On
"Roswell" he plays the quiet, mysterious Max Evans, but in
person Jason Behr is far from reserved. Here he opens up
about hisn ew celebrity status, describes his fantasy woman
and clues us in on what he'll be doing down the Hollywood
pike.
Jason Behr knows he's in a
sick and unhealthy relationship, but he doesn't care. He's
in love. "The first time I got some, I had this epiphany,
like, 'Where have you been all my life?' It's like I can't
get enough," says the 26-year-old star of the WB's teen
alien drama "Roswell." No, he's not talking about Michelle
Williams, whom he romanced on "Dawson's Creek," or Sarah
Michelle Gellar, with whom he sparred on "Buffy the Vampire
Slayer," or even Shiri Appleby, his lip-locking partner on
"Roswell." No, Jason's talking about donuts. "Every Sunday
for months, my buddies and I would drive for over an hour to
the nearest Krispy Kreme," he says. "Once there we would
watch the donuts from conception to birth on this huge
apparatus, the donut-birthing machine. Then as soon as we
bit into them, the trumpets would blare, the angels would
sing and the sun would shine."
Though there weren't any
trumpets, Behr received a pretty friendly welcome when he
arrived in Hollywood from Minneapolis eight years ago, fresh
out of high school. Within days of stepping off the plane,
he had an agent and a manager and began hitting the audition
trail. After a series of guest spots on TV shows, he landed
"Roswell," which has not only won him the hearts of young
things everywhere, it's great potential for a big-screen
career. Will he soon find himself starring in films, like
his networkmates from "Dawson's Creek"? It's too soon to
say. But one thing's for sure -- this Behr bears
watching.
Dennis Hensley: I can't
get over your donut obsession. How many do you put away in
one sitting?
A box of 12 easily, in the
blink of an eye. I've gotta watch it. I can go
overboard.
Have you been a donut
addict since childhood?
No. I discovered them when
I was shooting 'Dawson's Creek' in North Carolina. Every
weekend I'd pig out on donuts and when I'd come back to L.A.
I'd have withdrawals.
Where did you grow
up?
All over, from Minneapolis
to Arizona to California. My parents liked to move around a
lot. After they split up, we settled down in Richfield, near
Minneapolis, where I went to high school.
Did you always feel
like the new kid?
Yeah. You want to make
friends yet you know you're probably going to have to leave
anyway. We never got a chance to grow our roots down so we
grew them sideways. That's why my family's pretty close. I
have three brothers: one older and two younger, and an 11
year-old sister from my dad's second marriage, who just came
out here to visit.
Your sister must think
it's so cool that you're on this hot teen show.
[laughs] Well, she's like
11 going on 35. She's always been honest with me about my
work. When I was starting out, I was playing all these
jerks. After I was on "Dawson's" she called me up and asked,
"When are you ever not going to play a creep?" I thought that was
hilarious.
What's your favorite
memory of being on "Dawson's Creek?"
Hanging out off set with
the cast. We had a blast. Here I was this new kid and they
had already been on the show for a year and instead of being
standofish, they were incredibly nice.
Did you being on
"Dawson's Creek" contribute to you getting the "Roswell" job
because they're both on the WB?
It had nothing to do with
it. "Roswell" was originally going to be on Fox.
What made you want to
be on "Roswell," besides the fact that it was a major
gig?
When I first read the
script, I immediately understood what they were going for --
the mystery, the suspense, the relationships, the unrequited
love story. I related to Max's search for the truth about
himself, about life, about his place in this world, which I
think everybody goes through.
This season you had
some heavy make-out scenes with your costar, Shiri Appleby.
What are those like to shoot?
It's always an odd thing,
but Shiri and I have gotten to know each other so well over
the last nine months that there's nothing uncomfortable
about it.
Are we going to get
more romance in upcoming episodes?
More everything. The
stakes are raised. Everything's bigger, faster, stronger and
more intense, emotionally and physically. Everything that
they knew to be true in their lives comes crumbling down
around them, piece by piece.
Has the success of the
show led to any movie offers?
I've been reading a lot of
scripts, trying to figure out the right one. I'll only
choose a movie if I like the story and the actors and
directors involved. If the only reason you're picking a
movie is because you think it's going to make you a movie
star and make a lot of money, then you're missing something.
You have to be willing to take a risk and stand naked in
front of everybody. And if I make a mistake, then, big deal.
I'll learn from it and movie on. It's not about how fast you
can attain something, it's about the trip to get
there.
Do you feel pressure to
capitalize on the heat that you have now?
No. I don't want to work
just for the sake of working.
What actors do you look
up to?
Paul Newman. He's the
definition of class. His career has spanned generations,
he's always challenged himself and delivered great
performances. He's been married to the same woman for years,
and he makes a hell of a Caesar salad dressing.
Speaking of women, are
you dating someone now?
No. I'm so focused on
"Roswell," it's kind of unfair to anybody to get involved. I
say that now, but I could go off tomorrow and meet the right
person. You just know when you know.
What kind of qualities
do you look for in a girlfriend?
Someone who has
convictions, yet is open-minded enough to appreciate others
for theirs.
If you could be a girl
for a day, what would you want to experience?
[Laughs] I can't answer
that. My mother would kill me.
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