Interview: Lindsey Shaw

Interview: Lindsey Shaw

By our guest blogger, Joel Crabtree

Just a couple of months ago, “10 Things I Hate About You” fans felt the agony of cancellation as ABC Family axed the series. Lindsey Shaw, one of the show's stars, was as bummed as anyone.

Shaw, who has previously starred in the CW's “Aliens in America” as well as Nickelodeon's “Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide,” isn't getting sandbagged by the cancellation, however. The 21-year-old actress just finished shooting a lead role in the upcoming indie tennis comedy “Smash” and landed a part in a high-profile reboot of “The Howling.”

But for now, you can see Shaw in “Nic and Tristan Go Mega Dega,” out on DVD. Shaw plays a driven, obsessive and uptight babysitter hired to look after the skateboarding twins played by Nic and Tristan Puehse. Hijinks ensue as the twins attempt to get to the Mega Dega skate competition.

Shaw took some time out of her schedule to talk to WeekinRewind about her progression as an actress since “Ned's Declassified,” her upcoming projects and her fair-weather fandom for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Joel Crabtree: Let's talk about your new film on DVD, “Nic and Tristan Go Mega Dega.”

Lindsey Shaw: I didn't even get to see that. I was in San Diego doing this film “Smash,” and, you know, unfortunately with everybody's schedule, it didn't work out for me to come up and see the premiere. So, unfortunately, I still have not seen it and would really like to. But yeah, fire away.

JC: What was it like working with the two kids, Nic and Tristan?

LS: Oh, my gosh. They had a lot of energy at all times. Especially around lunchtime, when they would come to my trailer and steal my phone. And then just run away with it and make me track them down. That is one specific memory that I had. It was really fun, you know, obviously it's a very silly film and it's very light and, you know, I got to play their crazy babysitter which I've never actually done. It was good. It was really fun.

JC: So, I was just curious, did you ever go skateboarding with the kids during the filming?

LS: They tried to teach me how to skateboard once and I almost just ate it so hard. Tristan had to grab my hands and keep me up. It was bad. It was really bad.

JC: With “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Aliens in America” and, of course, my favorite, “Ned's Declassified” ...

LS: Woo-woo!

JC: … (Laughs) you've had a really strong presence in TV over the years. I was wondering if you're transitioning more into film recently?

LS: You know what, I'm transitioning to anything that pays the rent at the moment. You know what I'm saying?

JC: I know what you're saying.

LS: No, I'm just kidding.

Honestly, dude, I'm kind of just taking what comes to me. I've been really fortunate--it's not like a conscious decision to do that transition, though obviously it would be something that's cool. I have equally good times working in TV and film--it's a very different experience. But as far as the transition, no, I would love to do another TV show, another really good TV show. I'm so bummed about “10 Things.” Because that character was just so much fun. I would definitely not be opposed to doing TV.

JC: Of all the characters you've played, which would you identify with most?

LS: Here's the thing--at each point in my life when I played these characters, I identified with them in different ways, the different stages that I was in. The most current one is probably closest to how I feel now. Kat is probably closest to who I've kind of hoped to grow into, I guess. And I think it's just a natural progression in the kind of character I've played. So yeah. I'd say Kat. Yeah.

JC: Yeah.

LS: And, plus, she's like just so awesome and a crusader and wants nothing but good in the world and justice. Which is what I want. But I also have the problem of not always knowing how to go about that. You know, not always having the right approach. So, that's like really where I feel right now.

JC: How did you break into acting in the first place, and at such a young age especially?

LS: How does anybody actually do that? I don't really know. I guess just, like, right place right time. I had been involved -- for as booming an industry as Nebraska can present to you -- I had been involved in [acting]. And somehow kind of just, you know, through expos and whatnot, just kind of made my way out to California and it just worked out for me to be here. That's a question everybody asks, and yet I still don't really know how that happened. I just got really lucky and then the right people saw me, and I made it out here and was fortunate enough to start working.

JC: How has your method of acting changed since “Ned's Declassified”?

LS: (Laughs) Well, I'm not working with as many sound effects, I'll put it that way. You know, I was like a kid not knowing what I was doing at all. I was 13 when I did that. And for me, everyday, it was just kind of going and playing around and 'oh, yeah, we're kind of shooting a TV show on the side.' You know what I mean? I didn't understand it except to have fun.

And then I did this show, “Aliens in America,” and I was surrounded by these older – not older actors – but just more experienced and more rounded, and that's when the shift in perspective started and I really tried to plot out what I was gonna do and plan what I was gonna to do.

But with Kat, I kind of just combined both of them. I wanted to have fun and know my lines, and just be as real and true as I can. I just don't want to put anything out that's generic. You know what I mean?

The world does not need another piece of garbage. I never want to put that out there. So, I guess I always try to achieve that truth as much as I can. The truth that I'm coming to in my life right now, I just try to transition that. And obviously, from 13 to 21, you're gonna discover a lot more about yourself. I think just as my life has evolved so has everything that I've impressed upon the world through the TV that I've done.

JC: So, let's talk about “Smash.” What can you tell me about “Smash”?

LS: “Smash.” Oh, my gosh. They asked me if I could play tennis and I lied. And they gave me the part. No, it was a blast. We shot for 3 ½ weeks in San Diego, a week of which was at this amazing resort, La Costa--it was so much fun. And they hooked me up with this tennis pro beforehand and got about 12 hours of practice in, and just went down there and sort of dove in. And this director Adam, Adam Lipsius, he is just such a unique character. And really, I mean, it kind of felt like an epic experience even though it was so short. He just made a really big impression on me, and the way he worked. And it was just so interesting--I had never done that before. Because [there's] very much a formula of what you put out, you can make that a formula or as original as you'd like. There is a formula that you have to stick to.

But Adam  was kind of like, 'do what you want.'  And I would ask him specific questions and he would just be like 'I don't know, what do you think?' I just felt, I don't know, like a transformation or a breakthrough in what I could do. So, yeah, that was just really wonderful.

And the whole rest of the cast is so--I mean, they're just so nice and great. The girl who plays my best friend, Lindsey Black, just phenomenal and has the crazier outfits. She's just a very cool girl. And Chandler Massey, of course. And uh, yeah, it was good, man. We just went out there and hit some balls.

JC: So, what other projects do you have lined up?

LS: I am leaving on July 10 to go to Montreal. I am filming a remake of the 1980s werewolf classic, "The Howling."

Yes, very very excited about that. Never really have gotten to do a scary or sci-fi or anything like that. And I'm playing a sort of saucy minx in it, if you will. And, um, it just seems like the most fun. And I don't know what came out of me at the audition to – I didn't even know that was in me -- but let's hope it's not a one-time thing.  I'm excited. It's just way way, way different than anything I've ever done. We'll see how it goes. I'm very excited.

JC: That's exciting stuff. So, I heard you're incredibly passionate about the Nebraska Cornhuskers?

LS: Incredibly passionate? Eh, I would have updated that in the last five years.

I mean, what's going on? OK, they were definitely better in these last couple seasons. But I sort of started tuning out when things felt hopeless. Yes, you can call me a fair weather fan, that's fine. But, yes, I mean … yeah … they're my team. They're my team, for sure. But, you know. I haven't followed them as avidly as I did when I was right there in Nebraska and my whole family made a celebration of it whenever they played. I watch whenever I can, but it's not as avid as it used to be.

I gotta switch to tennis now. I'm gonna actually play tennis now that I'm back. It was so much fun. I don't know how much of that you're gonna see in the film. They got me this double. But I just really – yeah – I loved it. Tennis was cool.

JC: Do you have anything else you want to add?

LS: Joel, I'm pretty sure I have talked about twice as much as I actually had to. So, I'm gonna go ahead and say you have all the information that you need. And yeah, that was awesome.