make enough money to live off of it. Check and mate, acting takes the cake. Boo ya!

Coming from fans of literature, is there any character from a book that you’d like to be cast as if it was turned into a film?

How old is the kid from Hatchet? He was like 17, right? Hatchet was my favorite book as a kid (until I read James and the Giant Peach). I’d love to play the main character in that, if I’m age appropriate. This kid gets stranded in the wilderness because of a plane crash and has to survive on his own. Sounds like a blast to me!

Any message you’d like to send to the Twi-Hards?

Hey guys and girls. Eat your vegetables, or my uncle Vinny is gonna come down there, and give you a smack right on the gabagool!… No, just kidding. Thank you for these great questions and thanks for your patience. I know you’ve been waiting for my answers for a while. It’s been a crazy year and I can only hope it gets crazier. Thanks again!

Mike Newton is Edward’s vision of the “regular guy” Bella would be with if he wasn’t in the picture (this is the New Moon perspective, prior to the introduction of Jacob as a major character). Do you agree with Edward’s assessment?

I do. Next to Edward, Mike Newton is a joke. But without this god-like creature around for Mike to be compared to, he isn’t such a terrible catch. It’s high school for goodness sake! Mike is a completely tolerable and decent teenage boyfriend. With no Edward, I can see Bella and Mike going out for about three months. I don’t know if it would last much longer than that because Mike is clearly WAY more into Bella than she is into him. High school girls always get bored in those situations.

Assuming you’ve read “New Moon,” What do you think Mike Newton is thinking/ feeling during the first two books: if there was a story from Mike’s perspective (a la “Midnight Sun”) would we see Mike as the golden retriever he appears to be to Bella, or is that a mask for deeper emotion? How will you convey this on screen?

I think Bella is to Mike what Edward is to Bella. When someone comes along and affects you like that, particularly at that age, it defines you in large part, and certainly helps define an era in your life. If Mike were to have a “Midnight Sun,” we would probably see a more vulnerable side to him. Other than that, honestly, I think maybe the golden retriever is just who he is. I haven’t searched too hard for hidden layers, conflicting subconscious motives, or other devices that create depth in character. I think simplicity is the best way to approach Mike.

Nalle Ann translated this interview into Czech for their website!! Click HERE to read it!