Hayden and Aaron – Amazing Race 6

Q) Why did you tackle this role?

A) I was a little bit familiar with the story. I know it was a huge thing here in the U.S. and it’s a very international story you know, in Italy, a British student and an American student. As soon as I became involved in the project, I was flooding myself. I was dreaming Amanda Knox. I just find it such a riveting story. It’s just so interesting and so wild. It’s just twisted. It’s a twisted story and the fact that I got to play somebody that is alive and somebody who was a real person was just a challenge that I wanted and I was really excited to take on.

Q) Because of scheduling and everything going on with her, how was it crafting a character when you didn’t get to meet the real person?

A) When you spend that kind of time with the main character, you see where she comes from. You see her family. When you see a little bit of her as a person, the audience tends to side with them, tends to at least like them and get to know them a little bit better.

Q) Do you feel that the stakes are high for you taking this role?

A) Yes, it’s true. For me, I want to try new things. That’s my interest and having been on a show for four years and playing the same character for four years — I mean I loved it, I had an amazing time — it was just that I get to spread my wings a little bit.

Q) Did it ever concern you that people watching the film would wind up forming their own opinion about Amanda Knox’s guilt or innocence?

A) It was very interesting to play a character where you didn’t know if she was guilty or innocent but my job was to be as innocent as I could be. Because of that innocence that she exuded, it made the story all the more interesting. So my job was to play her innocently, to try to capture that. I watched tons of videos and news of her and of her in court, just to get her demeanor and her personality, and also, the way she carried herself. I just tried to stay as true to that as I could.

Q) Amanda’s father has indicated that you were invited to meet Amanda. Why specifically were you not able to meet face-to-face?

A) There were people who had mixed feelings about me meeting her, whether it had to do with my performance or their fear that she would tell me not to do it or say that she wasn’t okay with it. To which I would respond, “Look, they are going to do this film, whether it is me playing you or not. At least I can sit in front of you and tell you that I will do my best to do you justice. I really wanted to meet her. I would have had to go in the middle of filming to a different city — we were in Rome — and would have had to go with her family to do that. She only gets to see her family for two days (each month) so to impede on that didn’t seem like the right thing to do, one. And two, there were people who had mixed opinions and feelings about me meeting her, whether it had to do with performance or whether it had to do with their fear that she would tell me not to do it, or say that she wasn’t okay with it to which I would respond, “They’re going to do this film whether it’s me playing you or not, so at least I can tell you that I will do my best to do you justice.” It didn’t work out because of the scheduling because she only has two days during the week that she gets visitors.

Q) How do you feel about the family’s negative reaction to the film?

A) I doubt they’ve seen the entire film. So, I think if the family saw it, they would probably be much more relaxed about it than they are now.

Q) What is your wish for viewers after witnessing your film?

A) They will be able to formulate their own opinion. Our goal is that it’s very fact-driven and people can make up their own minds. It’s a really entertaining story and people want to know about it. People are interested in it. I think people will have a new respect for the situation in terms of what happened.

Q) Do you think that, as the Italian authorities are saying, this film will prevent Amanda Knox from having a fair appeal?

A) Lifetime is great with doing things like that and fact-checking. I don’t think there’s anything in there that would sway an opinion or have any impact negatively or positively on her appeal.

Q) Do you think Amanda Knox is guilty or innocent?

A) I am still undecided, but I believe her family’s claim that she was physically abused by police during interrogation is probably true.

Q) There are a lot of “Heroes” fans out there, speaking of your TV show, do you think there is any truth to the fact that there may be a “Heroes” reunion of some sort?

A) You know, there’s nothing that I’ve heard of happening in regards to that, but you never know. One day maybe they’ll go for it.