CBC's This Morning - March 5, 2000

"Megan Follows' Anne Shirley Comes Home Again"
Dick Gordon

Anne Shirley returns to Green Gables on CBC television in the new made-for-TV movie -- Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story. It has been 13 years since the last Anne movie, so the return to the Anne role is certainly a homecoming for lead actor Megan Follows.

And what a reunion it is.

As Judy Garland just was Dorothy, so Megan Follows just is Anne, although there have been many distinguished roles on stage and in film for her in the mean time.

This Morning's Dick Gordon caught up with Megan Follows on Friday in San Diego, California.

The Interview:

Dick Gordon: Megan, how did it feel playing Anne again?

Megan Follows: Probably not as strange as it felt hearing myself playing Anne again!

Gordon: Well, what was that like?

Follows: Just now, it was very strange hearing Colleen's (Dewhurst) voice because that would have been added later on when they were mixing this latest installment. It made me very sad just to hear her voice today.

Gordon: Colleen Dewhurst, we should point out, played Marilla in the original two films and she died in the early '90s. You two were close.

Follows: I had a wonderful time working with Colleen and I was also fortunate enough to do another project with her later, a film called Termini Station. I've always been incredibly grateful for my time and experience working with her. She was an extraordinary lady.

Gordon: Was it comfortable for you to get back into the Anne role, or because of the intervening years, either in your age or Anne's, was it more difficult?

Follows: It was both. At times, some things felt comfortable; some things felt difficult. It was an interesting line I had to walk through the character. I tried to find what was organic and original about her, as well as the things that were completely new - new elements. That's the exciting part of having so much to do with a character like Anne.

Gordon: It's a curious relationship you have with the character. We always project the actor directly into the character. Do you feel like you've grown up with her?

Follows: I've grown up alongside her. I have a funny relationship with Anne because I originally had to fight so very hard to be considered to play her. I was not the first choice for the role. It took a lot to convince Kevin Sullivan to allow me to play the part. So, I've had an interesting dynamic with this character. Many people thought who I was, was not who she was. I had to work very hard, reading the books and really studying the character.

Maybe that was a Godsend because I didn't come in with preconceived ideas. I really wanted to build her as a character quite apart from who I was as a person, yet still tap into those things that are universally true about her because that's the reason why so many people identify with her.

I'm so grateful that I was accepted through my portrayal of her -- that it was received favourably. I think we tapped into an essence of Anne that wasn't captured before.

Gordon: Once you've found that Anne who is acceptable to you and lovable for the people who watch you on the screen, does it then become a little constraining? Do you have a responsibility to keep being Anne when you come back 13 years later?

Follows: Oh, I think there was a tremendous responsibilty. I certainly felt trepidation about it; I felt nervous. I think that's why it's taken a long time to consider following in those footsteps. The first two series were very strong.

Also, it's a departure [from the original series] because most of the material from the books was used in the TV series, which I had nothing to do with. So there was a hesitancy for me to explore Anne again.

Gordon: I want to talk a little bit about what you've been up to in those 13 years. But just before we leave the character of Anne, I'm not sure that I know from listening to you talk whether or not you think that this association with Anne has been a really good thing for the actor Megan Follows, or if it carried a little bit of a curse. When you needed to separate yourself [have people said], "No, no, no, you're Anne Shirley"?

Follows: I've never felt it was a curse. I felt that playing Anne opened up opportunities for me.

I always felt ultimately I was judged on the quality of the work in the piece. It was a very complicated role to play. To achieve that at the age I was, was a testament to my talent - if I may be so full of myself to say such a thing! But oh, what the heck!

Gordon: You worked hard at it.

Follows: I did work really hard and we shot that first one in nine weeks. It was almost impossible and we pulled it off. I've found that through that experience I've had a lot of other opportunities open up to me. Those [opportunities] have continually challenged me and tested my ability, or shown me areas where I need to grow more. So I've never looked at it as a curse.

It's a testament to the Anne character, too. She's a complicated character, so you can't really stroke her with one... whatever that expression is.

Gordon: One-dimensional.

Follows: She's not one-dimensional. So there's a lot of room, and even within her there's a lot of colours.

Source: CBC