He's a 22-year-old Keanu Reeves clone with spiky black hair, puppy-dog brown eyes and a cool English accent! What's not to like? He's also a musician and he sings in his new film with Amanda Bynes "What a Girl Wants". When we hung out with Oliver in L.A. recently, he was dressed casually in jeans and a blue t-shirt with a Norman Rockwell painting of a 1950's American Family on it. He has recently moved to L.A. from his native England and he's loving the weather, the California fun and the new career he has since playing Amanda's English hottie. His real name is Oliver Hudson but "on a lark" he changed it to Oliver James, his middle name, when he was 19. I'm sure Kate Hudson's brother Oliver is glad.
Oliver didn't write the songs in the film but he is musical. "I first went in for the acting audition. When I met Dennie Gordon, the director, she said 'would you like to sing anything for us?'. I did a Red Hot Chili Peppers song. The songs for the film were written by a company called Metrophonic and they have produced albums like "Believe" for Cher and they've produced Enrique Iglesias' "Hero" album". The actor had a band in high school but it was drums he played, not the guitar like his character. "Funnily enough I'm a percussionist actually. But I had to learn how. I'd always messed around on friends' guitars and stuff and I just had to pick that up again and learn my way through the guitar".
We asked the young actor about his musical interests. "I've got such a broad range of musical interests. I've been influenced, from my father's music and my mom's so that goes way back to like the '50's. Of course Elvis Presley because every piece of pop music has been influenced by him but then you look at the Everly Brothers. Then you move into the '60's and look at the Beatles, the Kinks and American bands, rock bands. I've listened to Queen, The Corrs. I do follow the charts. I listen to pop music of course. But, also I like kind of alternative stuff".
Oliver was almost lost to films when he came very close to joining a pop band back in England. "It was just before the movie and I was asked would I like to start recording some demos for this band that's going. I said' sure, why not'. I turn up and find out it's this kind of poppy band which isn't really my deal but I was happy to be doing something. They started putting some pressure on because we needed to get a label. I remember going to my agents and saying 'just put me up for quick, commercial work' because I have to commit to this. Then my agents called me and said 'we have an audition for you and it's for a movie'. I remember saying to the casting director. 'Is this going to be a big movie?' She said 'well, it's Warner Brothers'". And Oliver's pop band career was over before it started but he still plans to enjoy his musical talent. "Music is something that is very personal to me and nobody can ever really take it away from me because I can still sing in the shower. I can still write songs for my friends and enjoy things that I like listening to".
It was interesting for the actor to play a James Brown song in the film. "An English kid doing the Godfather of Soul, it was a challenge. But I'd always sung when I was younger, and I'd always had a very soulful voice so it was just a question of producing the goods".
The young actor evidently could deliver the goods in other areas too. The film's director told us he was the only actor to actually kiss Amanda in his screen test. "Reading from the sides [pages] of the script it just said 'he kisses her'. So it was part of the scene. It was just acting". Oliver was pretty shocked on seeing the 16-year-old Amanda for the first time. "I always like to research parts and stuff so I'd had a look at Amanda's show. I didn't realize it was an old repeat until the end. I saw this sort of young 12-year-old girl. I was thinking, 'this is who I'm going to have to play alongside?'. It was a pleasant surprise, I must say when I got into the audition room and Amanda was sixteen and not twelve".
Oliver has a classically trained drama background. "I'd done t.v. spots but nothing noticeable, just back in the U.K. My background is in stage really. I trained at an acting school and then when I left I'd done a few commercials and stuff but mainly in theater. Not huge jobs in theater but just kind of learning my craft. I went to a place called Guildford School of Acting in Surrey". The actor is living a lifelong dream. "I've always had this fascination with the movie business. It's always been a passion for me. I decided that I wanted to come here because this is where most movies are made. This is the town for it..to play Americans. I feel like my accent is good enough".
The actor is busy learning more about his new business and he still isn't fond of seeing himself on screen. "It's funny. I've always watched actors and they say they hate seeing themselves, except for one. Samuel L. Jackson evidently, he enjoys seeing himself which is cool. I still am a rookie. I came into it very humble and looking to learn. So, when I look back at what I've done six months ago of course it's 'well, I could have done that or changed that, maybe'. It's a learning experience although I'm very proud of what I've done, I don't think I would make some of the same choices again".
Amanda Bynes, an old film pro compared to Oliver was a great teacher for him. "She's been doing this since she was nine. This is a girl who, although, I look young, is six years younger than me and I turn up on set and she has all this experience. It was fascinating, very interesting to watch and, of course, most of my scenes were with her so I gained a lot of experience from her and have lots of faith in her".
Oliver enjoyed working with fellow Englishman Colin Firth who plays Amanda's dad in the film. "I had my first scene with Colin. I was very in awe. I still am. Colin's a great guy. I remember, it was during the World Cup and I didn't have a t.v. in my trailer so he asked me to watch football with him and it was great. Seeing as we had a scene later that day it kind of broke the ice and made me realize he was just like an ordinary guy like you or I". Oliver can still get star struck however. "I met Orlando Bloom [from Lord of the Rings] the other day and I found myself very in awe of him. Even though I'm of his generation and he's a young guy as well, I still find myself a little star struck".
One of Oliver's scenes with Colin features him awkwardly having to pick Amanda up for a date. We wondered what the actor would like to do on a real date. "It would depend on the girl and her interests I guess. If you go out on a date with someone, obviously you've had some kind of pretext, a conversation, you decide what each other likes. I think you go from there". The most important qualities Oliver looks for in a girl are "Someone who is genuine and who has kind eyes and a good sense of humor".
The actor finds traffic in Los Angeles pretty bad but then he grew up behind the wheel. "My father races cars and I've been able to drive since I was five years old so I had to make a very important decision when I was seventeen as to whether I wanted to pursue entertainment or racing. I actually own a motorbike but it's not road worthy. It's like a motocross bike because I used to do jumping and stuff".
Oliver claims he's still forming friendships in L.A. "It's really sad. I don't have any friends over here really. I don't have any time to go out. They've kept me busy but, of course, I'm over here to work I have my friends back in England and some really good friends from Drama school. They've stuck with me and not been bitter about my success and have been very supportive and that's nice to know because they're my real friends. And, of course, I've got friends that I grew up with. Like they say, in life you can count your friends on one hand". That may be true, Oliver, but after this film, you can start counting fans.
From:// TeenHollywood.com
Date:// April 4, 2003
Article By:// Lynn Barker