Erika Christensen "Scores"

She's everywhere. You may have seen her as "Kate" in the MTV musical version of "Wuthering Heights" or as a psycho-siren in the summer movie Swimfan. She made her biggest impact as a teen lured into a dark drug world in Traffic. Erika Christensen, of the porcelain skin, blue eyes and blonde locks, is out to do it all. She sings (does so a bit in "Wuthering"), would love to continue with her music but isn't quite sure what style to pursue. She does want to land a kick butt action role.

The actress turned 21 recently but was in London where the drinking age is much younger so no big whoop. However, she partied in L.A. in advance. In the upcoming film The Perfect Score, Erika plays a high school "A" student who is pressured to succeed by over-zealous parents. She is part of a mismatched group of students who want to steal the answers to the SAT tests which are required for college entrance at most U.S. schools. In real life, there is a big controversy as to whether they are fair or even needed. Erika never took the test. She was home schooled and then went right into acting.

Here's the dish. This girl is beautiful. She's also best-girlfriend friendly. In black lace cammi and black jacket, jeans and crystal and onyx chandelier earrings, she was a vision of class as we sat down to chat in Beverly Hills.

TeenHollywood: How did you first know you wanted to act?

Erika: I was twelve and I was performing with a group of amateur singers and dancers and having a ball. It's such a rush to be on stage and to see how it affects people in the audience. It was just great and somehow that connected to being an actor. I told my parents and we were already living in LA and I just started making commercials and that kind of thing.

TeenHollywood: Your character Anna's parents are very controlling. Did your parents stand behind you when you decided you wanted to be an actress?

Erika: They did stand behind me and they continue to. It took a little bit of convincing and then they believed me and then they backed me up.

TeenHollywood: On the set of this movie did you guys have any discussions about what sort of values stealing the SAT's would be advocating?

Erika: We didn't talk about it and I think the best way that it's addressed in the movie is when there's that conversation between Anna and Kyle and she says 'when you're at a stop light and it's red and there's nobody else around do you run it or do you stay there?' And he says 'well it depends on where I'm going and if I'm in a hurry.' There are a lot of factors to weigh in all decisions but I don't see how there would be a factor to lead you to steal the SAT's but with life you just have to weigh things.

TeenHollywood: You and the other cast members are all young like the expected audience for this film. Did your director take any input from you?

Erika: Fortunately our writer Mark Schwahn and our director Brian Robbins never grew up so we didn't have much of a problem keeping it on a real level for teenagers. The things that you are looking at actually are relevant to anybody of any age which are 'am I doing the right thing?' Am I doing what I want to be doing with my life?' and all the pressure that you put on yourself.

TeenHollywood: Okay, due to the theme of the film we have to ask. Have you ever cheated on an exam?

Erika: Yes, I am going to tell you the truth. I cheated once on a spelling test. I didn't know how to spell period. I thought it was p-e-r-i-a-d so I leaned over the desk and looked at another test. I was ten.

TeenHollywood: Were you caught?

Erika: No [laughing]. I got away with it.

TeenHollywood: So, what score did you get on the SAT's?

Erika: I didn't take the SAT. It's not particularly relevant to my life, although everybody's asked me how well I did on the test and now I want to take it just to know. You know? I was home schooled from about the age of 12-right when I started acting.

TeenHollywood: So do you think you missed out not being able to go to school?

Erika: No, I think it was right for my life and making a movie is a little bit like high school [laughs]. It's like high school or like camp 'cause you [cast members] live together you see each other every day and word travels fast around there. Rumors fly! It's really fun. I don't feel like I've missed out on a lot and I actually went with other friends to prom.

TeenHollywood: When you did home schooling were you brainy and really good about studying?

Erika: When I put my mind to the schoolwork, it wasn't death for me. I could do it. The biggest thing about home schooling is the discipline, it's crazy. That's what you develop. You don't have anybody telling you 'have this on my desk by 8:00 am'. They're saying 'what are you going to have for breakfast?' So you have to develop discipline in yourself.

TeenHollywood: Did you blow off any class work?

Erika: Yeah. I would get around to it but sometimes I would just leave it and go work for a while and not pay too much attention [to] it. I would leave other subjects and tackle one for a while-do a whole semester of Math and then come back to something else.

TeenHollywood: You just turned 21, right? How did you celebrate?

Erika: On my actual birthday I was in London, ironically, where it doesn't matter how old you are. I had rehearsal on another movie and then I went home and it was great. BUT I had a big party here in LA before I left.

TeenHollywood: Tell us about it.

Erika: It was one of those things where everyone I invited said 'put me down plus ten'. So basically I didn't know anybody at my birthday party but it's been great because ever since then I've been meeting people who say 'oh I met you at your birthday party' and I'm like 'awesome(claps her hands) good to see you again'. And there's so many.

TeenHollywood: Do you wish you got to do the Matrix-style action scene Scarlett Johansson does in the film?

Erika: [laughs] You know what? I'm definitely looking forward to doing some kind of action movie. That's in my future. I want someone to say 'go to the gym and come back looking ripped'.

TeenHollywood: At one point in the movie Scarlett's character says that you are dressed 'slutty' and all you are wearing is a black tank top and jeans.

Erika: Yeah. It all depends on your perspective. It's all relative as far as that character because you have never seen her in anything like that. Just the change is like "wow" you look like a slut! I don't think she looks like a slut [laughing].

TeenHollywood: Can you remember anything funny that happened on the set of The Perfect Score?

Erika: Leo Nam, (who plays hilarious stoner Roy) was very difficult to work with. He's so funny. They have footage of all of us laughing hysterically and cussing at each other like 'you have got to let me do my work' but I can't help it. He used to crack us up.

TeenHollywood: Who would be your ideal male co-star?

Erika: Today! [laughs] This week? Jude Law. He's a wildcat. No!, we're keeping it clean. He's a great actor.

TeenHollywood: You did some singing in "Wuthering Heights". Do you want to keep singing?

Erika: Absolutely! I'm really happy that musicals are back and I'd like to do one. I'd like to see some really original screenplay come and I'm gonna latch onto it or maybe I'll produce 'cause I'm gonna to that too. I don't know about a rock band but I've been interested in music so much for so long so we shall see where this leads me.

TeenHollywood: You say you aren't attached now but what do you look for in a boyfriend?

Erika: I want someone that inspires me, someone that has a lot of integrity and ambition and is on my wavelength.

TeenHollywood: Does it help being an actress in meeting guys or do they get intimidated?

Erika: You know, it hasn't helped me so far.[laughs] I don't know where to meet guys but I get premonitions every once in a while like 'on this next job I'm gonna fall madly in love with someone' and then I do but it doesn't work out.

TeenHollywood: Is there a certain place you go with your friends?

Erika: I go dancing

TeenHollywood: Let's talk about some of your other projects. Who do you play in Riding the Bullet?

Erika: It's a story about opening up and appreciating life and being able to love and I represent that. I represent the good stuff. I'm playing opposite Jonathan Jackson who represents the darker side of life and the more closed off part. The movie is his journey, his story of learning to open up. It's a Stephen King story so you know that there's some pretty other worldly elements going on.

TeenHollywood: Are you supernatural in the movie?

Erika: No. I'm a regular person. I'm alive. I'm alright.

TeenHollywood: What about your role in The Upside of Anger?

Erika: That is going to be a great movie! It's so fresh and it's so interesting. It's a family over the period of three years. Joan Allen is our mother and our father has left us. She starts dating Kevin Costner. There's four daughters Alicia Witt, Keri Russell, myself and Evan Rachel Wood. It's amazing and the script is great. it's such a funny drama and that one is ultimately about love.

TeenHollywood: If somebody let you choose your next dream project what would it be?

Erika: I want to do a love story set a few hundred years ago, and I want to do a romantic comedy love story and like I said I would love to do a musical and I would love to do an action movie. I want to continue to play roles that I have never played before.

TeenHollywood: What keeps you grounded in this business?

Erika: My family and the fact that every day that I'm here is because I want to be here. Every day that I'm not working I have my religion (Erika is a Scientologist) and I have my city. I've been raised in LA and I love LA, and I have great people working around me.

TeenHollywood: What are your fears? Irrational or otherwise?

Erika: Sometimes I think that I won't do things that I can do. I'm not afraid of heights or dogs. I mean I don't have a particular love for spiders but I can't wait to go skydiving which I'm gonna do with a friend really soon. I don't have that big of a fear of failure because I think if I did, I wouldn't try.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.