INTRODUCTION (01-03)
INTERVIEW (04-43)

Being "Re-Used," the Xena Experience, and the Fans (04-11)
The Work, The 'Rents, and Directing (12-18)
Fame, Singing, and the Dream Role (19-25)
Seeing into the Future, High School Stereotyping, and Lotteries (26-31)
Nickname, As If vs. Xena, and Inspirational Quotes (32-40)
Current Projects and an Angel Gig (41-43)

BIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

^[01] Adrienne Wilkinson has been a good friend to Whoosh! for many years. She has always found the time to not only let us know what she's been up to, but also to share with us more insight into her contributions to Xena: Warrior Princess.

^[02] Ms. Wilkinson was born in Memphis, Missouri on September 1, 1977. She has had continuing roles in the television shows, Xena: Warrior Princess, Undressed, and As If. She has appeared in two films, Interceptor Force II (2002) and Pomegranate (2001).

^[03] Ms. Wilkinson's latest roles have been playing Linda Browning on the April 18, 2003 episode of Days of Our Lives, and playing Flapper on the March 19, 2003 episode "Orpheus" of Angel.

INTERVIEW

Being "Re-Used," the Xena Experience, and the Fans

TRACI PAULLE:
^[04] Much of the Xena cast has been "re-used" in other roles. If the show had continued, would you have liked to play another role on the show? What kind of role?

ADRIENNE WILKINSON:
^[05] Something completely different from anything I've ever played. I would love to be nearly unrecognizable--wig, costume, makeup--the works. I always wanted them to work my dance background into a plot but it was never able to fit appropriately. I would love to have the chance to play a fabulous villain again--someone utterly charming, but deadly.

BRIANNA LEIGH:
^[06] Mostly everyone knows you enjoyed playing Livia/Eve. But if you were to play one of the stars (Xena or Gabrielle) which one would you prefer to play, and why?

WILKINSON:
^[07] Great question! I've never had it asked before. It is a tough choice. The show really revolved around the story of Xena, but as Eve, I was essentially reliving her path. That being said, I would have to say that I would choose to portray Gabrielle. It would be interesting play an entirely different experience and to see another side to the story.

PAULLE:
^[08] Do you have one Xena experience that stands out in your mind over the rest? Could you share it with us?

WILKINSON:
^[09] Really it's not a specific experience, it's the experience as a whole. It was such a blessed set with a wonderful cast and crew that blended together and worked so well that it had become this well-oiled machine. There was such a positive vibe. Everyone on set loved being there, loved working, and wanted to make the best show possible. It was fantastic. Having been on so many different sets, I can say that Lucy [Lawless] and Renee [O'Connor] definitely set the standard of how a 'celebrity' should behave. They were both leaders and made everyone feel so comfortable and motivated.

LEIGH:
^[10] You've said that you're in awe of the fans and their loyalty. Is it as nerve wracking for you to meet them as it is for some of the fans? What feelings do you have on that?

WILKINSON:
^[11] Fortunately I've never been nervous to meet a fan. It is sometimes intense and always interesting- sometimes a bit surreal- but it's always a wonderful experience. I love hearing the feedback, opinions, ideas and thoughts that fans have. It's a great perspective that I don't get on a daily basis otherwise.

The Work, The 'Rents, and Directing

PAULLE:
^[12] What do you enjoy most about your work?

WILKINSON:
^[13] Really reaching the audience and finding an emotional key that just affects everyone. There is nothing more fulfilling than truly capturing emotion and bringing people to tears, or making them laugh. It's a journey and when the audience is following you and feeling the emotional journey with you, it is incredibly exciting.

^[14] It's also great to work with a group of people who love what they do and who are getting to work creatively. Unions regulate the film industry. Usually unions exist to protect the employees from being overworked (or worse) by their employers. But I think that unions associated with film/TV production exist also to protect the employees from themselves. It's the type of job that you love so much you are willing to push yourself past the point of safety, to work endless hours, and to attempt the impossible to get a shot. The union rules are there to rein us in.

LEIGH:
^[15] Have your parents helped you in your career in any way? If so, how?

WILKINSON:
^[16] The best thing that parents can do is to support their children's dreams. My parents are my biggest cheerleaders. They believe in me and have faith that I will accomplish big things, and I couldn't ask for more. It is also so much fun to see them get a kick out of my career. They look forward to my appearances even more than I do!

PAULLE:
^[17] You've been in front of the camera, but would you ever like to direct?

WILKINSON:
^[18] Directing is something that definitely intrigues me but not yet something that I have an overwhelming desire to do. I am more intrigued with the behind-the-scenes details, which is why I would love to produce. Directing is an art that shouldn't be attempted until you are certain that you can create some magic.

Fame, Singing, and the Dream Role

LEIGH:
^[19] How have you kept "fame" from going to your head?

WILKINSON:
^[20] It amazes me when people change just because they are working in a high profile field. I can't stand the thought of 'fame' changing who I am. I probably owe that to my family. They are very down to earth and fortunately for me they would never let me get too full of myself. If I started to change much at all, they would sit me down and talk some sense into me. I think a lot of actors believe that once they are working, the world is somehow obligated to cater to them. They forget that the privilege of being an actor... is acting.

PAULLE:
^[21] We know that you like to sing. If you could perform on stage with any singer, who would it be?

WILKINSON:
^[22] One of my best friends is currently putting the final touches together for her album, which will come out later this year. We were in a girl band a few years ago. Fortunately I realized that I preferred acting to singing, and she realized that she was meant to be a solo artist, and not part of an ensemble. She now has an album nearing completion that I adore. I could listen to it nonstop for days. I would love for us to collaborate again in the future--if not in music, at least in a video or stage performance. For anyone interested, I'll make sure to announce her album when it is available. Just keep checking my website for information.

^[23] Other than that, if I could sing with anyone it would have to be one of the greats like Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday, and preferably in a tiny jazz club, or in front of a huge orchestra.

LEIGH:
^[24] For future projects, do you have a dream role, someone you have always wanted to play?

WILKINSON:
^[25] I have a nearly endless list of women that I would love to get the opportunity to play: women from different time periods, backgrounds and emotional lives. I love that I have had the opportunity to play such a wide range already: a warrior and a tarnished leader, a scientist, a boy-crazy college girl, cheerleaders, an anorexic, and more. The list goes on, and so far I haven't been forced into only one category of characters. I would hope that my career continues to bring me a wide variety of roles to challenge me and keep things interesting.

Seeing into the Future, High School Stereotyping, and Lotteries

PAULLE:
^[26] In 20 years, do you still see yourself acting? If so, what sorts of roles do you see yourself playing?

WILKINSON:
^[27] I would love to be working as an actress in 20 years! Every career goes through cycles, and I hope that I will always be able to find interesting character parts that I find entertaining. I think it must be ideal to have career moments where your entire focus is your work, and other times where your career takes second place to family and other adventures.

LEIGH:
^[28] Going through school, did you have a "category" you fit into such as: popular, jock, etc.?

WILKINSON:
^[29] I was the girl who had friends in every group. I sort of floated through all of them. Not all of my friends hung out with each other. I had friends who were preppy and cheerleaders/ football players etc and equally I had friends who were skaters, Goth kids, brains and everything else. I went to several different schools and I was involved in a massive amount of extracurricular programs so I had tons of different people to interact with. It's boring to only experience one kind of person and seems foolish to not be open to as many different types of people as possible. The fact that I have experiences with such a varied amount of people has probably helped me with acting.

PAULLE:
^[30] If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do with the money?

WILKINSON:
^[31] I wouldn't tell anyone. But I would shower people with gifts. I would then find some beautiful philanthropic thing to do, and then put some away in savings. Ideally, it would be perfect to manage well and never have to worry about money again, but I think the real fun would be all of the things you could suddenly afford to do for other people.

Nickname, As If vs. Xena, and Inspirational Quotes

LEIGH:
^[32] The Internet Movie Database states that your nickname is "Dre." Is that true? We assume it is short for Adrienne, but if we are incorrect, can you share the story behind your nickname?

WILKINSON:
^[33] There's not much of a story. I have many nicknames, and yes, Dre is one of probably 8 or 10 that I've had, depending on which group of people I'm hanging out with. It is short for Dr. Dre. I got it when he first became popular. I'm not even sure how it actually came to be one of my nicknames or how it stuck--probably just because it is also a kind of abbreviation of my own name.

PAULLE:
^[34] How did it feel working on the As If set? It was your first series as a weekly regular.

WILKINSON:
^[35] As If was inspiring. I had such freedom to explore and improvise. I was blessed with such an extraordinary cast of talented and unique people and I learned so much in the short life span of this show. It was such an impossible task, to film as much as we did, in the short amount of time that we did, on location and in a new, interesting and groundbreaking way, and with such stellar performances. The show didn't make it but the experience will be with me always. It prepared me to handle nearly any filming situation, and in a completely different way than Xena did.

PAULLE:
^[36] How did it compare and contrast with the Xena set?

WILKINSON:
^[37] I guess the biggest difference between the two series, from my point of view, was that with As If I had the luxury of being there to create something from the beginning as opposed to joining once so many things have been established. It was such a beautiful feeling to be part of the details from day one. Xena had more freedom from immediate network scrutiny because of the location.

^[38] For me there were also the obvious differences in the characters of Nikki, Livia and Eve. I had entirely different 'tools' to play with to express these different women. Aside from the differences in characters and the different emotional lives, the differences in filming a modern day show versus a character show were amusing. In Xena, nearly anything is acceptable in a plot, because it was a fantasy show. In As If, every detail had to be justified. Our characters didn't make a move or say a word unless we all felt that it fit perfectly as a piece of the puzzle of the character's journey.

LEIGH:
^[39] Do you have a quote or saying that inspires you?

WILKINSON:
^[40] I love language. My life is surrounded by quotes. Some of my favorites include: "Never be upset when something is over. Smile, and be grateful that it happened." I also love, "Sunrise touched my chrysalis, and I woke up and lived." and I adore "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take--but by the moments that take your breath away." It reminds me to be open and aware of all of the amazing experiences that I am fortunate enough to have. The mind is a powerful thing - and surrounding yourself with beautiful and empowering thoughts can do nothing but good. I think that's also why I love reading--and particularly why I love acting. It is wonderful to see an experience or feeling truly captured on the page. And in acting it's a privilege to get to deliver good dialogue. A phrase that I love in regards to work is: "When the writing is this good, don't stand in its way--just jump on board". Basically it means that great dialogue doesn't need any 'extras', just give it its due and trust that's all that is needed.

Current Projects, Angel Gig

PAULLE:
^[41] Do you have any current projects that you are at liberty to discuss or promote right now? If so, please be generous with how your fans can support you.

WILKINSON:
^[42] I have a few projects in the works at the moment. I can discuss some in detail and others will have to wait. I just completed a groovy little guest role on the series Angel. I've been trying to coordinate with the producers for a while now, and we decided not to wait any longer and to jump into a fun 'cameo' spot to make sure I was part of the show. I play a flapper from the 1920's--a woman who owns a jazz club named The Blue Note. The episode is titled "Orpheus," and my appearance occurs in the arc that contains the return of the characters Faith and Angelus. I had the most awesome wardrobe, and my makeup and hair were so much fun. I love the '20's, so this was a perfect character part for me to experiment with. The episode is scheduled to air in late March 2003.

^[43] I am still working with NiteOwl Productions. We are still searching for an ideal project that we are all in love with. It has been such an education, and so challenging to be part of a team that is creating such a potentially mammoth company. I have a few other things up my sleeve, but for further details you will need to keep checking in on my website. As soon as things are finalized and all details are completed, I will announce all of the information for the fans.

Biography

Florence Jessica Paulle
Florence Jessica Paulle is a teenager attending high school in Michigan. Writing is her favorite hobby, and she plans to turn that love into a career someday soon. She enjoys tennis as well, and of course is a longtime viewer of Xena: Warrior Princess.

Favorite episodes: INTIMATE STRANGER and LYRE LYRE HEARTS ON FIRE
Favorite line: Callisto: "We played a game of truth or dare and she wasn't very good at it." A NECESSARY EVIL
First episode seen: SINS OF THE PAST
Least favorite episode: FRIEND IN NEED

Brianna Leigh
Brianna is a teenager attending her final year of middle school in Hawaii, USA. She is a frequent visitor at the Whoosh! message boards... you may know her as lilpunkin or mystikgab. Brianna enjoys horseback riding and surfing, and looks into writing or web design as a career.

Favorite episodes: MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Favorite line: Gabrielle: "It's very strange... in each story you tell me, this thing I'm wearing gets smaller. Is it enchanted?" FORGET ME NOT
First episode seen: SINS OF THE PAST
Least favorite episode: MARRIED WITH FISHSTICKS