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In Steven Spielberg's mini-series Into the West, Rachael Leigh Cook plays a young woman who forges a new life in the American West.
Best known for her roles in She's All That, Josie and the Pussycats and Get Carter, Cook was excited to learn some of her scenes would be filmed in Alberta, where she shot Texas Rangers in 1995.
THE SUN: What memories do you have of filming in the Calgary area?
COOK: Only the best. I love filming in Calgary. It's such a beautiful place and the people are so great. I'm a huge fan of the area.
THE SUN: You were filming outside of the city in farming communities and forests. What was it like roughing it?
COOK: It's really striking out in the woods, but it's hardly roughing it because you have the service tents just out of camera range.
THE SUN: Would you have liked to trade places with your character from Into the West?
COOK: Never. Absolutely not. If you got a toothache and they pulled it out and it got infected, you died. If you coughed too much they'd leave you in the middle of the prairies. That's the way it was.
THE SUN: What modern convenience would you miss the most if you had to time travel to the 19th century American West?
COOK: I don't use a blow dryer, but I would sure hate having to go back to brushing my teeth with a regular toothbrush. I love my electric one too much.
THE SUN: You started out as a model and have played your share of models. What beauty tip do you have?
COOK: Fake tanning. Absolutely fake tanning. It's not healthy anymore to expose yourself to too much sun. A quality fake tan is far superior and healthier.
THE SUN: What's the worst part of your job?
COOK: Being separated from my husband. I'm married to Daniel Gillies, who's also an actor. Right now he's off in Russia shooting a film. It's the nature of the business. You cope by having expensive phone bills.