Billie Piper
By Rossi.
LIPTON: Last week we began our series on X-Project with our interview of Callum Keith Rennie who plays the enigmatic Remy LeBeau. Tonight's guest had the challenge of taking over a character in mid-series, a task she has proven to be more than up to. Discovered after a series of commercials, she became Britain's youngest ever artist to debut at number one on the pop charts, and went on to release two albums before returning to her first love, acting. She appeared in a number of minor roles before landing the role that made her a household name, that of Rose Tyler, companion to Doctor Who. As a result of that role, she was asked to step into the part of Amanda Sefton, troubled teenage witch on X-Project as a guest star, then signed on with the show full time in 2006. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Billie Piper.
[applause]
PIPER: Hello! Thanks so much for having me! It's fantastic to be here!
LIPTON: It's a pleasure to have you joining us. So... You've been playing Amanda Sefton now for two seasons?
PIPER: One whole season and two halves, really, but yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm really loving it - Amanda's so much fun to play.
LIPTON: How so?
PIPER: She's got so many layers. Sometimes she's just a normal girl, doing a job and seeing her boyfriend, but when it comes down to it, she's not afraid to get in there and do what she has to do to make things right. And she's so honest - she'll call a spade a spade, and bugger what people think. There's a lot of freedom in playing someone like that.
LIPTON: Some would say she's not so different to the other character you're known for, Rose Tyler. Is that so?
PIPER: Yes and no. I mean, they're both young girls, they're both Londoners, they both can be pretty ruthless; Rose dumped her boyfriend to go off with this 900 year old Doctor that she'd only just met and Amanda's done some pretty harsh things as well. But Rose is, well, less damaged. She's had a hard life, losing her dad and all, but she's always had her mum there, even when she's gallivanting off across the galaxy. Amanda hasn't had a normal life, ever, and she's never had the feeling she can rely on people to be there when she needs them, so she's got this hardness to her. For Rose it's a front, something she uses. For Amanda, it's part of what she is. [laughs] And I think if the Doctor showed up in front of Amanda she'd probably turn him into a frog or something before he got two words out.
[laughter]
LIPTON: Your transition into the show wasn't the easiest. You effectively had to step into an established role, while the actress who had been playing the character was in the process of stepping out of it, in the middle of a major plot arc. Was it difficult for you?
PIPER: Unbelievably difficult. I mean, Amanda is a very difficult role to play, especially back in the earlier seasons. There was a lot of criticism when she first came in, from people saying she was being used too much as a plot device, and not everyone liked the whole street kid thing, or the sex scenes. People were calling it 'Sex Project' for a while. Katie was the... third? actor to take on the role, and she held it the longest, really made the character her own. Then there came that whole thing with her husband deciding he didn't want her doing the show any more, and the problems between Tom (Cruise) and Gael Garcia Bernal, and there was just so much pressure on her, she couldn't keep on doing it. She'd signed up for the finale of 'Lost in the Woods', though, so she couldn't make a clean break. The producers had seen me in Doctor Who and approached my agent to see if I'd stand in for the role when Katie couldn't be there, and I've always been a huge fan of the show, so I said yes.
LIPTON: Following the end of 'Lost in the Woods', the character was written out for six months along with Callum Keith Rennie's Gambit, apart from one or two special scenes.
PIPER: Yes. That was for a couple of reasons. I was still finishing Doctor Who and some other commitments and wasn't able to make the move just then, and after the mixed reaction to 'Lost in the Woods', the writers decided to give the character a break for a while, give themselves some space while they worked out what they were going to do with her. I finished the farewell bits with Doctor Who, packed up my London flat and moved to the States, all in a week, it felt like! It was kind of crazy.
LIPTON: It turned out to be a complete rewrite of the character, and her powers. Was it difficult, making that change?
PIPER: Not really. I mean, the basic character, her personality, her motivations, those were still there. They just scaled back the powers, made things a bit less flexible, changed her relationships. Like the one with Manuel - there was no way that could go on, especially after Gael left the show. Which was a bit of a relief... Gael's a great bloke, a really talented actor, but the chemistry just wasn't there between us, and it made things difficult in the few scenes we had done together in Season Four. Not to mention the whole Amanda/Manuel thing was something I found a bit creepy.
LIPTON: 'Creepy'?
PIPER: Abusive. Especially that last scene with them - one minute he's calling her a whore, and the next he's telling her she's the love of his life? Creepy. [shivers] I really had problems with some of it. Nothing to do with Bernal, it was just the role, but it wasn't something I was comfortable with, especially when it got drawn out as long as it did. It should have finished up around half-way through third season, I think.
LIPTON: The other big change when Amanda came back was her relationship with Nathan Dayspring.
PIPER: [nods] Right. Up until 'Lost in the Woods', he'd been a kind of father figure to her. When she came back, it wasn't the same; there'd been too much going on. Gerard and Katie had been pretty good friends on set, and when I came in, I think he found it hard to adjust, too. [laughs] Not to mention I was a bit silly about him when I met him, gushing away. I told him my mum was a huge fan of his, I don't think he's forgiven me yet.
[laughter]
LIPTON: Amanda's return coincided with the introduction of the X-Force team. How was it, coming back into the show at such a tumultuous time?
PIPER: I love X-Force, I really do. I think it was something the show needed at the time, and the ratings have agreed with that. And it gives me the chance to work with some of my favourite people in the show.
LIPTON: Such as?
PIPER: Well, Callum (Keith Rennie) for one. We'd had a few scenes when I was stepping in for Katie, and he's just lovely. I think I have a bit of a crush on him. [giggles] Clive Owen... I remember growing up, seeing him in all sorts of English shows, and thinking he was just brilliant. He's so nice too, given me all sorts of pointers. I'm a bit in awe of Alicia (Witt) - she's so smart, and sometimes I must come off as a bit of a silly kid to her, but she's always happy to help. [laughs] It was her that pointed out how ironic it is that I used to be a singer, and Amanda can't carry a tune in a bucket. And Luca (Firanescu) and I have always got on - we met on the clubbing circuit in London back when she was first in the show, during the England special, along with Adam (Rodriguez) and Ziyi (Zhang Ziyi) who was playing Jubilee back then. Luca and Adamo (Ruggiero) and I still go out sometimes, let our hair down after a shooting.
LIPTON: Outside of X-Force, there's been another shift in Amanda's life, starting this year. The relationship with Adam Rodriguez's character, Angelo Espinosa. Tell us about that.
PIPER: Well, Amanda and Angelo have always been friends, and he's been one of the constants in her life since she came to the school. She trusts him as much as she trusts Remy and Pete, which is a big thing for her, right? And she's been there for him the same sort of way. Once they were both single, it seemed sort of natural for them to get together.
LIPTON: It certainly seemed that way to the fans.
PIPER:[laughs] God, yes. We got so much fanmail after that episode aired. And even more when they finally got together properly. Adam came in with this huge, this mailbag, and just emptied it over the top of me. I got completely buried!
[laughter]
LIPTON: So the friendship off-screen isn't so different to the on-screen one?
PIPER: Oh, we're good friends. Adam was really helpful when I started the role, giving me tips and the rest. [laughs] We had a bit of trouble understanding each other at first - he sort of mumbles a bit, and he says I talk too fast. He tries to explain baseball to me, him and Doug-Ryan (Phillipe), since they both used to play - it's a bit like having brothers. Well, except for the sex scenes!
[laughter]
LIPTON: Doug-Ryan?
PIPER: Well, we've got, what, three Ryans working on the show? Ryan Phillipe, Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling. So I use Doug-Ryan, Mountie-Ryan and Alex-Ryan to tell the difference. Mountie-Ryan because Garrison-Ryan is too long for a nickname!
[laughter]
LIPTON: This season has obviously been a transition one, for both you and the character, with all the changes. Where do you see things going in the future?
PIPER: It's been interesting, yes. Amanda's really starting to find herself, and even with things like 'Voodoo Child' happening, it's been good for her. Even if Joanna Lumley's Candra gave me nightmares - I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Absolutely Fabulous again! [laughs] There's hints of more, though, and even though the writers are keeping things pretty close to their chests, there's some plans for next season which will shake up where she's gotten too comfortable.
LIPTON: 'Voodoo Child' was one of the more ambitious episodes, incorporating almost the whole cast, something that hasn't been seen since the early days of mansion invasions. Which do you prefer, the large-scale plots, or the smaller XF missions?
PIPER: The smaller missions, I think. I mean, the big epic stories are brilliant, but they really take a lot out of you in terms of emotional energy. That scene Adam and I did in the hospital afterwards... that was just exhausting, and not just because they had me in that frame thing for all of it. There's so much going on, so much to react to, to remember so you get the reactions right... I do get to work with people I don't normally with the big episodes, though, which is nice. Some of the newer characters I've never been in a scene with, we only really know each other from cast meetings and the cafeteria, you know?
LIPTON: If you had the choice, who would you most like to work with?
PIPER: Um, that's a tricky one. Mountie-Ryan is a lot of fun to scene with - we did that one scene after the wedding in Germany, and we had to keep cutting because he kept making me get the giggles. I haven't really worked with Milo (Ventimiglia) since he joined the cast, which is a bit of a shame since he's a fantastic actor. Christina (Anu) was great with the dinosaur episode, racing around in the Mini with Carrie-Anne... Mika (Nikashima) and Kevin (Zegers) would be great too - I've done one scene with Mika, back when she first arrived which I had a lot of fun doing, and Kevin's character is just fascinating on so many levels.
LIPTON: Favourite people to work with?
PIPER: Alan Cumming - he's got a fantastic sense of humour, and sometimes I go chat to him while he's in makeup, since it takes him and Jodelle (Ferland) so long with the prosthetics and everything, right? Sometimes when we're doing scenes together he starts dropping into the whole emcee from Caberet instead if Kurt's lines. It's hysterical. [laughs] Amanda Seyfried - I was so glad when Illyana was transferred to X-Force, I've always liked the relationship between our girls, it's so bitchy! It's just a pity she hasn't been able to appear much this season, due to personal reasons. Hugh Jackman - we don't scene much, but he plays Logan so well, it just breaks my heart sometimes.
LIPTON: Your most favourite scene?
PIPER: Mine or someone else's? Remy burning the envelope with his true identity in it at the end of New Orleans Is Sinking for someone else's. Um... for me, I think maybe the body swapping scene, where I had to play Margali in Amanda's body, fighting her teammates - that was a real challenge.
LIPTON: Just to close... A series of questions from Bernard Pivot. What is your favourite word?
PIPER: Oh, this is hard... um, I'd have to say... family. I've come from a close family, and I would never have gotten as far as I have without their support.
LIPTON: What is your least favourite word?
PIPER: Anything in French - my accent is awful! Or Latin. I was really glad when they changed Amanda's magic so I didn't have to memorise those Latin phrases any more!
LIPTON: What turns you on?
PIPER: Honesty. I don't like fakes.
LIPTON: What turns you off?
PIPER: Someone who thinks I'll fall all over them just because they've got money.
LIPTON: What sound or noise do you love?
PIPER: This is going to sound strange, but... traffic. I've always loved living in cities, and the sound of traffic is sort of soothing now.
LIPTON: What sound or noise do you hate?
PIPER: The Crazy Frog ringtone. Everyone back home had it at one point and you heard it everywhere.
LIPTON: What is your favourite curse word?
PIPER: Am I allowed to say it on television here? 'Bollocks'.
LIPTON: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
PIPER: Maybe a writer? Writing my biography was a lot of work, but I enjoyed the challenge.
LIPTON: What profession would you not like to do?
PIPER: Popstar - it was a lot of fun, but it wasn't what I wanted to do, and it was just too much pressure, all the time. I couldn't cope with it.
LIPTON: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
PIPER: "John Lennon is just over there".
[cut student question section]
LIPTON: And that's all we have time for tonight. Billie, it's been very entertaining. We look forward to seeing more of you - and Amanda - in future X-Project episodes.
PIPER: Thank you, James, I've had a brilliant time!
