Zoë Weizenbaum

Conor Donovan, Weizenbaum, and Jesse Camacho in "12 and Holding"

DP: When you auditioned for "Memoirs," did Rob Marshall really talk to you about the role of Pumpkin?

ZW: At the final audition. The big thing I had to work with the whole time is that it's a period piece and there was a different culture than I'm used to. At my first audition, I did a lot of hand movements, because Americans talk with their hands; and I've grown up with a lot of people who are very animated so I do that a lot myself. The big instruction I got at the final audition was that Japanese people are very reserved and don't let out more than they need to.

I had first gone in to audition for the main girl, and then I went in for her best friend, Pumpkin. And I got a call back, and the second time I did it with the director and casting director. At first it was very scary. You sit there with many girls and the waiting is nerve-wracking.

DP: When he was trying to get you to commit to his film, Michael Cuesta (watch our video interview with Michael Cuesta...) said he sent your mom his first film, "L.I.E." It's a chancy film to show to a mother. How did she react?

ZW: She was very open to it and thought that I could handle a similar film. She told me that after people she knew saw "12 and Holding" or saw the article about it and me in the New York Times, they asked, "Were you comfortable with your daughter doing these things?" It was like them asking if she didn't find a need to protect her daughter more. My mom told them that she was really comfortable and understood the motivations behind the character.

DP: "L.I.E." is about pedophilia and I think it was R-rated, but it makes little sense that adults should be the only ones to watch it? In fact, did you watch it with your mother?

ZW: Yeah. It's actually NC-17. My mother and I did the whole process together. We watched "L.I.E." with friends and the environment is different with that kind of movie and they felt a bit uncomfortable. But I've grown up in an environment where we see movies dealing with those issues all the time. So it didn't really affect me that much. The first time I saw it I wasn't horrified or disturbed. I think it's a really good film—and really honest.

DP: Honest is the word Michael uses to describe his follow-up film, "12 and Holding." He says it's not a dark film, but a real, honest film. Could you tell that from the script?

ZW: The first time I read the script I kind of had a resistance to it. We were on vacation, and I said to my mom, "Oh, my God, listen to this scene!" And then I'd read it to her. And she would say, "Wow!" I said, "I could never do that."

Once I did the audition tape and read the script over again, I knew I had to look beyond the acts themselves and focus on the characters and their relationships and situations. I think it's a really good film to see to learn about relationships, between parents and kids and between kids and kids.

DP: Why do you think you were the right choice to play the role, that you understood her so well?

ZW: I would never do the things she does but as a character I like that she's quirky and really funny, and at first she's not really influenced by the image of a "pretty teenager." You can tell a lot about her by the good friends she has. I related to her in an offbeat kind of way. She's kind of dorky and I could play that, but she's also remarkable at the same time. Dorky in a good way. She's off a bit, and weird in the best sense of the word. It was a challenging role.

DP: The moment where I think you and Malee are the same is when you sing the Blue Oyster Cult song at the school. That's when I saw you.

ZW: Yeah! I see myself there. I love performing and singing, and I loved preparing for that song. I really feel I'm in my element when I'm onstage, so you might have seen that.

DP: Was your being an Asian-American ever brought up considering it is never mentioned in the script?

ZW: I had a lot of apprehension about that scene. I'd talk to my mother and say, "Oh God, the scene is coming up on Tuesday!" We would refer to it as "The Scene."

DP: How long into the shooting schedule did you do it?

ZW: It was later, maybe after two or three weeks. It would have been harder if we shot it at first. The reason it was so comfortable is that I had a really good relationship with Jeremy Renner and with Michael and was familiar with everyone on the set. And we'd done hard scenes before so, I understood Malee better. That made a difference.

Weizenbaum and Annabella Sciorra in "12 and Holding"

Weizenbaum gives her fans a smile

The kids in "12 and Holding"

DP: One of the sad parts about their relationship is that Malee's mom also could be happier if she was connected to her daughter, who is a great kid. She could get a lot of fulfillment from her. Their relationship does improve when the mother finally pays more attention to her daughter, particularly in regard to her need to see her father.

ZW: She's too caught up in her work to pay attention at first, but that changes toward the end. Her mother finally admits to her, "He hurt me." So there's a revelation: Malee sees that it wasn't only her mother's fault that her father left, and her mother realizes Malee still needs a relationship with her dad.

DP: Did you know Annabella Sciorra before working with her?

ZW: I had seen "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "True Love," which is a really good movie. She's a great actress and I loved working with her. She's the only one who really improvised. She'd throw in a line and I'd think, "Whoa!, That's so good!," and it was really fun to just go with it. I really liked that.

DP: What was it like working with Michael Cuesta?

ZW: Michael was an amazing director to work with. He is very serious and gives his actors a lot of respect, no matter their age. He was very focused on the path he was on, and where he was going with each scene in terms of the plot as a whole. He was good at explaining what happens right before the scene and what is about to happen.

DP: When he corrected you, were you okay?

ZW: I was. Sometimes it's hard to be corrected, but he did it with a lot of respect. When I got it right, he'd praise me. I had another director who after every scene would say, "Okaaay…" And you'd never know what you did right or wrong.

DP: He's great at working with kid actors. Did you have a different approach to acting than the boys?

ZW: I don't know if we had a different approach, but we worked really well together. We were really close on the set and I think that showed on the screen, because it felt like we were just having another conversation in front of the camera. All our personalities came together and we were able to show how kids actually talk. That was cool. This was definitely my favorite film to make because I got to work with other kids.

DP: Did you learn anything from being in this film?

ZW: I learned a lot, as I do from every experience. One important thing I've learned is that every director is really different. So you can't be set in your ways about anything. You can rehearse a scene one way over and over again, and it still can change.

DP: You're only 14, but do you think of yourself as an instinctive actress or do you want to take acting classes to improve your craft?

ZW: I'm not sure. The acting classes I've taken have just been improv games and stuff, and haven't really caused me to change anything. If I find a good acting class now or in high school or college, I'd take that.

DP: Since you're going to the School of the Performing Arts, can we assume you're committed to a show business career?

ZW: I have no idea. I'm pursuing it now. It's looking like I'm going to do that, but I like to be open to other things.

DP: Are you auditioning for other movies now or are you waiting for reaction from "12 and Holding?"

ZW: Yeah, I'm auditioning up the wazoo. There are some really cool parts I'm hoping to get. It's amazing how many Chinese actresses are becoming more known. I hope to be up there with Sandra Oh and Lucy Liu, who I like so much. I like being among the first.