Don't ever underestimate the power of a female lead, especially if that lead happens to be a teenager. Paramount and Nickelodeon's upcoming time bender CLOCKSTOPPERS presents audiences with a female character quite unlike any other seen before. Francesca is foreign, educated, sexy, athletic and played by an actress far beyond her teen years. But don't let that fool you; Paula Garces certainly has what it takes to make this character believable.
Like her co-star, Jesse Bradford, Garces is older than Francesca, but instead of pretending she was a teenager the actress tried to remember what life was like when she was an adolescent. And she doesn't necessarily think that it was an easy jump to make.
Jesse Bradford and Paula Garces experience the wonders of frozen time in CLOCKSTOPPERS
© 2002 Paramount Pictures
"I just tried to remember what it was like when I was 16," says Garces. "I think it's a lot of fun because it gives you the liberty to be so open and so nice and so trusting with people and play. But I don't think it's easier. As you get older, you [become] jaded. You [become] pessimistic about life and life issues, and you really have to take yourself back to that place where you thought anything was possible. I mean, when you're 16, you think life is beautiful. Life is great and you have all of these dreams that you think are going to come true. And as you grow older, you learn that it's not necessarily so."
Garces isn't concerned about being cast in roles that demand her to play characters that are much younger in age. On the contrary, it's not the age of the character that matters to the actress, but rather the character itself.
"I think if I can get away with it, I will keep on playing young roles," says Garces. "The age doesn't really matter. I think what really matters is what the role is trying to say, if it's someone interesting to play. If it's a role that will make people think. And I think Francesca makes people think. I think the whole premise of the film makes people think. I mean, what would you do if you could stop time? I think it's something that everyone has thought about in one moment or another at one point in their lives."
In CLOCKSTOPPERS, Jesse Bradford and Paula Garces use a high-tech watch to essentially stop time
© 2002 Paramount Pictures
And if Garces could stop time, she wouldn't go too crazy with her new power. Friends and family members, however, might want to look out.
"[I would do] so many things," says Garces. "I would play a lot of practical jokes on my friends and family. But in my everyday life it would be very practical, especially here in L.A. Especially when I am stuck in traffic or something speed through it, cut lines. The normal things."
Garces herself is Latin American (she was born in Colombia), but Francesca wasn't tailored specifically for the young actress. Francesca was her own "person" before Garces even signed on to the film.
"The role was very specific," says Garces. "It was Francesca, regular girl next door, who just happened to be from Venezuela. From first-hand experience, being South American and being an actress, this is definitely a milestone in this business for a character like this to be around. That is huge. I didn't have to have an accent for this film. I didn't have to do any stupid stereotype[s] whatsoever. The family [belongs to the] Venezuelan consulate. They have money, she's educated. She's smart in the film.
Along with being smart, educated and moneyed, Francesca is also one sexy teen. This complete character package was something that was very appealing to Garces.
(From left to right) Paula Garces as Francesca and Jesse Bradford as Zak in CLOCKSTOPPERS
© 2002 Paramount Pictures
"I'm glad that Francesca is sexy," says Garces. "I am glad that she is able to be a young woman and a young lady. But again, in the film, she demands her respect all the time. And I think that is a great role model for young girls today."
Garces found it difficult to work on a feature film that relied so heavily on special effects. However, she found plenty of support in the form of director Jonathan Frakes and the special effects crew working on the project. She also found an ally in her own imagination.
"It's very hard," says Garces. "You have to use your imagination and you have to trust your director a lot. You have to trust his judgment. You have to trust the people who are making the special effects to really give you good information, and enough information for you to play around with in your head for you to imagine what's supposed to be going on."
Working with the STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION star Frakes as a director could easily be a daunting prospect for almost any actor. Garces found that he builds a crew on the set that follows his instructions, but also has incredible amounts of fun.
"He's amazing," says Garces. "He really runs a tight ship and his crew is fast fast, effective. They all respect him. His word is law, but the fact that he makes his set so much fun, always clowning around, always happy, is done on purpose. Everyone was allowed to participate in the fun, not just the actors. So everyone had practical jokes and pulled stunts on each other."
(Left to right) Jesse Bradford as Zak and Paula Garces as Francesca manage to stop time in CLOCKSTOPPERS
© 2002 Paramount Pictures
Garces' praise of Frakes doesn't end there. She found the director to be a professional who isn't afraid to make anyone laugh or commend his actors when appropriate.
"He's a big guy and he's not afraid of physical humor," says Garces. "He will trip and knock down lights. When I would walk onto the set, he would announce my name, saying, "Thank you for gracing us with your presence Paula Garces. Everyone, Paula Garces is here.' And everyone would start clapping. He's always very loud and just happy and jolly. After a really good take, if we did something that he really wanted us to get to, he would really announce it. He would say, 'Thank you. That was great. That was really amazing.'"
Garces does have high hopes of CLOCKSTOPPERS turning into a franchise, and wouldn't be against a Francesca action figure either. But only time, and box-office numbers, will tell if there will be a return to the big screen for the character.
"I hope so," says Garces. "I wouldn't mind a Francesca action figure or a series, or CLOCKSTOPPERS 2, 3, 4 and 5. I am certainly hoping it does. Nothing has been talked about yet. I guess it all depends on what the numbers do and how it does in the theaters. I'm at the beginning of my career, so I would love that."
LOGIN
REGISTER
RSS
HOME
