[IMG:L]In the new ABC series October Road, an acclaimed young novelist suffering from writer’s block returns to his hometown after being away for ten years. His intention is to tap into what inspired him to write his first book, but he soon realizes that not everyone is thrilled by his success, garnered by his less-than-flattering portrayal of their lives as young adults.
Former That ‘70s Show sweetheart Laura Prepon goes from making audiences laugh over lava lamp jokes to flexing her dramatic muscles as Hannah, the high school sweetheart that was left behind – now a single mother of a 9-year-old son. The concept of October Road is not foreign to Prepon, who grew up in a small town in New Jersey and left home at a young age to pursue acting. Hollywood.com talked to the former sitcom star about her new grown-up character, and why she could never give up on her dream to perform.
Hollywood.com: What was it that drew you to this character?
Laura Prepon: I literally got this script a week after I wrapped on ’70s and I was really hesitant to do television because I’d had the best job that you can have. So my manager, who knows my taste almost better than I do, was like, “There’s this script called October Road. You have to read it.” I said that I would check it out. I read it and the characters and the story resonated with me so much because I’m from a small town in Jersey and I grew up with these [characters]. So after meeting with these guys and getting an idea of what the show was going to be like there was no question. It just seemed like the perfect kind of stuff for me. My character is such a beautiful character in dealing with all of these things in her life, as a young mother. She has a lot of responsibility to take on at a young age and it’s just a whole different set of issues that this character has that really appeal to me.
HW: Your recent role had you playing a young adult. What has it been like transitioning into a more adult role?
LP: It’s weird. On ’70s we were all playing teenagers. I kind of liken it to all of us being in college; It was this great experience and a lot of us had just moved out here for that show. Then from there we all stepped off to other things. So it’s like college ended and now you’re in the real world. And playing a woman who’s in her mid-twenties is like moving out and flapping your wings a little bit.
HW: What do you like best about your character?
LP: I just love this character because she’s much different from the role that I just stepped off of. She has a child. She’s a young woman and is dealing with a whole new set of responsibilities and different issues which I’ve not yet been able to play, and that’s really great. I mean, she deals with human issues that everyone else would deal with in her position, so it’s just about how she handles them. She’s just a beautiful character and I’m so lucky that I get to play her.
HW: Since this role requires you to play a single mother did you do anything off camera to bond with the actor that plays your child?
LP: Yes, the actor who plays my kid on the show is really, really cool and really intelligent and we can just hang out and talk. He’s a really smart kid. We hung out to kind of get the relationship there and it just came really naturally to us. We bonded very quickly.
[IMG:R]HW: What was it like saying goodbye to That ‘70s Show ? Eight years is a long time on a show.
LP: Yeah, it was kind of weird, and people do ask me that a lot, but it just seemed like it was the right time to end. It was so successful and we all had such an incredible time. I think that one more season would’ve been too much. We were all really happy that we went out while we were still doing really well. A lot of times people run shows like that into the ground because there’s a steady fan base and the network always wants to keep you around. So we went out at the perfect time because people loved the show and we were all just ready to move on
HW: So no withdrawal symptoms?
LP: Of course I miss working with everyone everyday because for eight years, when you see these people everyday, I mean they literally – not to use a cliché – become your family. I still talk to everyone a lot and we’re all still really close. But it’s interesting leaving a cast that felt so comfortable and then stepping into a cast like October Road where I didn’t really know what to expect. It’s just been incredible, though. It’s been really, really great. That’s been one of the things that’s made me not really miss my 70’s cast as much because I feel just as comfortable with these guys.
HW: What are your relationships like with the people that you grew up with in real life? Do you still keep in touch with the people from your hometown?
LP: Well, I left home when I was pretty young so most of my really great friends that I’ve met are out here in California. I actually am not in touch with a lot of people that I used to hang out with in New Jersey. Only a couple of people.
HW: Did you ever have a moment when you wanted to give up “the dream” and go back home?
LP: I think that everyone who works in this business have their moments where they might think about that, but we’re here because we all have creative minds and we’re artists and this kind of stuff is what keeps us alive. I don’t think any of us would be doing anything else. I think that if any of us worked any other job it would be a slow death because this is what we want to do with our lives.
