Jewel Staite – Nestled in Serenity

Q.  Are there any current projects that you are currently working on?

A.  The only thing that I’m working on is getting my next job…!  No, seriously, I’m just enjoying my time off, while I have it, and relaxing.  There’s a lot of great scripts floating around out there, though.

Q.  Can you tell us a bit about the movie Widow on the Hill and your character Jenny?

A.  Widow on the Hill is based on a true story about a tragedy in West Virginia.  My character, Jenny, loses her mother to cancer at the beginning of the movie, and then eventually loses her dad, also.  Her new stepmother, Linda, may or may not be the cause of the death, but Jenny is determined to seek out the truth.  Jenny is headstrong, a little troubled, very smart, and extremely honest.  She’s also incredibly loyal to her family and its roots.

Q.  What made you want to be a part of this project?

A.  I really loved the script, and especially loved Jenny.  She was just so strong, nothing could shake her.  She was struggling with a recovery from alcoholism, but even with all of the tragedy in her life, she never went back to drinking.  She was so strong-willed, and I just loved that.

Q.  What was it like getting to work with actor James Brolin and actress Natasha Henstridge on the film?

A.  They’re both very awesome, down-to-earth people.  I was actually surprised at how “normal” they both were.  Jim is kind of sly, and has a quirky sense of humor, and he always has a grin on his face like he’s laughing at an inner joke or something.  He’s hilarious!  Natasha is incredibly sweet, talkative, honest, and very charming.  She’s also a Canadian girl, just like me…and she isn’t afraid to poke fun at herself.  They were both a blast to work with.

Q.  How was it working with Joss Whedon and the rest of the cast of “Firefly” again on the movie Serenity after the cancellation of “Firefly?”

A.  It was the most amazing experience.  We really bonded during the filming of “Firefly,” and when it was over, it was really heart-breaking to have to say good-bye to everyone.  We all got really close, really fast.  (One of the cast members was even my maid-of-honor at my wedding!)  To have the opportunity to work with each other again, and continue telling the story we loved so much…it was just a wonderful feeling.  Even if we don’t get to do a sequel, I think we all had some proper closure, which is what we all really needed after being cancelled too suddenly.  They are truly the most amazing cast (and Joss the most amazing director) I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

Q.  Do you have a most memorable moment from filming Serenity?

A.  I think that the most memorable moment was walking onto the “ship” again after being away from it so long.  I had that feeling, like, “is this really happening??”  It’s not often that you get a second chance like we did, in a way.  It was almost like no time had passed.

Q.  We read that you actually had to gain weight for your part as Kaylee on “Firefly,” what is the story behind that?

A.  Joss wanted Kaylee to be a bit voluptuous, and he wanted her to look like she really enjoyed life.  He kept describing her to me as “round,” everything about her being “round”…meaning everything about her was “full” of life.  I wasn’t exactly going to argue with that.  Every actress wants to be able to gain a little weight and get paid for it!  But I’m naturally quite thin, so after “Firefly” wrapped, and I went back to eating normally (instead of gorging myself with cheeseburgers and ice cream), the weight just came off.  It was a real struggle to keep it on in the first place, since my metabolism is really fast and I was only nineteen!  So when Serenity was green-lit, Joss told me that he would accept me as I was, and said I didn’t have to gain the weight back.  I was pretty relieved…!  I don’t like to diet, and everyone that knows me knows how I feel about exercising, but it’s always nice to be able to stop when you’re FULL.

Q.  What can you tell us about the premise for Serenity, does it pick up where “Firefly” left off?

A.  It’s about six to eight months later from where the series ended.  A few things have happened, some things have changed.  There’s a bit of tension in the air.  Some big secrets are about to be revealed. That’s all I can say…!

Q.  You do a lot of charity work for The Children With AIDS Project, why is that such an important charity for you to be involved with?

A.  About ten years ago, my uncle died of AIDS.  When I was asked which charity I would like to be involved in, anything to do with AIDS was at the top of my list.  Sometimes when something really affects your life, something you have little control over, it’s nice to gain some of that control back to helping out in any way you can.

Q.  What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

A.  I like to do typical girly-girl things.  Spend stupid amounts of money on retail, have cocktails with my best friends, that kind of thing.  I love to spend time with my dog, too, and I read a lot! And I cook a lot!  That’s sort of a recent thing, but I’m completely obsessed with the Food Network.  My husband will come home and I’ll be sitting on the couch with a pen and paper, intently studying Emeril or Rachel Ray and scribbling down my favorite recipes.

Q.  Which project that you’ve worked on has been your favorite and why?

A.  I’d have to say Serenity.  We had such a small chance of ever becoming something after we were cancelled.  I mean, after all, we only aired eleven episodes…!  The DVD sales were so unexpected and so amazing, and the fact that our movie was green-lit honestly came as a big shock.  I loved playing Kaylee so much, and I had such an attachment to the cast and to Joss…it was just so nice to be able to go back.

Q.  Is there anything that you’d like to say to fans and supporters of your career?

A.  SEE SERENITY TEN TIMES.  No, seriously…Just thanks for supporting me, and please know that doing what I’m doing, and knowing that people enjoy what I’m doing, gives me more satisfaction and happiness than you’ll ever know!