The Safe House - Expositions

This week, five Felicity guests are in the house: Greg Grunberg (Sean), Amanda Foreman (Meghan), Ian Gomez (Javier), Amy Jo Johnson (Julie) and the man behind all the magic--Felicity and Alias mastermind JJ Abrams. They tackled your Q's on all things Felicity, everything from Meghan's mystery box and a costar's stinky habit to the big series finale this Wednesday on the WB. Plus, Wanda talks season finales--Friends, Buffy and Real World Battle of the Seasons--and gives you the lowdown on the new fall schedule.

Hey, TV fans! So glad you could make it to our fabulous Felicity chat. Hopefully, you've already read about my day on the Felicity set and our very cool Where's Wanda? Sweepstakes. Now, help me extend a warm welcome to my heroes: Felicity creator JJ Abrams, Ian Gomez (Javier), Greg Grunberg (Sean), Amy Jo Johnson (Julie) and Amanda Foreman (Meghan). Let's dig in!

From werewhere: JJ, was it difficult letting go of the Felicity reins when you started working on Alias?
JJ: It was difficult, especially having worked on the show for three years with people I love, but knowing that Matt Reeves and Jennifer Levin were continuing on with the show made the transition much easier.

From aussiesouth: Once and for all--Ben or Noel?
JJ: You have to watch the finale, but in terms of who she should be with, I think it's more a question of who she should be. The "Ben or Noel" question overshadows the premise, which is: Who is this woman going to be, and how will she find her happiness? It's important to know who you'll be happy with, but she has been on a personal journey that has been more about herself than her partner.

From serendipity: Greg, I love your stories about Speedy. Anything else to share? You two seem to have a lot of fun.
Greg:To review, he has the worst smelling and looking feet on the planet. They look like bearded dragons. We're like the odd couple on the set. My trailer was never used much and clean, and his looked like Sanford and Son was shot there. I miss him already. And I wish him all the best; he's great.

From dearne 11: JJ, how have the characters surprised you over the years?
JJ: I think it's surprising that Meghan became such a good friend. And Ben, who was always the cute guy, finally found a purpose and a life direction. In many ways, his story is the most drastic of the group. It surprised me about Sean and Meghan. When they were first on the show, they were in totally different worlds, and they ended up getting married. And Felicity, in this journey of college, she's very much where she started--still looking for who she is. At the beginning of the series, I thought she would find something specific.

From Andrea44: Amy Jo, the fans have missed you! How has it been being back?
Amy Jo: It was really fun. It was a nice reunion to see everyone again. I was really happy to be in the ending of the show since I was a part of the beginning. I was part of the family; I would have felt left out if I hadn't been a part of the end.

From Pumpkin Spice: Amanda, you and Greg are the best couple! How do you create such great chemistry?
Amanda: We knew each other before the show, actually. Greg is so funny and so easy to work with. We didn't have to create anything; the chemistry was there. But I should point out, we never dated or anything; I'm good friends with his wife!

From liddymack: Greg, which of Sean's ideas is your favorite? Mine was the marzipan wrestlers.
Greg: First of all, they were marzipan boxers, but if you're a wrestling fan, run with it. Foley and I both love the headache-relief device.

From Rachael: Any chance of a Felicity reunion? I'm in denial the show is actually ending.
JJ: It's too soon to tell--but everything seems to be reuniting nowadays. We'll see in a few years...

From aboutjoe: Ian, you have great chemistry with Scott Speedman. Did you ever wish Javier and Ben would hook up?
Ian: [Chuckles.] I think there was enough drama with the Noel-Ben-Felicity triangle. I think it would have confused things even more. Actually, I was trying to make it that Javier was more attracted to Noel. In the beginning, he was more flirty with Noel, and that I could see happening more than with Ben.

From Farrah: Greg, how do you like working on Alias compared to Felicity?
Greg: I love them both. What I love about Alias is having to get so serious and dealing with such heavy stuff. I try to come across as a real CIA agent, as opposed to Sean, who is easy to play because it's me. Either way, I get to work with a Foley.

From liddymack: Amanda, what was in Meghan's box?
Amanda: They never told me what was in it, but I thought it could be a confession to a murder. If you look back, there are very few things it could be. I thought maybe it was a false confession, and that's why my dad freaked out. I heard people saying it was a dead baby. I thought that was a little gross and over-the-top.

From kellym: JJ, is there anything you would change about the show if you could do it again?
JJ: I would have made Felicity a more active character and given her some more opportunities to be more empowered and give her more responsibility. Which, oddly, is something that the last five episodes have done. Suddenly, with these back-in-time episodes, she seemed to have a spirit that was more alive than some of the stuff we had done prior. I really love that.

From gennie: Will any of the other Felicity gang appear on Alias? Scott Foley should be a love interest, and Keri Russell should play an enemy of Sydney's!
JJ: At the moment, there are no plans to have anyone from Felicity on Alias, but I love all the actors and would jump at the chance to work with any of them. One caveat is Greg Grunberg, who's already on the show. I'm hopeful he'll stick around.

From nandylee: Amy Jo, I love your songs and voice! Do you have an album or any plans for one?
Amy Jo: I do. I recorded a CD last year. It's available at amyjojohnson.com. It's a rock 'n' roll CD titled The Trans-American Treatment. It's my folky music plugged in and turned on.

From victoria lee122: What can you tell us about the finale?
JJ: I think the ending feels really true to form, consistent with the show and, ultimately, very satisfying. It's hard to conclude a series emotionally as well as logistically. In many ways, it's as much of a new beginning as it is a conclusion.

From Shelly: Please give us any tidbit on next season's Alias! How does Vaughn survive?
JJ: I think the Vaughn story is great, and you'll have to tune in in September to see how that plays out. In many ways, the whole first year was backstory to what's about to happen, and I think the ride this year will be really wild. Even Francie gets to have a story!

From Gwendolyn: Amanda, please tell us what's next for you. I'm happy you made Meghan an integral part of the show. You rock!
Amanda: Thanks. That's very nice. Up next, I have a movie called Extreme Dating. I'm going to be working on another movie, but I don't know the name because they're changing the title. That starts in June. And that's all. I'm just going to keep working. Also, I'm in a band called Teen Machine. I don't do it for money, just fun.

From Mahesh: Ian, did your improv background help you in playing and creating Javier? Any favorite improv stories?
Ian: Yes, it did. I actually developed the character while I was at Second City. I got the chance to improvise a few times while shooting the show. Favorite improv story on the show: I tried to make Scott Speedman laugh. If I could get him to break up, it made my day. He learned to incorporate it into the scenes. He was a tough cookie to break.

From wnene 1122: Any chance of a Felicity DVD?
JJ: I think it would be a wonderful box set. Perhaps if people email Disney enough to let them know they want it, it could happen.

From Wanda: What about syndication?
JJ: There's actually a huge billboard in Times Square with Keri Russell. The reruns start in October on the Women's Entertainment network.

From feluvindc: Greg, I'll miss Felicity so much! Did you keep anything from the set when you wrapped the show?
Greg: Please keep this just between you and me: I stole the glass-front refrigerator from the loft. If they find out, I'm dead meat.

From RebeccaBellerose: Amanda, what will you miss the most about playing Meghan? (And can I just say: SPINOFF!)
Amanda: [Laughs.] I'll miss the great dialogue. I think Meghan was the most fun, the funniest and most interesting character. And about the show, I'm going to miss the people the most. Every single person was just so fantastic and friendly and funny and smart. It was a great experience.

From RossUK: Greg, what can you tell us about your new show?
Greg: It's hilarious. Jason Bateman, Nikki Cox. It's called It's Not About Me. I narrate it. It's a very fast moving, funny buddy comedy about two guys. One is an attorney, and one is an ex-attorney who becomes a high school teacher.

From carmen: Ian, are you really from Spain? I'd love to be your neighbor! In Spain, we love the series and the cast very much, especially you!
Ian: That's very sweet. I'm not from Spain, and I've never even been there! I would love to go! Believe it or not, my Spanish is quite awful. I would have to practice before I went so I wouldn't embarrass myself.

From Kim: JJ, what was in Meghan's mystery box? Make something up if you have to.
JJ: We sort of dealt with that in our Twilight Zone homage in an episode titled "Help for the Lovelorn." The prop itself is in my office--I have yet to look myself.

From ace: Amy Jo, tell us before an E! True Hollywood Story comes out! Why did you leave Felicity?
Amy Jo: I had done it for two years, and I'm a person who thrives on change--and I don't do anything based on money. I felt like it was time to leave, and I went to JJ and told him I was really grateful for everything and asked if I could move on. I know the rumors were that I was fired, but I wasn't! It was my choice. I wanted to pursue my music, so I went to Chicago and Michigan to record an album.

From Miss Grace: Amanda, did you like your "Goth" or the "Jackie O" style? You looked good in both!
Amanda: Thanks a lot! I liked the way the Goth stuff looked a little better. It was always something different. The wardrobe people came up with really fun things. But Jackie O was easier for me; it was less time in hair and makeup and easier to take off at the end of the day. And if I wanted to skip out and go to lunch, I didn't look completely freakish. It looked like way more makeup in person. I just always felt conspicuous.

From Jenny: Ian, I loved your character, Javier. Will you be in another TV drama?
Ian: I'm taking the summer off, and I'll worry about work in the fall. The character won't be on another drama, but hopefully, I'll be on something equally entertaining, if not more so.

From Erica: JJ, is it true Keri Russell is going to be on Alias as a bad girl?
JJ: I've talked to her about it, as a half-joke. But the truth is, I'd love to work with her anywhere--on anything.

From Liz: Amy Jo, who do YOU wish Felicity would end up with in the end: Ben or Noel?
Amy Jo:I think she's too young to end up with anybody! I think she should go be alone for, like, five years and then get married when she's, like, 31 or 32.

From candace: Ian, is there anyone in your life that you knew or know like your character?
Ian: Actually, when I was young, for reasons that are too long to mention, I was the acquaintance of a six-foot-tall transvestite who was the model of the character. He was also a junkie who would come over to my house and convince my mother to flush drugs down the toilet. This was in New York City.

From larrypigtails: JJ, thank you for creating such a wonderful show from a true fan! Was it difficult making the FINAL decision of who Felicity should end up with? How do you compare the two? Is one of them THE ONE?
JJ: Thank you. Both Scotts are such great actors--and the characters are so dear to us, that choosing one over the other was tough...but the conclusion of the series in this respect feels true to form and, I think, very satisfying.

From jennifer: Ian, do you realize how much people love you as Javier? Thank you for four wonderful seasons. Any stories about the show, especially with Scott Speedman?
Ian: Thank you very much. Like I said before, it was making him laugh. That was one of the games we played. I always tried to do something new to spark it up. I started singing a song from My Fair Lady, and then he laughed and we had to reshoot because he kind of ruined the shot.

From danniV: I loved you as Javier, and I'll miss you and the rest of the cast of Felicity. I even got my hubby (a cop and lawyer in the NYPD) to watch the show faithfully. Who do you think Felicity should have ended up with?
Ian: Hmmm...well, I think character-wise, she was more compatible with Ben, and I think they should end up together. It would've been great if they had ended up together, I'll just put it that way.

From Ashley: Amy Jo, what's it like to kiss Scott Speedman? Are he and Keri Russell a real-life item?
Amy Jo: It's always fun to kiss a good-looking guy while I'm getting paid! I don't know if they are or were a couple. I had left the show when those rumors came out, and by then I didn't really talk to anyone.

From George: Amanda, who do you think Felicity should end up with?
Amanda: I think Ben...right? Obviously, Ben. She's in love with Ben!

From vanat: Amy Jo, I heard you were cast to play Felicity before Keri Russel popped her little head in. Is this true?
Amy Jo: No, that never happened.

From Katia: I love Felicity! I've been a faithful viewer since the pilot. JJ, what's your favorite episode and why?
JJ: I think the tie is between the pilot and the season finale,� "Felicity Was Here." They were directed by Matt Reeves and were two of the most emotional episodes we did.

From Ann: Amy Jo, are you more committed to your music or to acting right now?
Amy Jo: I'm doing both intensely. I'm in New York right now for a play called Love, Janice. If anyone is in New York, you can go to the Website for the play and find out when it's showing. It's a cool rock 'n' roll play off-Broadway about Janice Joplin. I play Janice. I sing 19 songs in it. It's the biggest challenge of my entire life. I don't know what's happening. It's nerve-racking and exciting, and no matter what happens, I'm learning so much!

From Jenny: Greg, do you think Meghan and Sean are a good couple? If you could choose your love interest on the show, would it be Meghan? Julie? Felicity?
Greg: I would definitely choose Meghan. Mandy is my favorite person both on and off the screen. I love our relationship on the screen; it's so real. The arguing and the yelling, but the underlying love.

From Mikey: Where has Tangi Miller (Elena) been all season?
She has gotten little or no screen time. JJ: There was no conspiracy to exclude her this year, it's just how the stories played out.

From bristow: Greg, do you think Felicity's Sean would ever succeed in the CIA with his UNY degree?
Greg: Sean never graduated college. So, he's just what the CIA needs! I keep telling JJ, if the CIA had Meghan and her witchcraft, all would be right with the world.

From Stephanie: Is there ANY truth to the rumor that there's some hidden message in all the letters they zoom through when letting us know where the action is taking place in Alias? I'm dying to know!
JJ: Yes, there is something more to the "push-throughs," as we call them. Stay tuned!

From lora: Amy Jo, you played a very convincing college student on the show. "Julie" was so similar to girls I met at college. Your character was so believable! Great job.
Amy Jo: I just played what was given to me writing-wise as believably as I could. And I was lucky because the first year I got a lot of storylines with a lot of depth. And I can relate to moving to New York from a small town and being so small in such a huge machine. I'm from Cape Cod, and I moved to New York when I was 19.

From Jenai: Great job on Alias! What's going to happen with Mr. Sark? Anything with Francie?
JJ: Thanks! David Anders, who plays Sark, is a genius. He definitely returns. And as I said earlier, Francie gets a story in season two.

From casey: Love Felicity! Greg, how did you feel about the spell episodes? Fun to go back in the past?
Greg: It was great selling the idea, because we weren't supposed to know it was happening. They're selling the fact in a real way that she actually went back. Speedman's character is so great right now; he is such an asshole, and it's so real. It's great to see all the characters mixed up and switched around.

From Simon: Have you finished writing the Superman script yet, and what can we expect in the movie?
JJ: I'm just writing it now. Warner Bros. has asked that McG (the director) and I keep everything top secret. Sorry!

From Jessica: Greg, if you could change the outcome of the series in any way, what would you do?
Greg: Instead of Felcity wishing to go back in time, I think Felicity should have wished for four more years of college. That way, we could still be on the air. And if Sean took over Donald Trump's empire, that would have been fun to watch.

From elizabeth: Why did the show have to end now? There are so many other shows that are not even close to being this real. The writing on this show was spectacular, and I haven't even seen the ending. In any case, I salute you and wish you all the best in all that you do (or write).
JJ: Thank you so much. It was the WB's decision to end the series. If the ratings had been higher, I'm sure there would have been a season five.

From jolene: Ian, I loved you as Javier!! Any last words?
Ian: I loved doing the show and playing Javier! I wish it could have gone on longer, but you can all look forward to 15 years down the line when we do the Felicity reunion. Everyone will be bald like me, and it'll be great. We'll see if the sparks still fly!

From chloe: What are you going to miss most?
JJ: Working with the great cast and crew. It was an amazing ensemble. And I'll miss writing for those characters, even though I didn't do much of the writing this year. Leaving the cast and crew will be the hardest part.

Thanks so very much to all our Felicity friends for being here. You guys rock! All you tube fans out there: Don't forget to watch the Felicity finale this Wednesday at 8 p.m. on the WB. I assure you, you'll be a wreck if you miss it. And now, since we have a few minutes left, let's tackle a few of your other faves...

From freddiemac: You're on the Felicity finale, you lucky brat! I'm a bit confused about the sweepstakes, though. How do we do it?
On Wednesday, look for this lucky brat's mug in the Feli finale, then come back here and enter the Where's Wanda? Sweepstakes. I must tell you guys, though, I'm suffering some serious separation anxiety about parting with the Felicity painting. So, if you win the canvas, and for some reason cannot keep it, please know that I'm more than happy to give it a loving home. That's the sort of altruistic soul I am.

From anonymous: Can you tell us another hint on where to find you?
Yes. Don't blink. ;)

[...]

From jillsygirl: Please, before you go, can you at least tell me that the Felicity season finale has a happy ending.
Noel will die, Felicity will be institutionalized and...it will all be okay. I promise. Expect a "No Place Like Home" finish--with a twist.

Okay, guys, it's that time. On behalf of all of today's chat guests, thank you for being here and supporting one of the best shows ever to grace the tube. Don't forget to tune into Felicity's amazing series finale this Wednesday, May 22 at 8 p.m. Then come back here and submit your guess for the Where's Wanda? Sweepstakes and become eligible to win our lovely Felicity parting gifts. Enjoy all the finales and have a great week! Also, email me with questions, or sound off on the message board!

� E!Online 2002

Back To All About Alias 2002