Hey Kay! How was your New Years?
It was actually fun! I didn’t have any plans, and then on the 30th my friend called. Have you heard of the books called twilight?
Oh! I love those books!
I love them, okay! So I recommended it to this friend, and she started reading it, and then she sent me a text message and she was like this book is weird. I said okay what page are you on? She said 53. And I said hold off for another 100 pages. And this was earlier that day. So that night, she called me and was like I finished the book, it’s amazing! I love it! Um do you want to spend the night, and I was like sure! Because my dad went to bed at 9
Awww!
Yeah. He’s not a late night person. And I was like yeah alright I’ll come so, at midnight we went outside of our house, and her mom made us buckets with lots of noise makers, and I had a one of those recorders, the things that are made out of plastic. I mean we made all kinda of noise. We stomped on bubble rap. Her parents threw water balloons at us. It was just a lot of fun. Have you heard of the movie Juno?
Yeah I have.
Well I haven’t seen it yet, but she and her mom has just seen it and there was a song about being a vampire.
No way!
hah exactly! And she had just finished reading the book and we made a music video to it. It was so much fun! We were just laughing. And we got the Mac book, so it’s already got the little camera already on it. So we recorded it and edited it. We were just so proud of ourselves. Because neither of us are technologically advanced. But we're still learning, you know?
Technologically challenged!
Exactly! So it was just a lot of fun! We stayed up until like two, and we got up at 10! We ate chocolate chip pancakes…it was great! A total girl’s night out!
So you love Twilight. Do you like reading in general then?
I love reading! If you ask me about TV or movies, I’m pretty clueless but books, I know everything! That’s one of the only things I get in trouble for! Staying up late reading! My worst experience with that was once, when I had work the next day and was supposed to get up at 7am; I stayed up till 4am reading one of the Harry Potter books! At 4, my eyes starting closing and I decided I had to get some sleep!
What are your resolutions for 2008?
I don’t really have so many…I’m trying to graduate from college in March so I want to try plan work around school or somehow manage to combine it. See I don’t turn 18 until May so it would be great to finish college in March. Once I’m done with that, all the rest of my resolutions will start. I want to start working out again, I need to catch up on sleep…I’m dying to go to the beach! Last year I promised myself I’d go to the beach in the summer and I never went!! I would love to go on a bunch of trips in Europe, Australia, Russia…lots of traveling! I’ve fallen behind with all of my friends so I want to meet up with everyone again, I need to start driving; I have my license so I just need a car. Lots of books to read, I want to start making jewelry again, puzzles, lots of creative stuff!
Happy Campers is your new project. Can you tell us a bit about it?
I can! It’s a pilot for ABC family. It’s a girl who lives in New York and her parents are divorced. Usually she spends every summer with her dad but this year, she’s spending it with her step-family. She thinks its going to be a quiet time at home but they decide to go on a camping trip so she’s stuck on the road with them for a month. She has a very sarcastic edge to her. Her step sister is a slut, her mum is a total southern belle, her younger step brother is a perv that has a crush on her…it’s a really cute right before the holiday’s movie. It’s well written and I hope everyone gets to see it! It’s smart, funny, it’s just great! Hopefully we’ll start shooting that beginning of April…
Kay and sister Danielle
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What are the best and worst parts of acting?
There are so many good parts! I’m such a social person and the crews are soo amazing! They’re usually 4 times my age but they’re so nice and fun to be around! I like making a character my own and yet different. I love collaborating and coming up with ideas together with actors, directors etc. I love feeding off actors; learning and improving from them. I love having fun because usually the best work comes from having fun! The worst part is hair and make up…just because it takes ages. Coming in early for that sucks. And yet I like coming in early because I have an early morning song and I sing it and everyone gets excited. I love going to work. I’ll just stay around and talk to everyone even if I’m done for a day. I just talk to everyone. The worst part is having to balance school and work but it’s not awful.
You graduated high school at 14 and you’re finishing college at 17! How do you feel about achieving something amazing like that?
I’m just really ambitious and get bored easily. When I’m bored I get in trouble. I just keep myself busy. Usually young actors who wait for acting jobs turn to drinking etc. that’s not what I want so I find people who have the same values as me. So for me, school is something to keep me busy. I love school and reading. I love history; it’s my major. I talk with students about issues because they’re older and we have different opinions and we get different discussions. Then I bring it home and have very good discussions with my parents when I get home.
Due to being famous, does it affect the people you meet?
I figured it out last year that people around me were using my fame. I love talking to people and trust them without knowing them. I know have to read people and really understand their motives. It’s sad to me because I’d love to hang out with people without putting my guard up. I have no problem talking about anything as you can tell by this phone call but I have to be careful now. It’s sad. You don’t want to regret anything and it’s just…I have to be comfortable with myself, with I am. I have no problem telling a person to their face that I don’t trust them. It becomes a healthy relationship again because I can be so open; it helps others be more open. I rarely have people to use me because I’m so open so it’s hard for people to lie to me. It’s happened before but I’m used to it.
Kay you’re my twin in America…
It’s weird because so many people are like us! By talking to people like us, people realize who they are. Most people turn out to be nice…well there are some girls which are just ridiculous! The girls out here are…indescribable! Going into auditions I meet people and we talk and we talk about meeting up. We never end up meeting up and we see each other in another audition and they pretend not to know me. It’s weird. But at auditions its may the best person win.
Sounds like you have a tough life out there.
It’s not tough…you just have to be smart about it. People will take advantage of you in a heart beat. It’s just sad really because you will end up getting hurt. But then again it’s also part of being a teenager. I still talk to friends from Chicago and they’re telling me about how people hurt them. I think it’s just more pronounced in LA due to acting and competition. Everything happens for a reason though…that’s what I believe in.
Have you ever tried being a diva?
Omg I tried it on set once and it just couldn’t work! I turned it into a joke because I simply couldn’t be a diva! And with fans and everything…fans sometimes follow you around and some people totally blow them off but I can’t do that! If it was someone I admired, I’d like to say hi and have a quick chat. So often people get caught up in the Hollywood fakeness and I hate fakeness. I run away from it as fast as I can! That’s why I’m glad I went through high school so quickly. I’ve always been comfortable with myself so I don’t see how others can’t be with themselves. It seems simple but some people are mentally wired differently so I wonder what they think at the time.
I think it’s more about being accepted if you’re different.
I love being different! I have a very silly side to me where I start talking as different people. I’m very weird but I love it. It’s so much fun being weird with my friends! I love randomness!
Yes! Randomness is awesomeness! So Read it and Weep was on Disney Channel recently. What was it like acting with your sister and having her play a sub-personality of you?
It was so much fun! My sister and I are very similar! Not in personality but in mannerism. Often people think we’re twins when we act. If you meet us, there’s a bit of a height difference! Personality wise, I’m much weirder and more outgoing. She’s very reserved and thinks before she acts. It was fun because she got to be the outgoing one and my character was more like my sister. It was like we were playing each other. We had fun on set. We had tons of inside jokes and when the family was there on set, it was a great family affair!
Do you still keep in touch with the casts of different projects?
I am so social so I love keeping in touch! I’ll randomly call them or send an email. There are people who you click with so you keep in touch with them more. But I keep in touch with the crew of different projects and send lots of holiday greetings to everyone! I’ll call people and try to arrange to go out for lunch. Anything! I think I keep in touch with at least one person from each project I’ve been on! It’s ton of fun. I can’t go into a situation and not have fun and be social.
And now…it’s time for me to bombard you with completely random questions!!
Awesome!
Describe yourself in three words.
Fun. Compassionate. Random.
What’s the nicest thing you’ve done for someone?
Be there for someone when they needed me. I seem to have perfect timing in that sense. For example when they need a friend and everyone else has deserted them, I’m there for them. I’m sure there’s a specific example which I just can’t remember right now!!
If you were a super hero, who would you be?
Whichever super hero can read minds…I can’t think of any super hero…except for someone from Heroes but they’re not super heroes…just heroes…
If you were president for one day, what would you do?
I actually plan on running for president in 2028, when I’ll be 35 which you have to be to run for president. If you’re in the US and a citizen at that time, please vote for me! But for a day…they just passed a law in California that says teenagers can’t use a phone while driving and I’d like to make that nation wide because I think teenagers need boundaries. That would be one of the things I’d do in a day! Did you know that the decision part of the brain doesn’t develop fully till you’re about 20? And for guys, since they mature slower, about 25? So that’s another reason why they shouldn’t have a cell phone when driving; because they’re horrible at making judgments.
If you were stuck on a desert island with only 3 things, what would they be and why?
A library; I have to have books! I’d make a friend go with me. And then for the third thing, my beading supplies so I could make jewelry during the time there.
Tell me random facts about you!
I can wiggle my ears!
I have four gold fish called Squishy, Squashy, Squishy’s friend, Squashy’s friend
I hand-feed wild deer that come into my yard. They love nacho chips, cheerios…
I am a huge animal person so whenever I work across the US, my mum and I do wild animal things! I have bottle fed a baby giraffe, I swam with sea lions, dolphins, sting rays and other random fish, I got to pet a zebra, I got to hold a baby orangutan…
I don’t like bugs and spiders…I don’t mind snakes, lizards, anything…just bugs and spiders…
My first name is Stephanie but in the fourth grade, I changed it to Kay because I was too lazy to write Stephanie on my school papers
They say everyone has a price…what’s yours?
As long as you’re a nice, genuine person…I’m willing to do almost anything for you.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve had in your mouth?
I went to the San Diego zoo and they were having this eating contest…they’d fried a maggot and my friend ate it and he made it watch. That wasn’t fun to watch! As for my mouth though…I’m not sure! I might have eaten dog food when I was younger…
What makes the world go round?
Gravity…?
Hah! Best answer I’ve heard yet!
Well it’s practical…but in a metaphorical way…I guess business…sadly…
Completely true!
I guess my answers are practical…I could say flowers make the world go around…but then I’d be a weird hippy...
Would you rather live without knee joints or elbow joints?
Ew! That’s a good one!! I guess I’d have to live without knee joints because I wouldn’t be able to eat without elbow joints and I love food…
I love food soooo much!
Me too! I don’t think I could ever be anorexic because I just love food so much! In order for me to loose weight, I have to either cut down portions or work out…
Final question…do you have a myspace or how can fans contact you?
I don’t have a myspace, AIM, or anything…I only have a personal email which I can’t give to fans. If you go to http://www.kaypanabaker.com/ I have a mailing address and you can write fan letters! If you want a response, attach a self-address stamped envelope so I can respond. I’ll most likely respond and send a photo too but don’t forget the envelope!
