---Mandy Moore was a recording star who made the jump to leading lady in movies like "A Walk to Remember" and "Saved". Now she is back on the big screen, as a scheming contestant of an American Idol type talent show in American Dreamz.

~~~ Video Clip ~~~

Is it them? Is that them?
Don't run.
Sally Kendoo?
Yeah.
We are from American Dreamz.
I know.
And we are here to tell you...
You've been selected to perform on the show.
What are you doing?
Yeah!
Sorry, screaming.
Yes! Yeah!
Stop. Stop. Stop screaming. (Dude) Stop. I'm really sorry. We're gonna have to do this, all over again. You're gonna have to go inside and come out and jump for joy all over again, because we didn't get it on the camera.
OK.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

---I love that scene. Mandy Moore, good morning.

Good morning.

---So first of all, I have to ask, are you an American Idol fan?

I'm a huge American Idol fan, like Hugh.

---Regular watcher?

Regular viewer, definitely.

---In this film, American Dreamz, you play Sally Kendoo, who seems all sweet and innocent, and actually the director describes her as basically a sociopath.

She is kind of sociopathic. Um, she kind of rides at fine line between being very sweet(s) and sort of a little sour, too. She's just very driven and manipulative and she sort of knows going in that, she even gets on the show, she knows how to win. She's such a fan of the show. She's, she's intent to win it.

---Yeah. Is it fun for you? You kind of have a wholesome image. I guess you could say, is it fun for you to play the bad girl?

It is fun to play the bad girl. I think as an actress, you (are) sort of trying gravity towards these roles. Because there is so much media, and so much more fun. And it's kind of, I liken it to free therapy, because I get to go home at the end of the day, end of the day, I'm not sort of bringing any of that with me. I leave all the darkness and anger at work.

---Em, Paul Weitz, the director said one of the reasons that he hired you--he wanted an actress who could hold her own against formidable actor like Hugh Grant.

I can't believe...

---Is that daunting?

I can't believe Paul will say something sweet like that about me. Um, he's amazing. And honestly, I was so flattered to,to work with him, cause I think he is just such an incredible film maker. But then, the opportunity to work with,with Hugh as well, he is the epitome of a movie star and I never sort of got over that nervous energy around him, like cause he just is an intimidating figure, nobody means to be. But he is just, he's Hugh Grant. He's so handsome and charming and every woman onset just like melted a little ant every time he walked by. So...

---But maybe that kind of work for the character (It did work) and you are supposed to be a little bit intimidated.

Yeah. For a good portion of the movie, I'm supposed to sort of be intimidated by his character.

---Does he play the Simon Cowell character?

He does. And I play a contestant and I sort of make it through to the end, but at the end of the film, we are supposed to be a little bit more friendly with each other. And that's what the real acting must require cause I was very nervous around him.

---Yeah, understandably, understandably, I will be too. Em, you've said that this film is about our obsession with pop culture. And I want to know how you handle that in your own life. I googled Mandy Moore fan sites and came up with a million hits.

Wow.

---How do you handle that, that cult of celebrity thing?

It's, er, it's very flattering. I think at the end of the day, er, I'm really lucky. I have a wonderful family. I love my parents and I think they raised me and my brothers right. And I sort of feel like there is this on-off switch, like I'm at work right now. It's great, I love what I do, I feel really lucky. But at the end of the day, I'm gonna go home. And everything is normal and you really don't feel any different from anyone else. So, I guess that's sort of how I'm trying to handle it right now. But, I don't know, it's odd.

---And you keep your personal relationships to yourself and you're dating Zack Braff, but you say I don't wanna talk about it.

Yeah. You know, I've made a mistake in,in past relationships.They've obviously been very happy and of course then you would wanna tell being entire world. But..I.. it sort of takes a little piece of that, you know intimacy and,and relationship kind of away from you and it's not, it's not adores anymore. So I've kind of learned my lesson and it's ok. I'll be a little quieter about it this time go around.

---It's great to see you. I know this is you. You have five movies going on right now, back to back to back.

The last year, I have, yeah,done five films. It's pretty crazy, just really lucky and kind of going with it, I guess.

--- That's fantastic.

Thank you.

---Mandy Moore, great to talk to you.

Great to talk to you too.

---American Dreamz.