This is the interview that provided the basis of the recent article in which Aly revealed their troubles with airing the under-the-covers scene in "Family." I think this is the first time we've seen the full text of this interview. Forgive me if I am wrong.

quote:

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an interview with alyson hannigan
a slayer sheila exclusive

on november 3, 2000, i was fortunate enough to speak to alyson hannigan over the phone in my capacity as a journalist. i am admittedly a very biased source, but miss hannigan came across as a very charming, quirky, confident and just plain funny woman. she was upfront and unguarded throughout the interview and seemed like a very genuine person. and this was despite being put through the rigours of a two-day all-out airport-lounge-and-hotels promo tour of australia!

below you'll find the story i wrote based on the interview, followed by a transcript of the interview itself. to all who suggested questions, i owe you my thanks. to 20th century fox, keep alyson on your books. to alyson, thank you for your time and warmth.

SHE has bitten the innocent and drank their blood, helped destroy a man-made demon and floated pencils in the air.
But when it comes to kissing a woman on screen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Alyson Hannigan has been stopped mid-pucker.
The ever-quirky Miss Hannigan plays Buffy's friend Willow on the show, a character who has recently undergone some major changes.
First she began experimenting with witchery and then she developed a more-than-friendly relationship with a fellow witch, Tara.
But Miss Hannigan said permission to consumate their relationship on-screen did not look likely.
"We're not allowed to do much because we're on at 8pm in America and there's rules, I guess, about certain elements,'' she said.
"We did a scene recently where we were both going to sleep and something and getting into bed and the network freaks out and they were like 'they're not going to be under the covers and da-da-da'."
Miss Hannigan said the actors were forced to film several different versions of the scene and hope that one of them would be approved by the censors.
"But in the same episode you've got Spike and Harmony just going at it like rabbits so it's very hypocritical."
The censor's reluctance to accept the couple also contradited reactions from the fans, she said.
Miss Hannigan, who completes her "very, very hectic" three-day promotional tour of Australia today, said the fans had celebrated Willow's development.
"I've just been getting a lot of positive feedback," she said.
"When I talked to fans, like in Sydney and in Melbourne in particular, they said how great it has been for them and one girl even said she was going to write her thesis on how our show has handled Willow coming out."
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has proven to be a surprise success since its humble beginning in 1997 when it followed a cinematic flop of the same name.
Miss Hannigan said she was now recognised in countries "where I don't even speak the language".
Although she does attract some attention as the girl with the flute from American Pie -- an association she finds "a little bit weird".
Miss Hannigan visited Australia to promote the release of a three-DVD Buffy the Vampire set containing the show's season one episodes.
She's currently acting in the fifth season of Buffy and said there was at least "a couple more seasons" in the show yet.

and then there's the interview. there were a lot of things i couldn't put in the story including the fact that the gang do play readings on the set in between takes, that promo tours are tedious and then there's alyson's threats to joss...

[on the promo tour] it's very, very hectic. i signed a gazillion things and then i'm sitting here signing more things. i just feel like a whore. sorry. it's good but my hand is going to fall off. i'm developing a blister. i have to leave tomorrow to go back to work.
it's a lot of work. it would be better if i was coming here for a vacation or something. i did (visit noosa to promote american pie last year) but noosa's very small. it was beautiful but small. but yeah, we had a lot of time off then so i got to walk around and do stuff. i'll just come back for a vacation.
[on how the series has changed] well, it's definitely become a huge, huge thing not only in america but worldwide, so that's a trip. you go to a country where you don't even speak their language and people are just, y'know. like paris was just incredible. i went to paris over my summer vacation and it was quite interesting.
[on getting recognised] yeah, not all the time but most of the time.
[on getting recognised as willow or the flute girl] both! both basically.
[on being known for flute intimacy] *giggles* a little bit weird.
[on buffy] i still am very, very happy and love it and it's really, really cool. we're still having a great time.
[on character input] no, it's basically the writers who sit down at the start of each season and try to figure out the arcs and that sort of thing.
[on how much script info she knows] not too much but we always try to weasle out information from joss and people.
[if the wicca thing was a ploy to get her away from giles and computers] maybe, yeah, i guess so. i don't know what the reasoning behind it was but i like it.
[on the bisexual brouhaha] there wasn't that big of a... i mean i haven't seen any... i've just been getting a lot of positive feedback. i've seen a couple of things that have been a little negative but it's really like people are responding in a nice way.
[being interrupted] sorry, they're trying to get me to sign more things. like i'm a machine. my hand is going to fall off. i'm sorry. sorry. it's getting so frustrating.
[on positive fan reaction to the willow-tara relationship] yeah, especially when i talk to fans and stuff. when i talked to fans, like in sydney and in melbourne in particular, they said how great it has been for them and one girl even said she was going to write her thesis on how our show has handled willow coming out.
[on-screen same-sex kissing] i don't think so. we're actually not allowed to do much beause we're on at 8pm in america and there's rules, i guess, about certain elements. (jen: "but buffy is allowed to kiss riley...") yeah, exactly. no, it's ridiculous and hypocritical. we did a scene recently where we were both going to sleep or something and getting into bed and the network freaks out and they were like 'they're not going to be under the covers and da-da-da'. so, i mean, it's airing tuesday and it's going to to be interesting to see what actually got passed. we had to do a few different versions. we had to do one where we finished the scene before, like i was in bed before tara got under the sheets and i don't know what will pass. but, y'know, in that same episode you've got spike and harmony just going at it like rabbits, so it's very hypocritical.
[whether all the females asked to be paired with spike] oh really? with spike? i don't know. we all love and adore james. he's a great guy.
[on james marsters' singing] i haven't heard him. people were talking that he's got a band. i should get on his case.
[on the set] i hang around with tony and emma and nicky and... james lives far away and it's hard to sort of see him. but we've been doing play readings and he's been coming to them. right now it's been mostly shakespeare but we're 'sposed to vary it up but joss is in love with shakespeare.
[on joss] he's trying to remove himself slowly but we keep trying to suck him back in. he's been trying to give control to marti (noxon) but i keep threatening that i won't talk to him if he leaves our show.
[is alyson online?] yeah, sometimes.
[on the definition of willow power] i don't know. i think it changes. i don't know exactly what sort of power she has. that's a good question. it fluctuates.
[on her plans for the next 10 years] i don't know. i just hope to continue to do good quality stuff. obviously i don't know, i just hope to work.
[hope to stop signing autographs?] no, no, never do that. but it's so much better to sign an autograph for somebody you're actually there with. it's like 'oh, yeah, hi' or if you know it's for someone. but if it's just a stack of 'oh here, sign these' it's kind of like, well, who are they going to, you know? especially after signing so many in sydney. or at least know there is a person they're going to. (conspiratorily) they could throw them out and not tell me. i think they probably do. they're just wasting me away. they don't have anybody to give these things to, they're going to throw them away. i'm going to have to put my foot down, say 'are there really people for these things'?
[on her choice of buffy guest star] umm... arrr... i don't know. somebody like... jim carrey. that would be good. jim carrey would be great on the show. he could do anything. he could be a very interesting demon. he'd be hilarious.
[on buffy's staying power] i don't know, probably a couple more seasons. we're all contracted for another two seasons.
[on what's coming up in the show] well, i don't know. you'll just have to watch and see. i actually really don't know. joss has been wavering this year -- 'i'm going to do this and this' and then i'm like 'are you still going to do that' and he says 'no i think that could be next year'. well what's going on? so then he said he might do something, so i don't know.
[message for the fans] just hi and thanks for being there.
sorry, i'm just tired and cranky (and utterly likeable - jen).

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REPLIES

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Roxton
Strong like an Amazon

Posts: 1754
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 17, 2000 20:19
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Aly gives a great interview. The way I read it the cast are under contract for a season six and seven as opposed to five through six. Am I correct in my interpretation.


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darvangi
Nether World Anchor

Posts: 556
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 17, 2000 23:21
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I'm glad that Joss and the cast have this bonding time with the Shakespeare readings. I get the impression that Joss' presence on the set and in their lives makes their work on the show much more enjoyable. And from my theater experience I know sure that a happy cast is more focused, committed and productive.

What scares me is the mention of Joss backing away from the shows, something that he talks about in the Fangoria interview now posted on Cross and Stake's spoiler board. It sounds like he's more excited about getting into movie production that devoting time to the shows, which makes it all the more depressing that Sarah refuses to do a Buffy movie. There's probably no stopping him from handing Buffy over to Marti completely and not writing or directing eps anymore if that's what he wants - but I can't help but feel ambivalent about future seasons if that is the case.

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Willows Puppy
Doll's eye crystal

Posts: 85
Registered: Oct 2000 posted November 18, 2000 11:34
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Roxton: I'm with you on that one.....judging from the time the interview took place it has to be for season 6 and 7 ...... I think AnGeL X on the Cross and Stake board has the same info .....
darvangi: IMHO Joss won't hand over control totally ..... I don't think that he'll be able to let go ......he'll still be setting up the story arcs and the key episodes .....but maybe he'll just give ideas and not write and/or direct the episodes himself ..... not a good thing, if you ask me .....it's his show and he knows best what's good for it ..... I trust Marti Noxon with single episodes but I would not let her handle the "mythology" of the show ..... that's for Joss alone.....

Jan

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I'm pregnant by my step-brother who'd rather be with my best friend and who's left me with no place to live, no food, except for this bottle of Wild Turkey, which I drank all up.
Willow, Beer Bad, Anno IV

This is a dumb world. In my world there are people in chains, and we can ride them like ponies.
Evil Willow, Dopplegangland, Anno III

President of the "Aly fans have taste" Foundation

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Roxton
Strong like an Amazon

Posts: 1754
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 18, 2000 13:04
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darvangi I couldn't find the Fangoria interview you were talking about. What exactly where Joss's plan for a Buffy movie and what was SMG's reaction to this idea.

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darvangi
Nether World Anchor

Posts: 556
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 18, 2000 13:42
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A warning about the Cross and Stake post - the interview is told as second-hand information, so I cannot vouch for it's accuracy.
Fangoria Interview

[This message has been edited by darvangi (edited 11-18-2000).]

[This message has been edited by xita (edited 11-18-2000).]

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Roxton
Strong like an Amazon

Posts: 1754
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 18, 2000 14:17
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Thanks for the link Darin. It would be great if Joss did a couple of Buffy movies. The STNG movies are a great example of what can be done when you take a television series to the big screen. Maybe SMG will reconsider.

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darvangi
Nether World Anchor

Posts: 556
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 18, 2000 14:28
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Ooof, Roxton, I gotta take issue with the STNG movies thing. First Contact was pretty damn spiffy, but the other two, particularly the most recent one (which I thought was sickeningly awful), could very well be the reason SMG refuses to do a Buffy movie.
I think that Joss could really pull it off, though, because he seems to be excited about the idea. I wish he wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the thought of doing Buffy with someone other that Sarah. I think they could cast someone else for the movie - or even do a Faith movie. I would see a Faith movie. Ok, maybe I'm going too far with this because they would totally lose half the audience if it didn't star Sarah, but I just really wat to see Joss make a movie.

[This message has been edited by darvangi (edited 11-18-2000).]

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Roxton
Strong like an Amazon

Posts: 1754
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 18, 2000 22:51
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Actually I thought the last two, "First Contact" and Insurrection" were really good. That's just my opinion.
I have to agree with you that if SMG refuses to do the movie Joss should still go ahead without her. As long as the rest of the cast is involved, and Joss replaced SMG with Eliza, most fans would still go to see it. Faith still is very popular and in my opinion Eliza is just as good an actress if not better than SMG. Who knows, if the first movie were a success SMG might change her mind.

[This message has been edited by Roxton (edited 11-18-2000).]

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xita
Ms. Moderator
Fantastico

Posts: 3334
Registered: Sep 2000 posted November 19, 2000 00:48
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I got that issue of Fangoria and what was typed is accurate. There's a lot more but nothing terribly interesting. It looks like this was done just as the season was starting. I might type more of it tomorrow.

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fell
Cool Monster Fighter

Posts: 213
Registered: Nov 2000 posted November 20, 2000 07:27
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I have a theory that Joss is not only a big Shakespeare fan, but that he frequently derives inspiration from his work in developing the series.
There are a lot of similarities in how plotlines and story arcs and characters are used and the unexpected and often ironic consequences of good intentions. There's often a direct correlation between the ongoing confrontation with whatever antagonist (the big bad) and the various characters' struggle with their inner demons.

Then we've got the ultimate "pair of star-cross'd lovers", Xander as the fool whose commentary often cuts too close to the truth, and my personal favorite: the noble, idealistic, and frequently heroic female protagonists. Shakespearean archetypes, all.

And hey, check out the quote on Willow's way cute(batik?) red blouse in "Real Me." It's the first line of "Twelfth Night."

Maybe reading the plays is a way for Joss to give the cast insight into his creative process.

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Dave V
Floating Rose

Posts: 31
Registered: Nov 2000 posted November 22, 2000 07:27
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Hi Folks!
Hey, darvangi, hello, fell. I read with interest your posts about "bonding time" and "insights into Joss' creative process." I discussed this with my brother, who has a lot of experience in local theatre as an actor, director and stage manager. He suggested that the reason Joss has the cast do such readings are: 1) as a break from the day-to-day routine of BtVS scripts, and 2) to provide new insights/perspectives into how the actors interact with one another.

As in the auditioning process when actors read from other than the work to be mounted, perhaps this is another way of seeing how people will work with one another. Unexpected things may occur as the actors explore characters different from their BtVS personas - Buffy is not Ophelia. Kind of an actor's "calisthenics" perhaps?

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april
Gay Now!

Posts: 1452
Registered: Oct 2000 posted November 22, 2000 11:07
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i wonder if joss has ever asked the cast to read shakespeare as their buffy characters. you know, to get to know the characters in new situations and all...
"okay, guys, today we're doing "hamlet". james, you're spike-as-hamlet. sarah, you're buffy-as-ophelia. nick and emma, you're xander and anya-as-rosencrantz and gildenstern..."

this would be really funny. i don't know where riley, willow and tara would fit in, though.

anyone have other ideas for "buffy shakespeare"? macbeth? taming of the shrew? (another xander and anya vehicle, perhaps...) midsummer night's dream? the possibilities are endless...