MUSE WATSON: Actually, last summer I played a nice guy in a movie with Aidan Quinn and Janet McTeer called SONGCATCHER.  I learned to play enough fiddle to fake it and grew a beard.  SONGCATCHER has just received a jury award for ensemble acting at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.

 

E.S.: How did you go about getting the Ben Willis part in the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER films?

 

M.W.: I got a call about a read in Santa Monica.  When I got there, they put me on tape and Fed-Ex'd it to North Carolina where the production company had already set up.  Within a week I was on my way to North Carolina.

 

E.S.: So if you were to face off against Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, Candyman, or Pinhead - who do you think might be the toughest opponent?

 

M.W.: Just to be fair, I think they all should come at once.  It might make them feel better and it would save Ben time.

 

E.S.: What lies ahead in your future?

 

M.W.: We are talking about a couple of projects, but nothing is set in stone.  I am heavily involved right now in starting a Conservatory for the Arts in Tennessee.  We have had such a huge turnout that our organization is really on fire.  I have been doing assemblies in the schools to let the kids know what the Conservatory is all about.  We basically want to start a school of the visual and performing arts and use the talent in the area to raise the awareness of the arts.  We will hold workshops soon on water colors, acting, accent reduction, and photography.

 

E.S.: Any special tips on memorizing dialogue, hitting your marks, and getting into character?

 

M.W.: Well, being dyslexic, I have always gone to bed with a tape recorder in my ear to learn lines.  As for hitting your mark...pay attention.  And as for character, everyone has their own tricks that they must develop.  I use music.  If I can find out what music my character listens to, I can play it in my trailer and instantly be transported into the midst of my research on the character.