New Kids on the Buffy Block by Sarah Kuhn

From SciFiIgn - January 17th, 2001

Little Sister Michelle Trachtenberg and ultra-cool Angel sidekick J. August Richards chat it up.

Being the new kid on the Buffy block isn't the easiest thing in the world -- Michelle Trachtenberg can attest to that. When she first joined the cast as Buff's previously unseen little sister Dawn, the fans nearly revolted.

"The first two or three episodes, they're like, 'Who is she, buddy?'" laughs Michelle. "And I was like, 'Well, mister and missus, if you [watched] the show for the past two years, you know that Dawn has been hinted about!'"

Faith's "Little Miss Muffet" line, right? "Exactly!" she shrieks, clasping my arm. "Very good! I give you much credit."

The bubbly Michelle is having a grand old time at swank Pasadena restaurant Il Fornaio, where a whole constellation of WB stars is on hand to chat it up with TV critics. Like Dawn, she has a winning spark of infectious enthusiasm -- every other word is in italics. "I love playing Dawn, I love everything about her," she exclaims. "I love meeting the actual cast, seeing what happens behind the scenes. I love having my own room! I mean, I have my own in real life, but I love having Dawn's room and that whole thing."

As we all know by now, Dawn isn't exactly the precocious teen tag- along she appears to be -- rather, she's some sort of key-to-the- universe-type energy conjured into human form and sent to The Slayer for protection. "Dawn, of course, as you know, is a little special," laughs Michelle. "She's just the key to the survival of mankind."

Right. No pressure.

"Yeah, none at all, really!" she laughs. Though Dawn is oblivious to her special status -- she still thinks she's just Buff's little sis, and as evidenced by last night's episode, is just beginning to get hints that something is amiss -- Michelle says that there's an episode coming up wherein Dawn will learn more. "There is actually an episode that will air in February -- I'm really looking forward to seeing how it's put together," she says. "You have to expect an episode where Dawn gets a hint of what she is, and there will be one coming up, and I'm really proud of it. It should be fun."

Twisted sisters.

Overall, Michelle couldn't be happier with the way things have worked out on Buffy, which she was a fan of prior to being cast. And, as evidenced by the protective side she brings out in The Slayer, Dawn has added a new dynamic to the show. "[Dawn]'s always full of energy, and she's exciting and she's fun and she always has her opinion!" Michelle laughs. "And she will tell you! Some days she can get a little nosey, but it's all in good fun."

And as for those persnickety fans, well...they've come around. "The fan response has been great -- they love Dawn, they think she's pretty good," Michelle says. "I hope I'm making you guys laugh and cry and smile and giggle."

Speaking of new kids on the block, The Buffster isn't the only one who added a fresh face to her Scooby Gang this season -- over on Buffy's sister show Angel, everyone's favorite vamp-with-a-soul welcomed ultra-cool street demon hunter Charles Gunn to the fold.

The actor who plays Gunn, J. August Richards, was also hangin' out at Il Fornaio, and like Michelle, he's way into the nuances of his character.

"What's cool about the way they write my character is it's like an onion, like layers are constantly being peeled off of him," he explains. "And then this whole firing thing -- whereas he was acting very nonchalant, he actually cared a lot about what was going on. He's very passionate, and very into it, and he really cares about the people that he works with."

Yeah, and about that "whole firing thing"...as regular Angel watchers know, Angelus (David Boreanaz) up and fired his entire staff in the final moments of the last new episode, leaving all of us in shock. After all, what's Mr. Tall, Dark and Tormented without sassy Gal Friday Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), fussy sidekick Wesley (Alexis Denisof) and all-around bad-ass Gunn?

"I love it, man, you never know which way it's gonna go," says J of the plot twist. "We start our own business -- me, Wesley and Cordelia. And it leads down a certain path and we'll see how that resolves itself. Obviously, as you know, I can't say too much, but it's gonna be cool!"

Strike a pose.

In person, J projects the too-cool aura of his character, but somehow manages to be the most friendly, down-to-Earth guy you could imagine. He notes that Gunn brings a new sort of dynamic to Angel's core group. "He's still got his own thing, because he's still the general of the army, and the general doesn't take orders," says J. "So he fits in sometimes, but he doesn't fit in other times -- you never know what you're going to get from him."

Earlier in the season, fans were buzzing about a potential romance between Gunn and his polar opposite -- resident fashionista Cordelia. "I think a lot of that was coming from the reaction that people had to the 'First Impressions' episode, but I don't know which way it's going," says J. "He will always surprise you, you know? He surprises me, when I get the scripts."

One such surprise came about when Gunn and Angel finally duked it out in the recent ep "The Shroud of Rahmon."

"A lot of underlying resentments were coming out, and I had to clock Angel -- I had to clock him! And that felt good," laughs J. "There's always going to be resentment, 'cause he's a leader and I'm a leader. So we butt heads sometimes."

Still...you know you've made it when you get to clock Angel.

"God, yes!" exclaims J, laughing. "Yes!"

--Sarah Kuhn wants her own room on the Buffy set