What are you guys working on next?

Elijah:  I’m right now working on the album, full throttle going full at that.  I’ve been writing a lot of music.  I wrote for Mario and I wrote and produced that record and I’m also working on a film called Party Up which is at New Line which is a cross between Ferris Buehler’s Day Off and like the House Party series so it’s like a good teen movie to get that audience and then move from there.

Amanda:  For me, I just did a movie called Sydney White which is, I guess, a retelling of Snow White in college and instead of dwarves they’re dorks and so, my Snow White character kind of cleans these boys up and sort of makes them less dorky.

When you use the hairspray in the movie, were you using the old school kind with the ozone stuff…

Amanda:  No.  We used modern products.  When we used it to show stuff, I think they used deodorant, actually, because that sprays white which you can see on camera.

They gave it to us.

Amanda:  Yeah.  That’s what I mean.  That’s actually the product that we used most so we were like ‘well, we might as well make a real thing out of it’.

What was it like working with John Travolta?

Elijah:  That was great. John Travolta, I don’t think anybody would not jump at a chance to work with a guy like him because he’s gone from Grease to Face Off to, he’s gonna do Dallas.  I mean he’s so great in his range and he’s truly a legend and a pro in our time.  I think that’s like a testament for all of them, Queen, Michelle and all of them. We learned so much from all of them, just in their walk of professionalism and how to be as actors and people.

Amanda:  For me it was the same thing.  It’s really interesting to work with someone who has managed to have longevity which seemingly is the hardest thing to have in Hollywood.  It seems like it’s difficult to figure out that mixing of changing your roles so people don’t get bored but not changing them so much that you lose your fanbase.  I like to watch [John] to see how he works and he’s just a nice guy and I think that’s a lot of it too, you can’t turn into an evil person.  You have to still remain who you were when you became famous, or before you became famous.

Are either of you Broadway fans or, since this movie, do you have a desire to do something on stage?

Amanda:  I would love to, definitely.

Elijah:  Me too.  I’d love to do Broadway.  It’s funny.  I love it but I’ve never actually seen an actual Broadway show, not even “Hairspray”.  I saw “Hairspray” at the Pantages in L.A.  It came to the Pantages right before I did the movie and just being in New York sometimes and seeing the marquees and everything like that, I’m like ‘I really, really have to go experience a Broadway play’.

Elijah, is your album more R&B or more rap?

Elijah: No, it’s not rap at all.  It’s like a fusion between Earth Wind and Fire, they’re funk soul and like the R&B pop of today.  It’s untitled right now.  That will probably happen….I’m procrastinating.  I’ll probably name it like the week before it’s supposed to come out.  The music is the most important thing right now.

Amanda, you’ve been working since you were very young.  Do you set aside time every year to take a break or have you been driven to work since you were a kid?

Amanda:  I’m definitely driven to work.  I don’t know why.  I guess it’s because you get a taste of this job and it’s sort of addictive and I get why people want to do it but, for me, it’s like I want to do movies that are cool like this.  It’s very hard to find a Hairspray so I don’t take breaks so much as I don’t do them on purpose.  I do it while I’m waiting for find a good project.  Any time I’m not working, it’s not because I’m like ‘oh, I hate my job and I don’t want to do it’, it’s because I’m like I’m searching for the right  movie.

Can both of you talk about staying grounded because we’ve seen other young people getting into problems. Is it certain people in your life or something that comes from within?

Elijah:  I’m still afraid of my mother [laughter] so a lot of the things I’d consider doing if I saw her afterwards, it wouldn’t be….

Amanda: That’s exactly how I feel.  It’s weird that you say that because I want to still do what I want to do.  I don’t love listening to what people say I have to do but I don’t want my parents to be disappointed in me so, a lot of times, I really want them to be proud of me and I want to have their seal of approval.  So, a lot of times, with things that I don’t do is because I have a family and also, I look at Will Smith.  He did rap but he rapped about, like he didn’t drink and do drugs.  What a good role model when that’s not as cool in the streets to do. I just think that’s very refreshing.

Elijah: I think we are both conscious that people are gonna look at us and look up to us for stuff.  That’s something that comes along with the territory so we’re very conscious of it.

Amanda: And also, I think we’re very appreciative of our opportunities.  For me, why would I ever throw that away by being a jerk?  For us, we’re both focused and we want to have long, successful careers.  Why would we want to throw that away by being jerks or going out too late?