AOL Online Chat With Nicholas Brendon

6 November 2001

AOLiveMC21: Welcome, Nicholas Brendon! Ready to roll with our first question?

Nicholas:  Let's roll!

Question:  Hey, Nick, I was just wondering, are you planning on doing some more movies soon?  I loved "Psycho Beach Party"!  - Meri

Nicholas: I plan on doing them when time allows, but I'm real busy with the show.

AOLiveMC21: Our next question is from CarmenS94:

Question:  Hi, Nicholas!  First, congratulations on getting married!  Second, one of my favourite episodes was the hyena episode that involved around Xander's character.  Do you have a favourite script from the show?

Nicholas:  It would be the episode that's airing tonight. It's called "Once More With Feeling." It's our musical episode and, like I said, it's airing
tonight.

AOLiveMC21:  A follow-up question:

Question: Hey, Nick, what do you think when Joss told you that he was going to do a musical "Buffy" and everyone would be singing?  By the way, you have a great voice!  - Tamara

Nicholas:  Ah, thank you, Tamara!  I was looking forward to the challenge, since I had never sung or danced before professionally. I said, "Bring it on!"

Question:  Have you developed strong friendships with the cast over the years?  - Surfgirl 16

Nicholas:  Oh, yeah. In fact, we're like family.

Question: Nicholas, hi!  I was wondering if you still get to hang with David Boreanaz now that you guys are on different networks as well as different shows.

Nicholas:  No, not really.  Because of conflicting schedules, we don't.

Question: Would you ever do another musical after everything you've had to go
through to do this one?

Nicholas:  Absolutely!

Question:  In the show, you have a crush on Buffy.  Is it like that in real life?

Nicholas:  No, we're just really good friends. I just got married, and she's engaged.

Question:  Was the musical hard to pull together?  Was the cast really singing, or were you all lip-synching?

AOLiveMC21:  Lots of questions about the musical "Buffy"!

Nicholas: A few of us, when we were shooting it, were really singing. It makes it look more real.  A couple were lip-synching, but it's all their voices that you hear.

AOLiveMC21:  TeenAngel7 sent this question for Nicholas Brendon.

Question:  How does Sarah act during the filming of the show?

Nicholas:  She was amazing filming this episode.

Question: Is your brother single? lol  Since you're taken, I'll settle for him! - Jaime

Nicholas: Yes, he's very single. lol

Question:  What do you think of the Tara-Willow story line?  Do you support it?  (Willow used to be chasing Xander.) Do you think they will stay a couple?

Nicholas:  I hope so.  I think they make an adorable lesbian couple.

Question: Nicholas, please tell us what your holiday wish will be this year.

Nicholas:  Holiday wish...that it snows in Los Angeles and we have a white Christmas.

Question: Recently, Jonathan has become more of a major player on "Bufffy' --- at least in a slapstick, more up-front kind of way, whereas he used to always be in the background of a scene in seasons past.  Is he the nephew or cousin of one of the producers or something?

Nicholas:  No --- lol

Question:  Who do you think you are most like?  Xander, Spike, Angel, Riley or Giles?

Nicholas:  Buffy.

AOLiveMC21:  Ah...a clothes question.

Question:  Do you like the clothes that they make Xander wear?  Does it
reflect your own style?

Nicholas:  I like some of the clothes Xander wears.  And no, It doesn't reflect my style.

Question:  What surprises are we to see with your character this season?

Nicholas:  Things I just can't say!  I can't divulge that information. :)

AOLiveMC21:  Ahah! O.K.  On to the next question.

Question:  What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever done?

Nicholas:  Hmm...Weirdest thing...everyone's been very respectful, so I'd say there really hasn't been anything weird, like no one's come to my house.

Question:  Do you think when you first read the script for "BTVS" that it would be this huge?

Nicholas:  No, I was just really stoked to have a job!  I was happy not to be waiting tables.  I was just young and naive.

Question: Hey, Nick!  I was wondering, do you have any new projects that you
are working on?

Nicholas:  Not right now.  I'm busy for the next nine months doing the show. It's kind of hard to do that with my production schedule.

AOLiveMC21: Another singing question...

Question:  Are we going to be impressed by your singing voice tonight?

Nicholas:  I hope so!  I mean, my mom liked it.  Moms know best.

Question:  Do you have any say on what and how your character acts?

Nicholas: No. That's the writers' job.

Question:  Hi, Nick. I am a huge "Buffy" fan from the U.K.  I loved the episode "The Replacement" with your twin brother in it. Did you enjoy working with him, and have you had any other opportunities to work with him?

Nicholas:  I had a blast working with Kelly! And we haven't had any other opportunities to work together, but I'm sure not saying no to it.  It's down the road.

AOLiveMC21:  Question from Sorrala3...

Question:  How do you feel about the whole switch to a new network?

Nicholas:  I think it's been great.  I think the network's done a very professional job. Since we're shooting in the same place we've been shooting
the past six years, it hasn't really changed for us much.

Question:  Do you like working with the Anya character better than when you
were with Cordelia?

Nicholas:  Well, you know --- six of one, half dozen of the other.  They're both great, they're just completely different.

Question:  Nick, I think you're a wonderful person. Can you tell us if you'll be getting more screen time than you have been? I was so sad during Season 4 and in Season 5 you barely got screen time. Xander is my favourite character.

Nicholas:  Yeah, I'll be getting a lot more screen time.

Question:  Are you a prankster on the "Buffy" set?

Nicholas:  I'm probably the biggest prankster, but we don't get much time, since we're always shooting.  We try to stay very professional on the set.

Question:  How many hours do you rehearse a week?

Nicholas:  We don't rehearse much --- pretty much like a half hour for each
scene, then we go into shooting.

Question:  Nick, have you heard there is a campaign about you?  It's called the "Key Guy Campaign", and they all want to see more of you on "Buffy".  By the way, I used to have a stutter, and your work makes me proud.

Nicholas:  I wasn't aware of the campaign. I'm happy that my work is helping with the "Stuttering Foundation".

Question:  Hi, Nicholas.  Just wanted to say that you're an incredibly good actor and a nice person.  I met you back in August at Griffith Park --- thanks for taking your time and taking a picture with your fans!  I wanted to ask how it was filming for the musical.

AOLiveMC21:  The musical has the fans afire!

Nicholas:  I had the time of my life.  It was fantastic.

Question: How old are you?  Where are you from?

Nicholas:  I'm 30, and I'm from the San Fernando Valley. (California)

Question: If you could switch roles with any other character, who would it be?

Nicholas:  I don't think anybody. I really dig my role!

AOLiveMC21: Nicholas, this comes from Meri in our audience.

Question:  Nick, do you like television or movies better?  - Meri

Nicholas:  I like both.  As long as it's quality work, I'm not too picky.

AOLiveMC21:  The rhetorical question of the evening...

Question:  What is it like having to work with all those attractive women?

Nicholas:  It's not bad!

Question:  How long have you been working on "Buffy", and what did you like about those years?

Nicholas:  It's been about five years now. It's been fantastic. It was my first acting job, and I've learned a lot.

Question: Hey, I wanna know if you have an e-mail address, and if so, can I have it?

Nicholas:  I do not have a computer. I'm still in the Ice Age, apparently.

AOLiveMC21:  Here is our last question of the evening for Nicholas.

Question:  Nick, what is your favourite song from tonight's episode? - Meri

AOLiveMC21:  As we have seen, the fans are enthusiastic about the musical!

Nicholas:  There's a song called "I Have a Theory" and the song that me and Emma sing called "I'll Never Tell".  All the songs are great.  Those two kind of pop out for me.

AOLiveMC21:  Nicholas Brendon, thanks so much for chatting with us tonight!

Nicholas:  Thank you very much for being patient!

AOLiveMC21:  It has been great. Glad you could make it!  Good night, everyone!

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