Did you feel that your story mirrors your character's, in that you both are plucked from obscurity into a world of showbiz?
It's almost exactly the same story. It's basically mirrored. William's first time going into rock'n'roll and then me, going into movie-making. It's all basically the same experience. It was a growing-up, coming-of-age experience for me. It was definitely something I could draw from, and put into the movie.
How do you see William's relationship with Stillwater guitarist Russell Hammond?
Russell Hammond is like a God to him. The whole band, Stillwater, is. These are his idols. His life is about music. Music is his life, and it's his passion. It's all he has, basically. He doesn't have any friends, he's never been accepted. When he goes into this world that he's idolised from afar, and they accept him and take him in as their little brother, he's overwhelmed by this. The rock critic Lester Bangs tells him "Don't make friends with the rock stars", so William has this conflict going on, as Hammond is really nice to him.
Did you get any advice on fame from your fellow teen actors, Anna Paquin, Kate Hudson and Fairuza Balk?
Anna and Kate both, and Fairuza especially - because she gets recognised a lot - all said "Don't let it get to you. Don't let fame overwhelm you. You'll get recognised when you go get a pizza, or when you're on an airplane. Take it easy and enjoy it." I get people coming up to me in McDonald's and Wendy's. So far, since the movie's come out, I get recognised every time I get on a plane to go some place. Sometimes, when I go and see movies the clerks will look at me funny. So far I've been able to take it in my stride. It's a really uncomfortable feeling. You'd think it's glamorous, but it makes you nervous and uneasy.
Read our review of "Almost Famous".
