Jennifer Freeman and Meagan Good: Sister, Sister

They could be sisters. 22-year-old Meagan Good and 18-year-old Jennifer Freeman are full of bubbly, best friend girl talk. We joined their chat at the posh St. Regis hotel in L. A. recently and enjoyed every minute. You've seen Meagan, who was wearing a very sexy blue velour zip top for our interview, in the acclaimed eerie drama Eve's Bayou and in action in Biker Boyz. Jennifer, in demure stripe shirt with oriental tiger emblem, is a current cast member on t.v.'s "My Wife and Kids" co-starring Damon Wayans. She's making the transition to film and will hit the road soon with Bow Wow in Johnson Family Vacation. Currently, the girls co-star as best gal pals in the hip hop dance battle flick You Got Served.

Both of these very lovely young women are enthusiastic about their careers. With their kind of determination, we're sure they'll continue to succeed. Listen in as we get the dish on future projects, hopes, dream roles and dream dates....

TeenHollywood: Jennifer, is it true that you were discovered in a grocery store?

Jennifer: [laughs] Yes. I was discovered in Alpha Beta. I was talking to my mom and a manager came up to my mom and asked her if I wanted to act and she thought it was a hoax. She called her and then I started auditioning and I finally got work.

TeenHollywood: Are either of you familiar with the street dance battles? Have you ever seen it in a club?

Jennifer: I'm more familiar with it from movies. Not necessarily on the streets.

Meagan: I've seen it before in clubs but not to this extent. I know it goes on in underground clubs and I've seen a little bit of it on Hollywood Blvd. and stuff. I think they actually plan a time to meet their crews and battle. I think it's a little bit bigger than we know it is and I think this is going to be nice because the film is going to make it a cool thing and expose it a little bit. There's so many good dancers that do everything from videos to awards shows but nobody even knows their names and this gives them a little shine.

TeenHollywood: Do you have a little sister? And have you ever given her advice on guys like you do Jennifer's character in the film?

Meagan: I do. She's too little for that [guy advice]. She's only eight.

Jennifer: My little sisters are eight too, one of their names is Meagan-Meagan and Melissa they're twins.

TeenHollywood: That's a cool coincidence. Meagan, you started acting very young. How have you seen yourself grow as an actor?

Meagan: I think a lot of my growing came from playing a lot of younger roles even though I was older, I'm 22 now but I was doing a children's show from 16-19 playing 15 and I worked my way up playing older roles and now I'm kinda dibble-dabbling in both. The growth has mostly come from being able to play different characters and getting the opportunity to try different things. I'll progress with the different roles and the different opportunities and with age.

TeenHollywood: Jennifer, was it a tough transition from "My Wife and Kids" to doing this movie?

Jennifer: Definitely. It was a different transition from doing a TV show to doing a film especially because my role in this film is a leading lady role and most actresses start out doing little roles in films but I never really did that. Going from a TV show to a film you're gonna see changes where the camera is right in your face so you can't be as over the top as you are in a comedy. You have to tone everything down 100 notches to make it real.

TeenHollywood: Jennifer, How was the chemistry between you and Omari [Grandberry of B2K]?

Jennifer: Me and Omari have known each other for a while so we definitely had great chemistry because we are friends. We always kid around and are goofing around so he's like my brother. It was really fun working with him and out of everyone, I was really glad that I got to work with him because I was really comfortable with him.

TeenHollywood: Okay, say you aren't working for a change, can you both reveal some ideal date activities?

Jennifer: I'd like to go to Chucky Cheese on a first date and play all the games.

Meagan: That would be fun. I would want to do something where you don't necessarily need to spend money like something creative so you get an idea of what kind of person he is right off the bat and he's put into a situation where he can't use money so he's gotta be his true self.

TeenHollywood: Are you seriously dating anyone right now?

Meagan: No. I had a boyfriend for about 4 ½ years and we broke up about a year ago so I've been dating but I'm not really focused on it. I'm more focused on my career right now.

TeenHollywood: Are there any female actors you look up to and why?

Jennifer: I like Angelina Jolie. I think she's a really great actress and I like her choices in movies. She plays really different characters and she goes really far out for her characters.

Meagan: I like Angelina Jolie too because as far as living the lifestyle of an actress in Hollywood, she doesn't listen, she doesn't do what she's told, she doesn't wear what you're supposed to wear to the Oscars. She does what she wants to do. In this business I'm constantly told 'do this, maybe a little more like this' and I don't like that. I like to just be me. I like to have fun I like to write the rules and not let everything else dictate my life.

TeenHollywood: Jennifer, on "My Wife and Kids" I get the impression that Damon Wayans is a prankster. What are some of the crazy things that have happened ?

Jennifer: Damon usually does like crazy outtakes. I remember once I asked him if I could get my tongue pierced and so I went to the store and bought these little tongue rings that you could put on with a magnet and everyone was in on the joke. I had a scene with Damon and I was talking and then he saw the tongue ring in the middle of the scene and he was like 'what is that!?' and it was hilarious.

TeenHollywood: What kind of music do you each like to listen to?

Both: B2K! (the stars of the movie they are in)

Jennifer: B2K, Michael Jackson, I like Ashanti I can't really think of any more right now.

Meagan: I like Aaliyah, No Doubt, I like Michael Jackson too just old school Michael Jackson. I like Britney Spears' new album. At first I did not like it and it really grew on me. I like Janet.

TeenHollywood: Any feature films you guys are working on now? Jennifer, aren't you in Johnson Family Vacation?

Jennifer: Yes. Cedric [the Entertainer] is definitely crazy so it was really fun. Bow Wow is really cool we goofed around most of the time.

TeenHollywood: What is the movie about?

Jennifer: Cedric takes a vacation and along the way they just get into all these encounters with all these strange people. It's basically a vacation from hell. I'm part of Steve Harvey's family who is Cedric's brother so we're cousins. We are trying to beat their family in the obstacle course.

Meagan: I just completed a film with Queen Latifah called The Cookout . I believe it comes out in July. I also did a film called D.E.B.S kind of a Charlie's Angels spoof but a little bit different with Michael Clark Duncan, Jordana Brewster, Holland Taylor. I believe that one comes out in April. I also just did an independent film with Richard Dreyfus and Joseph Levitt Gordon. Very busy this year.

TeenHollywood: Do either of you want to do some Halle Berry type kick-butt action roles?

Both: Yes, Definitely!

Meagan: D.E.B.S has a little of that, I mean we're wearing catholic girl uniforms but we're definitely shooting guns and beating up boys. D.E.B.S is like CIA/FBI but it stands for Debutants.

Jennifer: Sure, I want to play a super girl. We should have our own movie we can make the "Power Puff Girls" come to life.

Meagan: Yeah and we can cast some vampires in it.

TeenHollywood: Who did you look up to when you were younger? Who was somebody you wanted to be like?

Jennifer: I really liked Angela Basset for a long time. I mean I still love her but I remember as a kid I really loved her. Everything that she would do I'd be like 'ooohh Angela Basset'. She's really talented.

Meagan: When I was younger I didn't really have anyone particularly that I looked up to. Now I really like Charlize Theron, I really look up to her, all her choices , she's just amazing.

TeenHollywood: Is there a piece of advice you could give to young people trying to be actors or actresses?

Meagan: I'd say make sure this is what you want to do, make sure you want to do it for the right reason. It can't be about being a celebrity or about fame or about everyone knowing who you are or the money. It's gotta be about what you really want to do in your heart and you have to believe in yourself because it's a long struggle. It's a hard ride and it's really gotta be worth it to you in your heart.

Jennifer: Also, always stay close to your family because they are always in your corner.

Meagan: Right. When they're not there, everything always falls apart. These people committing suicide and overdosing and doing all these crazy things [probably don't have that support].

TeenHollywood: Who gave you the best advice you've ever been given? What was it?

Jennifer: My mom just always told me if this is something that you want to do go after it and she always said she was going to be there to support me in whatever I want to do.

Meagan: Pretty much the same thing from my mom. When people try to cut you down, your mom will always be the first person to be really honest with you so you don't get your feelings hurt. She was always like ' you got it, you're gonna do it'. Because there's more rejection than actual getting jobs.

Jennifer: 99% is [rejection] only 1% is an actual job.

TeenHollywood: When you were young teens, who did you have up on your walls in your bedrooms?

Meagan: Criss-Cross and then I had a little bit of Usher when he first came out a little Justin Timberlake. If I were to put anyone on my wall now it would be Orlando Bloom.

Jennifer: I liked Janet Jackson because she used to dance in all her videos and I used to try to dance like her but I have no rhythm.[laughs] I loved Madonna I still love Madonna. I just bought her greatest hits album I always play it in my car. You can sing to every song. It's like happy music. It's a change from the radio sometimes.

TeenHollywood: Are you both going to start clothing lines? That seems to be the thing for young stars to do now.

Jennifer: I love clothes and that might be a possibility in the future but it's not something I'm thinking about now. Meagan: If I ever did I'd probably do a line of jeans because it's so hard for me to find jeans because I'm so short and I'm so tiny.

TeenHollywood: Who would you like to have a hot love scene with? [Here comes the Orlando gush]

Both: Orlando Bloom! He's so cute.

Jennifer: I just saw a poster of him in a magazine.

Meagan: [taking in an excited breath] I thought you were gonna say you saw him I was gonna be like 'let's go, I'm there!"

***

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