Mandy Moore
courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures
"Mandy Moore Is Chasing Stardom"

ATLANTA: Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode are the stars of the new film "Chasing Liberty." I had a chance to talk with both of them recently when they came to Atlanta to publicize the film. In the movie Moore plays the President's daughter and Goode plays a special agent assigned to watch over her.

Moore and Goode have an easy rapport between them and seem genuinely to like each other, in a brotherly and sisterly way. Moore has a boyfriend, tennis player Andy Roddick, who we have been asked not to discuss with her. Goode has a girlfriend of his own who he does not discuss during our interview.

I asked Mandy how much she identified with her character of "Anna" in the movie, since both she and the character have lived a sort of fishbowl existence. "There isn't a rebellious bone in my body," asserted Mandy. "I just have never felt a need to rebel. It's just not in me."

When I reminded her that I read she had gotten a tattoo she did add, "Well I guess that is about as rebellious as I get. It is just a little tattoo and it is on my toe."

When I asked about their working in the movie together, Goode said, "She is wonderful. I mean she really is. She is just as nice and sweet as she appears to be. I mean it isn't fake. Mandy is what you see."

Mandy added to the mutual admiration society by saying, "He is so funny and so down to earth. And so good looking! I knew the first time I saw him that I wanted him to be in this movie. And he was just as great as I thought he would be."

Mandy Moore started off in the business as a recording star and she has just released a new album titled "Cover." "This is a really personal album to me and one I have wanted to do for a long time," she said. "There were a lot of great songs out there that I wanted to record and this album gave me that chance."

She also sings on the soundtrack. "Yes that is me," she admits. "I didn't want to sing in the film so they put me over the closing credits."

Mandy Moore is pursuing a film career with gusto. She has another movie, "Saved," waiting in the wings. "I play a pretty different character in that movie than 'Anna' is," she said. "But this movie was fun, you know, just to relax and have a good time. Plus I got to travel around Europe which was pretty exciting."

Matthew agreed that everything about the movie experience was positive. "I had a great time doing it," he said.

So there you have it, two happy kids pursuing their Hollywood dreams. As bright and fresh-faced as they are, the odds are they will make it.

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

Click above to find out more about Jackie's books!