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Heather Matarazzo
Heather plays Princess Mia's best friend Lilly in the Princess Diaries movies.
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Q. You've been appearing in TV shows and films since you were 11. How did you get your "big break"?
A. I got my big break with Welcome to the Doll House which was a film I did when I was 11 years old. People and critics were, like, saw the movie and loved it, which I'm very very grateful for, so they continued to offer me roles and and I've continued working.
Q. How did you get your role in Welcome to the Doll House?
A. I went in and auditioned, I started in the business when I was 7 years old. I'd gotten a card of a woman who was a manager in New York City, and I went in and I met with her and I started booking commercials and things of the sort, then I auditioned for Doll House when I was 11 and I got it, and it kept the ball rolling ever since!
Q. Who or what influenced you to get into acting?
A. Judy Garland - The Wizard of Oz - musicals in general, the feeling I got when I was a little kid, when I watched the musicals, was such a swelling of emotion that just took over my whole entire body and I felt as though I wanted to weep. And I in turn wanted to give that same feeling back, and wanted to do what they were doing, and produce those emotions that they were producing, so God just put it in my blood!
Q. So how old were you when you knew you wanted to be an actor?
A. From before I could even talk! 2 or 3 years old.
Q. What have been your favourite roles?
A. My favourite roles... hmmm... I played an intellectually disabled girl in a movie called Our Guys and that was definitely the most emotionally and spiritually sustaining for me. I was playing somebody that was alive, and whose parents would see it, and it's a very very brutal story of this girl who gets abused by high school football players. For me it's the only film I've ever done that's really stuck with me.
Q. What would be your dream role?
A. I would love, love love to play someone like Fanny Brice in something like Funny Girl - Barbara Streisand is just IT for me - I love her and I love what she's done and I love the work that she's done. I just love Fanny Brice and I relate to her, so I would love to do something along those lines.
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Q. You mentioned that musicals really capture your heart - do you sing?
A. I do. I would love to do a musical so hopefully I will be blessed with doing one. Soon!
Q. If you weren't acting, what would your second career choice be?
A. I don't know to be quite honest with you. Maybe do missionary work, something along those lines. Hopefully I could still do missionary work on the side, as an addition to this. I feel I've been graced, so I have to give back. At least something, even a little bit.
Q. What advice would you give to any budding actors out there?
A. Just do it! Just do it. If you have passion, and it's really what you want to do. And it's not because you want to become famous, and it's not because you want to have a nice big car. If you just want to do it for those things, don't do it. Don't waste... don't waste my time if you come and work with me! Do it because you have a love for it. Do it because you want to make a difference in the world by having people see your work, and just be yourself, and don't ever listen to anyone who says you are never going to be able to achieve your objective or your goal or your dream because that's just not true and they are just scared and jealous that you have such a goal. Just persevere, be yourself and do it!
Q. Any practical steps?
A. Find a (reputable) agent or a manager, get headshots or even a school picture because they'll probably have you read, and if they like you, they like you and if they don't, they don't. And just don't give up. There is going to be a hundred thousand doors slammed in your face before one opens, so feel ok about taking rejection.
Q. How did you enjoy playing the role of "Lilly" in both of The Princess Diaries films?
A. I loved it, it was a lot of fun. Playing the role of Lilly was so different from myself on so many levels. Gary Marshall, who is the director of Princess Diaries 2 was kind enough to let me improvise a lot of my lines and such, so it was great fun just to banter back and forth between Annie and all the other great actors that I got to work with.
Q. How do you prepare for a role?
A. I don't really prepare for roles. I just kind of do them! (laughs) There's not really that much method to my madness and to my ways. Meryl Streep or Glenn Close, I can't remember which one - they're just like a light switch, you just turn them on and off, and that's how I am.
I'd like to go to school, I'd like to study some different acting techniques, because I just always love to learn. So I will hopefully do that when I just get some time. But as yet, I have not acquired any specific techniques!
Q. Do you prefer to work for film, TV or theatre?
A. It doesn't matter what medium I perform, I just love to perform in general, if it's good work. The process of film can be quite tedious and the process of theatre is very live and exhilarating but I love them both for different reasons. TV is TV, which can be quite fun too! It's like doing a mini play and a mini film all in one... but I just like good work, it doesn't really matter what venue it's in.
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