Evan Rachel Wood Growing Up Quickly in Hollywood |
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Actresses either mature quicker in Hollywood or the roles they take make them appear as if the do. Whichever holds true, at the tender age of 19, Evan Rachel Wood has already amassed a portfolio of what can only be best described as "risqué films."
On the big screen in the recently released indie film, DOWN IN THE VALLEY-aptly entitled because it is set in the San Fernando Valley-Wood plays Tobe, a restless, conflicted teenager, who meets up with Harlan (Edward Norton), a charismatic drifter cowboy.
Quickly, the Tobe and Harlan enter into a romance bordering on the obsessive. With a formidable cast inclusive of David Morse, Ellyn Burstyn and Bruce Dern, the film has been called risky frisky and the film's leading actors have been heralded as giving remarkably compelling (Norton) and revelatory (Wood) performances.
For Wood, this leading role comes on the heels of another tell-tale role that in PRETTY PERSUASION (2005) of 15-year-old Kimberly Joyce who incites chaos in her high school when she accuses her teacher of sexual harassment. Favorable, the reviews for Wood's gutsy portrayal of the manipulative, monstrous Joyce were described as mesmerizing in a Lolita-ish manner and so entirely convincing that it is a little unnerving.
The New York Times' Stephen Holden even went so far as to say --- Now that Christina Ricci has outgrown her niche as Hollywood's ranking bad girl, Ms. Wood has the field all to herself, and she holds it with an imperial command."
Not yet tapping into her venomous side, in THE UPSIDE OF ANGER (2005), Wood played day-drinking Terry Ann Wolfmeyer's (Joan Allen) youngest and most innocent daughter, Popeye Wolfmeyer and in Ron Howard's western drama, THE MISSING, she portrayed the courageous Lily Gilkeson, daughter to lone frontierswoman Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett) and sister to the kidnapped, Dot Gilkeson (Jena Malone.)
However, it was THIRTEEN in which Wood had her breakthrough role playing Tracy Louise 
DOWN IN THE VALLEY-A Risque Flick |
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Freeland, the newly anointed teen-ager led astray by the wild-child Evie Zamora (Niki Reed-the film's co-creator and co-writer). Playing a girl experimenting with the dark side of life, i.e., drugs, stealing & cutting, Wood received a Golden Globe nomination for her role, as well as, a plethora of critical praise.
As a result of THIRTEEN, in addition to landing on Vogue's "Hollywood It Girl" group in 2003 she also became the recipient of an avalanche of script submissions.
After the release of THIRTEEN, of her new found fame-Wood explained on BBC Films website, "It is a little weird, and I do feel a little bit disoriented sometimes. I'm usually pretty shy around people and pretty private. So yeah, it is a little weird all of a sudden to see yourself everywhere with your tongue hanging out! But at the same time, things are going really well for me now and I'm getting a lot of opportunities."
Yet even before receiving attention for her work in THIRTEEN, Wood had appeared on the big-screen in such roles as: s1mOne (2002) as Victor Taransky (Al Pacino) and Elaine Christian (Catherine Keener)'s daughter and PRACTIAL MAGIC (1996) as Sally Owens' (Sandra Bullock) daughter and Gillian Owen's (Nicole Kidman) niece.
And from 1999-2002, on ABC-TV's drama "Once and Again", Wood made her acting presence known playing Jessie Sammler, the young daughter of Bill Campbell (Billy Campbell), paramour of Lily Manning (Sela Ward.) On the dialogue-heavy show, Wood's character experienced social angst, depression, peer pressure and an eating disorder.
In interviews connected with "Once and Again" Wood was quoted as saying, "Growing up on screen is painful. I have had to go through puberty with millions watching.... I hope to have a career like Jodie Foster, going from child to adult actress."
Acting, something that was in her genes from early childhood, was something Wood learned from her father, the executive director of a theatre in the park where Wood 
THIRTEEN-Wood's Break-out Film |
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and her brothers frequently performed.
Moving, in 1996, at age seven with her mother and brother to Los Angeles,Wood read for the part of child-vampire, Claudia in INTERVIEW FOR A VAMPRIE, but lost-out to Kirsten Dunst.
However, it did not take long for Wood to secure roles of her own, guest starring on a roster of television shows including: "American Gothic", "The Profiler" and "Touched by an Angel."
Though not entirely certain how someone who cannot even drink legally is able to embody such diverse and powerful roles, perhaps, contributing to Wood's clout as an accomplished actress, is that she has outside interests including singing, dancing and martial arts.
One who holds a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do, of why she chose to practice, Wood on Radio Free.com's website stated, "It's good to learn self-defense. It was good discipline, good exercise, and just really fun."
And assuredly Wood's quick moving career will benefit from her eclecticism and vitality. For coming up, Wood will have the pleasure of completing production on and making the promotional rounds with a score of upcoming films including: RUNNING WITH SCISSORS, the novel adaptation featuring—Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jill Clayburgh; ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, directed by Broadway musical sensation Julie Taymor; THE KING OF CALIFORNIA, a quest for gold tale—playing Michael Douglas daughter; and THE MERMAIDS SINGING, an Irish folklore—starring Jessica Lange, and Neve Campbell.
And of what she appreciates the most about acting Wood has stated, "What's nice about acting is that you're not just left with yourself all the time, but you get to see the world through so many different people's eyes."
So regardless of playing saccharine-coated or vinegar-infused character, Wood seems more than up for the challenge of taking on flavor-filled roles from sweet to bitter and everything in between....
Evan Rachel Wood on Matchflick
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| Nancy Simon |
A Chicago-based freelance writer and film enthusiast, Nancy has an insatiable curiousity and knack for picking out talented, promising individuals.
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