Emma Caulfield

HER EMMA-NENCE

Emma Caulfield has been a Beverly Hills girlfriend, tormented by the Tooth Fairy, and bounced from demon to human twice and is still racing forwards. She has said her good-byes to the Tuesday nights of slaying demons after four years and said hello to a documentary-esque project she is just itching to talk about. She is learning not only to accept the complimentary cups of coffee life gives her but to steer herself in the direction she wants. A&F sent Jared Grant to track her down while making sure to break for animals.
 

I am sorry to bring up a role from so far back, but how was 90210? Oh, god. It’s something that people always want to know about, and I did it like eight years ago. It’s like someone asking you to remember senior year of high school. Yes, it was great. Yes, Jason is a great kisser. I think it’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

Okay, I just had to mention it. So I can’t believe Buffy is over. If you hadn’t die would you do a spin off for Anya? I’m done. It was great. I don’t think I will ever get to play a character like her ever again. It was such a cultural phenomenon and so well written.

What was it like on the set? On set it was a mix of things. Family coming in and out, dogs running around, but there was always a Scrabble game going on. I love Scrabble. But when we finished our last day of production, it was emotional.

I can only imagine the crazy fans from Buffy. Any scary stories? This one time I was in London for a Buffy convention. And I was at this bar in my own little world with my journal, and this girl came up to me and offered to buy me a drink. I was just settling up my bill and and about to leave and I was very polite, "Thank you so much, but I am about to leave." I am always very polite, you know, "Thank you, thank you, but I am really about to leave," and this girl was just persisting. And she said, "You know, these conventions might be your only source of income one day," and walked away. Another time I was at Starbucks, and someone offered to buy me a coffee, and I thought back to this story and was like, "Yeah, sure, I would love a coffee." (laughs)

And in the musical episode you got a chance to sing. That was great. That’s going back to my musical theater years in high school. It was fun, you get to kind of leave reality. You know, isn’t that nice you can just abandon reality. (laughs)

Very nice. You studied psychology in college, do you think that helps with your characters? I guess it helped me not so much to understand my characters, but to better understand people. That’s a never ending process, so that’s how it helps me.

The word on the street is you are working on some kind of documentary. Care to confirm the buzz? Actually, I really can’t talk about it. It was a project I started working on that has changed and morphed into something bigger and different. It’s going to be amazing. I wish I could talk about it, because it is such a great project I am really excited about, it’s one of those great moments in life that I may never have again. But everyone will see.

How mysterious. Now I really want to know-can you at least tell me when to expect it? It will be out some time next year.

Is there a dream role you would like? What I am doing right now, which I am not allowed to talk about. (laughs) It seemed I was falling into roles and just sticking around for awhile. Anya on Buffy was written for one episode, and four years later I was still around. With Darkness Falls, it was kind of like "Hey, do you want to do this movie with Revolution?" and i was like, "Sure." It was a great movie, it was scary, and it made a lot of money for the studio. But it was a real wake-up call for me.

Why is that? Well, I was just falling into roles it seemed and not really thinking about it too much. It was almost like I was doing someone else’s career. And now I feel I am at a place where I can point myself in a direction I want to go. Maybe I got those roles because I was so laid back, but I am at a great point right now, to be so passionate about something.

I guess that is what we should all strive for. Is there anyone that has influenced you? Bono. Him and his music I have just really loved. What he has done with AIDS research and helping to clear debts of third world countries is so great. And he isn’t just speaking on a panel, he is helping to setup research and all that. I am into animal rights. I was researching it for like three hours last night on the internet.

Oh no, a paint throwing PETA hippie? No, no. I am not like that at all. I am not a vegetarian, I eat meat, I don’t wear fur, but I do wear leather. It’s the treatment of animals that is so horrible. It’s a national and global problem. Criminals in our prisons receive better treatment than cows. I am not saying we shouldn’t kill animals, kill them. It’s how they kill them. Just don’t chop the feet and beak off a chicken, don’t torture it. I could not be a member of PETA. "

"I am not saying we shouldn’t kill animals. Kill them. Just don’t torture them."

So you are online surfing animal rights websites and buying a new leather handbag on another, my kind of woman. (laughs) Yeah.

Emma Caulfied photographed by David Needleman.