ABC Family, Actor Interviews

Part 1: Interview with Candace Cameron Bure from “Make It or Break It”

I sat in on a conference call with Full House star Candace Cameron Bure, who now plays Summer Van Horne in ABC Family’s “Make It or Break It”. I had a blast listening to her talk about taking a break from acting and then what it was like to come back. She is one of those child star actors who managed to keep her head on straight. We can learn alot from her.

Here is Part 1 of the interview with Candace Cameron Bure:

Q: I know you’re a Christian. You have one a character who promotes Christian values positively, which is really rare in this day of media. How do you feel about having that role, and did you have to fight to get your character, Summer, to have those values on the show?

Candace: It was very interesting. I do hold a higher standard in some of the things I will do and won’t do. Some of that played into my character with Summer when we had created her, but originally I never asked if she was a Christian at all. That was something that after we talked, the producer decided it would be a great element to add to the show.

I was excited about that and it wasn’t something I was expecting. It’s been interesting for me because although I’m not Summer, we do hold a lot of the same views and opinions and values. It’s something I truly believe in, which is interesting as an actor, to really mean a lot of the lines that I’m saying and to believe in them.

I’m happy, being a Christian and portraying a Christian on television, and I want to make sure that it is a positive reflection of Christianity, unlike some of the views that we see in other characters on television shows that aren’t portraying Christianity so greatly. Anyway, it’s an exciting thing for me and I’m happy about it.

Q: What is it about this show that you feel continues to draw in viewers?

Candace: I think it’s a well-written show and the storylines themselves, because there’s so much drama; there’s a lot of conflict and having it based around gymnastics is something that hasn’t been on TV yet. I think is quite interesting for the viewers. I know we have so many fans who are gymnasts or have been in the gymnastic world and they’re so excited and pleased that there’s a show representing some of the things that they’ve gone through their whole lives.

And, also, being a teen drama and discussing the life of what teens go through and the hardships and drama itself – that’s something that hooks you and keeps you wanting to come back for more, to see what happens.

Q: What about the role continues to challenge you?

Candace: I’m having so much fun on the show and with this role. I mentioned before it is fun that I get to be a really positive person, and a go-to person for the girls in the gym if they want, especially for Lauren.

I’m a stable figure that hopefully represents love and that’s a great character to be playing. It’s fun for me to be in much more of a motherly role and an adult role, obviously having been on TV as a child for so many years. That, in itself, makes it nice to come back to TV as a completely different person in the sense that I’m an adult.

Q: What I wanted to know is have you noticed any changes in your day-to-day life since the show premiered? You have a whole new fan base and then, again, with the fans that have followed you all these years, has that impacted you in a way that you’ve been able to notice?

Candace: I’m still recognized from Full House; I think I will be my entire and that’s still where the majority of my fans are from. It is pretty fun for me when some of the younger kids come up to me say, “Aren’t you that lady from Make It or Break It?” That tickles me to death.

I love having new fans that know me from this show – that’s always a fun thing, but I’m forever grateful and love my Full House fans. I guess I haven’t seen a huge, dramatic change in fans from being on the show. I think I’ve got a great group of core fans that have just followed me for a long time; it’s quite flattering and I’m appreciative of them all.

Q: I just wanted to say it is great having you back on TV. I’m loving your character, Summer. I’d like to know what are the similarities and the differences between your personality and Summer’s.

Candace: We’re having fun because the show is so new and the characters are still developing so I’m learning a lot more about Summer as we’re diving into this back 10 [episodes] of the season. Something that I am not that Summer is is organized. We’ll see that Summer’s got her stuff together; she’s a bright woman, and she’s organized and she’s put together quite well. I guess being a mom of three I feel pretty disheveled most days. I can’t remember my car keys or what I just walked out the door to get. I will just go completely blank. I think that’s one big difference.

Another difference is I’m happily married with three children and Summer is still looking for love. She’s never been married and obviously she just broke up from a serious relationship at the end of Episode 10. She’s still looking for love. There’re a lot of differences between us. But, I think the common factor is the Christian faith that we share.

Q: I definitely agree. Also, your clothes on the show are just the cutest.

Candace: Thank you, I agree.

Q: Do you have input on that or do you just have an amazing wardrobe?

Candace: It’s both, but we have an amazing costume designer, Mary Kate – that’s just funny, her name [laughs]. Well, Mary Kate is great and we talk a lot about the wardrobe, but I think because I’m the only one in the show who’s technically not a gym mom or one of the gymnasts, so she just gets to have a lot of fun with me and put me in great clothes. A lot of them are the designers and the type of clothes that I wear in my own life. I come out on stage every day and all the girls on the show check me out to see what I’m wearing. They say, “You have the cutest clothes on the show.” That’s totally all our costume designer and I give her props, she’s awesome.

Q: You took a five or six-year break from acting back in 2001. Coming back into it, having a familiar name is it an easy transition back for you into the work or did it feel like you were starting from scratch all over again?

Candace: No, Hollywood embraced me and gave me a very warm welcome back. When I decided to come back towork, it didn’t take long at all. It was basically a little reintroduction of, “Hey, I’m back,” and everyone wanted to see what I looked like. From what most people say, I pretty much look the same as I did even ten years ago. I haven’t aged too much.

Aside from people just seeing what I look like, it was a very warm welcome. The calls started coming in right away. I didn’t have to fight hard at all, which is a beautiful place to be; I’m grateful for it.

Q: I wanted to ask you about what you said earlier in the interview. You said that you hold a high standard to choosing roles. Does it ever feel like you might be limited as an actress by doing this or is it not something you think about?

Candace: I definitely am limited, absolutely, but that’s okay. I’m the one that’s limiting myself and I’m limiting myself by choice. I want to do things that either will have a message at the end of the day, a good moral message, or things that will encourage people or families in a positive direction.

Not that everything is going to be perfect or everything’s happy; there are always struggles and conflict in television or movies and participating in those are great. I don’t have to do everything that holds the exact same viewpoint that I have, but at the end of the day, for me, I want it to have a positive reflection or redemption at the end of it, something learned from the situation. Yes, I’m limited, but that’s completely fine with me.

Part 2 coming soon.