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Pilot
1.01 - Pilot
Monday, April 2nd, 2007
BREAKING NEWS
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Old Article about April
Posted on 20 Mar 2007 by Wendi
April Matson One audition key for actress

By Dave Mason
Scripps Howard News Service

For years, April Matson struggled to find her place in the acting world. She owed money to her parents and other people, was in debt from school loans and was making just $10 an hour as a technician at a veterinary clinic in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

"It was hard," says Matson, 23. "I'm thinking, 'Why am I getting up in the morning?' But I thought, 'It's just a matter of time.' "

But now and then in Hollywood, an actor's life can change overnight with the right audition.
Matson says she knew her time had come when she tried out this year to play the nerdy sister Penny Chase on the new Fox sitcom "Quintuplets." She plays a 15-year-old on the series.

"I was auditioning for a lot of pilots, and when I got the script and looked at it, I said, 'Mom, this is the one.' I felt like I really related to this girl, that she was very funny and interesting," says Matson. " . . . I had fake nerd glasses. Right before the auditions, I put them on; I drew real energy from the glasses. I was transformed."

She convinced the producers that she was the one to play Penny, who believes she's smarter than everyone else and refuses to conform to the high school world of proms and homecomings.

Since then, her luck has continued. After Fox picked up "Quintuplets" for a summer run, it did well enough in the ratings that the network ordered the rest of the episodes to give the show a full season, premiering Sept. 8. It's winning its Wednesday time slot in the ratings in the advertiser- coveted age group of 18-34.

No, Matson says, she hasn't become rich and isn't living in a Beverly Hills mansion. She lives today in a guest house, essentially a studio apartment, in Venice Beach, but she has paid off her school loans and other debts, including the money she owed her parents.

Before "Quintuplets," Matson had had only one other part on TV, a guest spot in 2002 on the NBC drama "American Dreams," set in the 1960s.

Matson also acted in "Fixxer," a high school sitcom pilot that MTV rejected. And she has acted in "Black Russia" and "God's Little Monster," independent films. "God's Little Monster" screened at a film festival but never went anywhere after that. Matson hopes "Black Russia" will be shown at festivals next year, including Sundance. She also studied sketch comedy at the Second City troupe's school in Los Angeles.

It's not a long resume, but in Matson's case, a good audition meant more to the "Quintuplets" producers. "Quintuplets" stars former "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" sidekick Andy Richter as the father of teenage quintuplets, and the sitcom's main joke boils down to the fact that the kids differ in height, appearance, personality and intelligence. The teenagers' efforts to be individuals have drawn young viewers to the show, Matson says.
Matson's Penny, the smartest of the bunch, quickly says funny one-liners putting down her siblings and parents. "She gets good grades and doesn't have to try too hard," Matson says.

"We are stereotypes of different characters, but we want to be real. We don't want to be cartoon characters," Matson says. "I'm trying to think about high school and what it was like for me and how other people made me feel." Since the pilot, the writers and Matson have toned down Penny's quirkiness and allowed her to grow.

"She was a social outcast, awkward and insecure, and she was getting kicked around (by siblings and classmates)," Matson says. "The writers and I decided that if we're going to care about the character, she has to have some fight in her."

Matson says she hopes the sitcom will stay on the air for several years and that her main goal after that is to star in action films and other dramatic movies. She plans to eventually attend the University of Southern California film school.

When she isn't acting, Matson enjoys relaxing by participating in endurance (cross country) races with her Arabian horse, Sheba.
Interview with Jaimie Alexander
Posted on 19 Mar 2007 by
Wendi
Jaimie Alexander Q.  What are some of the recent projects that you've been working on?

A.  I just finished a movie called Hallowed Ground for the Weinstein Brother's indie label.  I also did a movie for Warner Home Video called Rest Stop.  Now I am on "Kyle XY" for ABC Family.

Q.  What can you tell me about the premise for Hallowed Ground and about your character?

A.  It's a horror film and I play a girl named Liz; she has a tragedy in her life and she tries to move West.  On her way she crosses over into a small town and her car stalls.  It's kind of a bit of a hero story, she finds out that this town is practically a cult and her coming into the town has been foretold a hundred years back.  It's a pretty trippy storyline. 

Q.  What about that role was challenging for you?

A. Shooting wise it was all night shoots so that was pretty tough because it was really cold.  A lot of the physical side of the role was hard, a lot of the fight scenes were difficult but fun at the same time.

Q.  How did you do with the choreography for those scenes?

A. It was good, we worked with a stunt coordinator and we kept the movements simple.  We actually got to improv a few things which is always fun.  There were always weapons involved, whether it be a pitchfork or a shovel or a sledgehammer. 

Q.  You mentioned you'll be appearing on the show "Kyle XY," what can you tell me about your character?

A.  She pretty much immerges as a figure of Kyle's past and future.  She is pretty much where he is light; she is dark. 

Q.  How was it jumping into a cast that had already previously established relationships with one another?

A. I was nervous about it, I'll be honest, but they took me in and they told me that I was apart of the family that was missing and now they felt complete.  That was huge for me and really great, they're really great people. 

Q.  Where do you draw your experiences from for your portrayals?

A. I had no rhyme or reason to how I do things.  I read about the character and then I find what her similarities are to different animals or different art works, music, anything like that.  I kind of mush it all together, whereas, my character will be discovering things for the first time.  Matt Dallas told me he studied babies and animals, it's very similar, so I kind of looked into that as well. 

Q.  What do you think it is about the show that continues to draw so many viewers in?

A. I think the show has such a good combination of things, it's not one thing or the other, it's got mystery and drama and at times it is really funny how they deal with really serious issues or with a funny spin on it, or vice versa.  There is lots of variety to the show. 

Q.  Were you familiar with the show before auditioning for the role?

A. I was actually, I had seen the first two episodes when they came out.  I thought it was really interesting and I thought it would be great to be a part of it and play such a unique character.  A year later; here I am! 

Q.  Will you be tuning into the show when your episodes begin airing?

A.  I am one of those people who don't like to watch themselves; it makes me self conscious.  I will probably tune in to see what kind of style the show is taking and then I will leave the rest to you guys; the viewers.

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Kyle XY Full Episode Order for Season 2?
Posted on 18 Mar 2007 by Wendi
Kyle XY According to Chelan Simmons' myspace page, Kyle XY has been picked up for 22 episodes next season instead of the origional 13. This looks like they are working to put Season 3 out in the Fall of 08. Let's all cross our fingers.

*This information has not been verified by an ABC press release yet so take it with a grain of salt*
EPISODE POLL
"KYLE XY" SCHEDULE
101 Preview
1.01 : Pilot
ABCFamily (US)
April 2nd at 20:00

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1.06 : Blame It On The Rain
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March 27th at 21:00

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