Anneliese van der Pol: A Great way to Start a Manolith Monday

By James Sheldon on September 20th, 2010

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Anneliese van der Pol, actress, singer, dancer, former Disney starlet and recent star of Vampires Suck, was such a pleasant surprise. I’m never one to presume anything–not these days.

Sure, there were a few things I was well aware of. After all, Anneliese was Raven-Symone’s co-star on “That’s So Raven,” and what kid who loved “The Cosby Show,” (yours truly) didn’t tune in just to see what Olivia was up to in her young adulthood?

Yeah, I really wanted to ask Anneliese how Raven it has to be to qualify as SO Raven, but she’s been there, and done that, no doubt.

What did I know? I knew that Anneliese was in her mid-20s–I knew that she had done TV, movies, the Great White Way, and I even knew she had dealt with some public scrutiny and adversity early in her career…but I knew little more than that.

What I know now: This soon-to-be 26 year old (who pronounces her name Ahn-ah-lee-sa, and whose birthday is on Thursday, btw) is devoid of pretension, is easy to laugh and is game to answer any question.

JS: Being in the midst of your 20s–the prime of your youth, if you will–if you could go back to any time or place in order to live your 20s, what/where would it be?

AVDP: Probably the 60s. I think that’s probably really obvious–not just for the fun and obvious reasons, but I think um, to change the world, to change politics…the people in their 20s really made a difference. They really cared; they really had a passion…

JS: The entertainment industry is a beast, full of stress, compromise and being under the microscope. I’m curious what you like to do to relax or cut loose a little bit?

AVDP: I have two sisters–two older sisters, and I hang out with them a lot. We like to go to independent movies, and um, we just went to the Orange County Fair, which was really fun. I like to travel a bit. I just went to Colorado…and I took some friends and my sisters and my family…I’m a big foodie–I like to eat out a lot…

(I chose to omit the fact that her vacation in the Centennial State was to an unnamed actress’s cabin, but her initials are Jessica Biel.)

JS: What do you think of skinny jeans?

AVDP: Skinny jeans… Uh… I like them when I’m skinny! …You just have to wear them with a heel–with flats they look terrible.

JS: And…are there some people who shouldn’t be wearing skinny jeans?

AVDP: Um, yeah–yeah–I guess, um, o-obese people? (That is correct.) And girls who won’t wear a heel. (Also correct.)

JS: I know you have a performance background within the world of theatre, but you’re incredibly active within the world of film and TV. Is one your passion? Do you need to do them both to feel balanced?

AVDP: Well, I don’t necessarily need both, but I love both. I-I think I like TV more, but I’m probably better and excel more in theatre. I’ve been involved in theatre since a very young age: Community theatre, Civic Light, touring…and I’ve been lucky enough to do Broadway. You’re allowed to be a triple threat on stage, and spread your wings, as corny as that sounds…and that doesn’t really happen in TV unless it’s a musical.

JS: I recently read that you were the youngest woman to ever play Eva Peron in a professional production of Evita–is that true?

AVDP: Yeah–yes, and if I can toot my own horn, it was actually a really great production. I think the show itself was really wonderful. I actually got my Equity card doing that show–it was such a good role!

(Changing Gears)

JS: If you were stranded on a desert island, and you had a TV and DVD/BD player, what movie would you want with you, if you could only choose one?

AVDP: Movie–ah, that’s–I guess a comedy to keep the spirits up…I have this movie–I just love Will Ferrell, and I’d probably have to say “Anchorman.” I own it and…I’m not really one of those people who watches movies over and over again, and I don’t own a lot of movies, but I can see that movie over and over again, and it still makes me laugh. I’d say “Anchorman”–or maybe “What About Bob?”

JS: Those are both great choices, but milk is a bad choice–

AVDP: Milk was a bad choice!

JS: The word sexy is completely overused in reference to almost everything these days. I think the Manolith readers will wanna know: What does Annelise think is sexy?

AVDP: What do I think is sexy? Um. Uh, a funny guy. Is that too obvious?

JS: No. I don’t think so. A guy who is funny–not a guy who thinks he’s funny–

AVDP: Right. A genuinely funny guy. Not just someone who is putting it on…Oh, you know what I think is really sexy? Is a–is a giving guy. A guy when you’re walking (begins to giggle)–I had a guy do this on a date–when you’re walking, and you’re um, maybe walking in a bad part of town, and a homeless man or woman asks for money. When a guy actually stops and gives money. That is the most attractive, sexy thing…I mean, I fell in love with a guy for doing that.

(Are the rest of you dudes taking notes?)

JS: Do you have any guilty pleasures?

AVDP: Um. Guilty pleasures. That’s tough. Can we come back to this one?

JS: Of course, but I”ll have to know. Here’s an easy one: Do you like sports?

AVDP: Do I like sports? No.

JS: Is there anyone, who if an entire team were made up of him, you’d watch sports?

AVDP: Oh. Um…if a whole team was made up of–John Krasinski. I would watch that game.

JS: Speaking of dudes, here’s a question I have to ask: What’s the worst pick-up line a guy has ever used on you? Or even perhaps, an anecdote of a guy who just missed the mark.

AVDP: Um, one time I was wearing a really cute boyfriend jacket, and this guy–I was talking to this guy, and I could tell he liked me, and we were having this conversation, and then all of a sudden, he’s like, “Why are you wearing that?” And I was like, “What?” And he said, “Why are you wearing a man’s jacket?” And I was like, “Oh this is just a boyfriend jacket–they’re really in,” and he was like, “Ohhhh–it makes you look like a lesbian.” Yeah. That was the most recent, and I was just–”OK, bye-bye.”

(And of course I had to delve into legacy.)

JS: 50 years from now, you’re looking back at your career. At that point, imagine there’s one movie that has really defined your body of work–synonymous with your life in the business. In your wildest dreams, who would direct it, who would co-star in it and what would it be about?

AVDP: To be honest, if I–if I got to choose someone to work with, I’d love to work with Barbra Streisand. I’d really like her to direct it–I wish she’d direct it. I wish a lot of women directors would direct more. (My favorite part of the interview–when the incredibly confident Anneliese became a little star-struck and shy) And I’d want her to star in it with me…And I wish it was something in which we could spread our wings…and sing in the movie. Something like Yentl. Because we’re both Jewish as well.

JS: Two sweet Jewish girls–

AVDP: Yeah.

JS: Well, we know people would go see it, so now we just gotta find the money to put behind it. (Isn’t it awesome how I worked myself into the role of a producer on this one? And maybe I could play the Mandy Patinkin role.)

AVDP: It would be cool if we could do it on stage, ya know?

JS: Yeah. Susan Stroman could choreograph it for you, then Mel Brooks could come along and help push the film version–I don’t know what I’m talking about–

AVDP: No, no! That’s a really good idea.

JS: So, I mentioned this earlier, but I gotta know. Guilty pleasure. Do you have a guilty pleasure that you’re well aware of, and quite aware that it sucks, but you just love it anyway? Like, a nostalgic perfume or particular song?

ADVP: You know, I was thinking that maybe sometimes–I really like to pluck my eyebrows…? And sometimes, like a lot of people, I go way too crazy, and then I end up having like no eyebrows…but I don’t know that that’s really a guilty pleasure…OH! Um, you know that “I like big butts song!?”

JS: Oh yeah. Sir Mix-A-Lot. Baby Got Back?

AVDP: Yeah I like that–”Baby Got Back”–I totally know all the song, like all the lyrics…I can literally sing all of that song.

(Mind you, she would have been 8 or 9 when it was released.)

JS: Is that something you bust out at Karaoke on occasion?

AVDP: Yeah. Just to be funny.

JS: It is a crowd favorite. It comes on, and the whole place goes crazy.

AVDP: Right! And they can’t believe that a little, white Jewish girl is doing it.

(Photo: Dimtryl.com)