Shawnee Smith Chat Transcript

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Johnny_Butane: We have the one and only Shawnee Smith in the HC house!

Shawnee_Smith: Hey guys...

Johnny_Butane: Let's get it started! First question is to Jigsaws_Trap!

Jigsaws_Trap: Hello, Shawnee the Beautiful...Thank you for taking the time out for letting us hardcore fans ask you a question. Could you possibly tell us how you were approached to play Amanda in the first film, and your reactions on the headtrap and possibly

Shawnee_Smith: Let's see, it won't be Shawnee the beautiful after this movie. I think I'll win an award after this movie...I look so bad, it's good. But thank you.

My management company produced the first one and asked me to do the jawtrap scene and they sent me the script. When I read it, and was so horrified and disturbed by it, I said, no thank you. I don't want to live that out even for a day.

But they persisted, showed me a short film of the scene with Leigh in the jaw trap, and I finally said, OKAY...and I'm glad I did…but I'm still horrified by the whole thing. I saw a screening of it and had the worst nightmare of my life after watching Saw II. Like three days after that screening...and there was a saw involved.

jdclar: Hey girl! Thanks so much for being here! Can you tell us about your experiences working with and just being around Tobin? Figured you've seen him the most! What's he like, girl?!

Shawnee_Smith: I actually didn't get to work with Tobin that much, but the little that I did was very interesting. He is a very specific actor and very deliberate choices, right down to little things that were in his room that the audience will never see that the prop department labored over. He was great.

Goldmember91: Shawnee! Hi! Looking good! Will Saw II show us what Amanda did before she got to the trap house? I would like more detail on your character. So much to tell!

Shawnee_Smith: Yes, you definitely get clues as to what Amanda's been up to between part one and part two. They should be satisfying.

freddyfan12: Were you at all surprised that they asked you back to do Saw II? And what were your reactions towards the script and being back on set?

Shawnee_Smith: Well, being as I was the only one who lived through the first, aside from Tobin, I wasn't terribly shocked, but I was thrilled to say the least...and nervous about receiving the sequel script cause for me sequels rarely answer to the original. But I was even more thrilled when I got the script and shooting that horror sequel was heaven.

Shifty: Hey Shawnee. Becker rules! Anyways, what do you think of the opening scene to Saw II? Were you impressed by Darrens shooting tactics? Were they separate in a unique way from Leigh and Wans?

Shawnee_Smith: I was impressed with Darren across the board. Reading the opening scene in the script was intimidating to think of how I was going to parlay what was on those pages onto the screen. For Darren, this is his first big film...but he won my confidence in our meetings before we started shooting and added to that confidence with the way he conducted himself on the set. Of course he was surrounded by the best team of producers and crew that you can find.

When I saw the first scene edited I was, um, confident about the rest of the movie.

The_Monster: Shawnee, I very glad you've taken time to answer questions from your fans and possible stalkers. My question is this: How has Amanda changed since the last movie?

Shawnee_Smith: Unfortunately continues to shuffle through the dark. But she HAS changed, that you can be sure of. One of the changes is a very bad haircut. :D

metallico0kie: Thanks for taking time out to talk to all of us! My question is, who was the weirdest/funniest/and quietest actors/actress on the set of Saw and Saw II?

Shawnee_Smith: Oh my gosh...I'd have to say Billy, the Saw doll. I think that's his name!

justin138: Hi, Shawnee! Let me just say that I personally think your acting was the most convincing out of anyone in the first Saw, you did a great job! I was wondering if you could tell us what it was like going into the bear trap scene in Saw sick with a fever?

Shawnee_Smith: First of all, thank you for your encouraging words. And I'd say the fever and delusion were perfect timing to get into that contraption!

horrorchannelfan: Did you ever see James Wan on the set of Saw II? On the uncut Saw DVD we hear the producers commenting about Wan visiting the filming of Saw II, did you see and talk to him at all?

Shawnee_Smith: Yes, he would come on set with the single purpose of torturing Darren Bousman and it was good fun! Every time he came around we told Darren that James was taking over! 'Cause he was doing pre-production on his next studio picture next door, Silence.

deadlyrom: The first and second Saw films were filmed over substantially different timeframes and with different budgets. Was the directing of Darren and Wan really different, and was it different now that they had more of a budget and more $$ to spend?

Shawnee_Smith: Well, I don't think they spent a lot more money this time around. I mean, they definitely spent more but it wasn't...they kept it lean and mean, which I thought was smart of the producers to do. Darren did have an animatronic Billy which really pissed off James, as well as a little more time, and James had eighteen days. But they still kept it lean and mean, both the schedule and the budget. It's the only reason they hired Darren...'cause he's cheap!

bloodpuddle: Hey Shawnee Smith. You made a shocking preformance in Saw, and I congratulate you for your role in Saw II :)I was wondering what your personal favorite traps from both films were? And what about them make them unique in your opinion?

Shawnee_Smith: Ugh, all of the horror. It just so happens that the two traps that I encounter are, I think, about the most hideous and unnerving. Although there's one trap with razor blades in part two is pretty brutal...it's my favorite visual. But somehow I lucked out and got into the most terrifying, revolting traps one could imagine. I don't even like to be scared. I always wind up in scary movies!

lizzie: Hi Shawnee, I’m so nervous, anyway, its a pleasure to talk to you! My question is, how long did it take to do the makeup? And what IS up with the hair? Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us! You must have a super busy schedule.

Shawnee_Smith: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me!

The makeup has to do with the story. We're not a healthy bunch in this house. My general physical appearance was my specific attempt to look as different as I could possibly look from part one, just to reflect some of the change in Amanda between part one and two.

The additional change of my physical had to do with the fact that I was three months pregnant and hiding it from everybody. There definitely would've been heart attacks on that set if the men involved knew I was falling into needle pits with child. I kept that to myself and made sure that my baby and I were safe.

You should see my belly now. I could go into labor during this chat!

Jigsaws_Trap: Just for spur of the moment -- Do you think if you were in Doctor Gordon's shoes... you could take off your own foot?

Shawnee_Smith: Shawnee or Amanda?

Jigsaws_Trap: Yourself

Shawnee_Smith: For the sake of my children, I could saw off just about any limb. Not for the sake of myself, but for the sake of my children.

perfectbabyperfect: Hi Shawnee! Thanks for coming in to chat with us! I'd like to ask what your biggest challenges were in filming Saw & Saw II? Thank you! And a huge congratulations to you on your baby!

Shawnee_Smith: Biggest challenge of both of them was just living out the horror of it. That's why I didn't want to do part one in the first place because, like, I can't tease a role. I live it out by myself no matter how pleasant or unpleasant the scenario is. Saw I and II are just about unpleasant as you can get.

Of course, on top of that the challenge of part one, running off every twenty minutes to throw up with the flu. In Part II, running off to throw up with morning sickness!

metallico0kie: We all know Zep is done, and also Detective Sing. But assuming Dr. Gordon and also Adam were dead also (maybe they aren’t :D )...out of those 4, who would you want to rise from the dead, and come back for Saw II?

Shawnee_Smith: Zep, because he was so full of personality.

Leer: Shawnee how do you feel you contributed to Saw and Saw II other than as a actor?

Shawnee_Smith: My good looks!

Thank you everyone for your attention and your loyalty! Everyone worked really hard to give you what you DESERVE with Saw II. And I hope it finds you satisfied with our efforts after Halloween!