Kristen Chenoweth: 4 Christmases

Talented, petite Broadway star and actress Kristen Chenoweth will always be known for her performance as Glinda, the good witch in the mega-popular musical "Wicked" but the tiny blond dynamo with the little girl speaking voice has also entertained us on TV's "Pushing Daisies" and "The West Wing". Kristen has an amazing singing voice and has just put out a Christmas album.

We chatted with the talented actress and learned that she's just a sweet Southern girl and she is hilarious, warm and real!! Her answers to our questions had us laughing for hours. Kristen had fun playing Reese Witherspoon's kinda catty sister in the holiday romance Four Christmases and we got the scoop on her own holiday memories and fun creating her character.

TeenHollywood: What do you normally do on a holiday? How do you cope?

Kristen: I don't look at it as trying to cope. I really love Christmas so much. I'm the dork that gets depressed when it's over. I sort of have a reverse Four Christmases experience. I can't wait and, when it's over, it's so sad for me. I have six aunts and they are all variations on a theme. It's like the South blew up in our house!

TeenHollywood: What are your Christmas traditions?

Kristen: My mom has a ceramic Christmas tree. It has those little candles so we go around in a circle and light the candle and say what we're most thankful for. It sounds very cheesy and it is but it's also very emotional and to see my father and my older brother tear up and try not to cry, it's a nice tradition and I hope, before I'm a dried-up old (thing) and can't have any children, I can pass it on to my kids.

TeenHollywood: When and how did you find out there was no Santa Claus?

Kristen: I have a brother who is four and a half years older than me and I was always in "The Nutcracker" every Christmas and so, after the ballet, he was pretty bitter and we came home and I guess it got to him one year and he said 'There is no Santa' and I remember thinking that he was a liar and going to my parents and they were (telling me) what Christmas is really about and I was like 'so is it the same as the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy?' And it all came crashing down.

TeenHollywood: Were you campaigning to sing a Christmas carol in the middle of this film?

Kristen: I didn't campaign, much to my manager's chagrin. I feel that sometimes keeping (my two careers) separate is kind of nice. I did a Christmas movie called Deck the Halls where I did sing a little bit. If it makes sense for the character, I'm sort of open to it but this was more about (her character) Courtney and her bad feelings about where her life had gone.

TeenHollywood: Reese's character keeps her childhood and other secrets from her significant other and it doesn't work out well. Did you ever do that and how did it work out?

Kristen: There's a big thing where I grew up. You kind of come out of the womb doing pageants (laughter) and I moved to New York and quickly found out that that was something I should keep on the inside. My first fiancé, yes, first, came home with me for Christmas and he was Jewish and after my mother said 'we're not having ham' (laughter) then she said, 'oh, I have some funny pictures to show you' just what we did in the movie, and showed him all of my pageant pictures and that was horrifying. He was like 'what else do I not know about you'. It was very similar in that way but he decided he still thought I was okay.

TeenHollywood: How did you feel about your character Courtney because she isn't always lovable. Do you have family members who might think you are mocking them by playing this character?

Kristen: It was a challenge to play someone like Courtney who is very different from me but also walking that fine line of not making her dislikable but making the audience recognize that person. I've had some women that I love very much to draw on (who say) 'are you gonna wear that? Is that the way you're gonna wear your hair? The extra weight looks good on you' (laughter). I also have a sister-in-law who has been around since I was in the 6th grade. My brother has provided a wonderful life for them. They have two kids and I have this career in singing and acting and she comes to visit me and sees what all I have and I can just pick up and go whenever I want and I look at her life and go 'gosh. I want a family and I want to be in the suburbs driving my kids to baseball practice' or whatever but I think what Courtney and Kate ultimately do is realize that the grass is always greener so that was my challenge.

TeenHollywood: Was it important to have some good vibes between the sisters?

Kristen: I just wanted to make sure there was a redeeming moment between the sisters so people didn't go 'gosh, Courtney's just bringing up all the bad stuff; cootie Kate and fat kid and all that'. I talked to Seth (the director) about that scene around the Christmas tree and really wanting to make sure we had that sister moment and it was really great to talk to him and talk to Reese about that being a redeeming moment for the two girls.

TeenHollywood: Reese's character is afraid of the jump jump. Were you afraid of anything as a kid?

Kristen: Ironically, when you are little you are fascinated with the Easter Bunny and the Santa Claus at the mall. I was always a little nervous to wait in line and talk to Santa. I was scared of him a little bit even though I revered him and wanted to tell him what I wanted, it became frustrating when I was 16 and Santa still wanted me to come sit on his lap (laughing) because I looked younger than my age and then 18-years-old at the mall, I was going the other way, into the food court trying to avoid Santa and in college... so it was the mall and Santa (that scared her).

TeenHollywood: That's kind of creepy. You are so busy. What are you going to do over the holidays when you have spare time?

Kristen: I like to Bedazzle. I have a kit but now I'm into hand-gluing. You get crystals and I have a Lakers' shirt that I've Bedazzled and I've Bedazzled my Dodger's jersey and I just recently wrapped "Pushing Daisies" and I made all the women Bedazzled "Pushing Daisies" shirts. That's what I'm going to be doing over the holidays.

TeenHollywood: Is "Pushing Daisies" coming back?

Kristen: We don't know. We wrapped at five o'clock Friday morning and we didn't know whether to hug each other goodbye or say 'see you in a month'. I think the state of television is in dire straits so we're just keeping our fingers crossed.

TeenHollywood: What do you hope for in the new year?

Kristen: I hope there is something that changes. I know we're in Hollywood but I come from the South and from a religious background but, not to get political. I'm not that girl, but with Prop 8 (In California), it bummed me out that people's rights were given and then taken away and I hope we can see that change. I think we have a good start with our new President.

TeenHollywood: Favorite holiday gift you ever got?

Kristen: I think, in the 7th grade, Gloria Vanderbilt had these great jeans and I wanted them so bad and my dad was just starting a new company and things were a little tight. I started opening these gifts and thinking 'I'm not going to get those Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. Keep your chin up and don't cry and be a grown-up'. The last box I opened, there were three pairs! I remember one of them had a hamburger on one pocket and fries on the other'. That was the best ever (laughter).

TeenHollywood: What are you doing next?

Kristen: I'm going to be doing some concerts promoting that Christmas album, just singing. It came out two weeks ago; a lot of Christmas standards and I'm real happy with it. I've got a beautiful 80 piece orchestra and I recorded it at Capitol Records and got bit by a brown recluse spider there so just so you know, they are out and about.

TeenHollywood: Oooookay, we'll be on the lookout!