Summary: Mini-interview with Laurie Holden as part of a Variety spread on their pick of the year's top ten talent to watch.

Posted: Tue., Oct. 2, 2001, 7:00pm PT

Laurie Holden
Carrey co-star antidote to holiday blues
By ANNA DAVID


HOMETOWN: Born in Los Angeles, raised in Toronto

FAVORITE ACTORS: Susan Sarandon, Vanessa Redgrave, Judy Davis, Meryl Streep, Gena Rowlands, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey and "all those great British actors"

NEXT PROJECT: Right now she's meeting with execs and reading scripts "trying to get a sense of what would be a great next gig."

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?: "I hope I'm married to the love of my life with a beautiful family and doing what I love, which is acting. I would love to be doing plays and working on quality films."

WHY DID YOU BECOME AN ACTOR?: "I love storytelling and love being part of something that can move people: move them to laugh, to cry. The power of what we do, whether it's theater or film, can change lives."

When Laurie Holden was only 6 she worked alongside one of Hollywood's leading men, Rock Hudson, portraying his daughter in "The Martian Chronicles."

Today, Holden again finds herself opposite one of the screen's biggest stars: She plays Jim Carrey's girlfriend in Warner Bros.' highly anticipated pic "The Majestic." The film, due Dec. 21, is director Frank Darabont's follow-up to "The Green Mile."

"The fact that she's a lawyer speaks volumes about her character," insists Holden about the role she essays in the 1951-set pic. "It was a vocation so latent with discrimination (back then) that only a handful of women were even admitted into law programs."

Of course, Holden manages to bring out what she calls the woman's lighthearted, tenacious and free-spirited sides as well.

"She's a crusader but in many ways, she's the girl next-door. She sort of represents the best of America," Holden says of her character, adding, "It's a very Capraesque film."

The actress came to Darabont's attention via Anna Garduno, president of production of Darabont's Darkwoods Prods., and acting coach Larry Moss, who works regularly with Holden in an acting workshop.

Not only did Holden end up landing the part but Carrey enlisted Moss' help for his performance as well.

"It was all very serendipitous," Holden says.

These days, Holden, who many TV viewers will know as U.N. informant Marita Covarrubias on "The X-Files," is logging time until "Majestic" comes out.

"I think I need to just sit in a movie theater to grasp the fact that I just starred in a movie because it hasn't quite hit me," she says

Holden is weighing the opportunities that are out there for her, and that will likely increase once the film is released.

"'The Majestic' opened a floodgate of doors," she says. "I've had a lot of wonderful meetings but I haven't committed to anything yet."

As far as fame is concerned, Holden's already had a taste of what a very attentive fan base can do.

"When I first started on 'The X-Files,' some people were worried that I was going to somehow intervene between Mulder and Scully," Holden says with a laugh. "The Internet fans can get quite vicious."

END