Emma Roberts Finds Nancy Drew

Young Actress Brings the Classic Literary Character to Theaters

Jun 8, 2007 Steven C Bryan

Actress Emma Roberts plays the teenage detective who has been a staple of children's literature since 1930.

Teenage detective Nancy Drew has been solving mysteries for nearly 80 years, which might explain why this popular literary character appears to be stuck in the past in the upcoming big screen adaptation of her adventures.

As played by actress Emma Roberts ("Aquamarine"), Nancy is adorable and persistent, solving crimes with her handy detective kit as well as an ample supply of fresh baked goods. Her clothing, which always is neat and perfectly coordinated, does look like something out of an episode of "Leave It To Beaver," however. At one point in the story, a student at Nancy's new high school even comments that she looks like Martha Stewart.

"It's really cool because all the outfits were designed by Jeffrey Kurland and made for the movie, so they are one-of-a-kind," Roberts said, via telephone from Chicago. "Normally, I'll just wear jeans and a t-shirt and a sweater and some accessories; I really don't get overdone or 'matchy-matchy.'"

Nancy's clothing may look a bit dated, but her crime-fighting arsenal is completely up-to-date. The young sleuth carries an iPod to capture confessions, surfs the Internet in bed with her laptop computer and photographs evidence with a digital camera. "Her character is essentially the same as she was in the book, but they updated the story around her and it's set in modern times," Roberts said. "So she does have her iPod and her digital camera and the Internet and everything."

Though she thought the teenage detective was a really cool character before she started working on the film, Roberts said she hadn't read the books when she was younger, but she did see some episodes of the now-classic 1970's television series that featured Pamela Sue Martin in the title role.

During the 2 ½ months of filming, Roberts said that she had a lot of fun acting opposite former "Saturday Night Live" star Chris Kattan and Tate Donovan, who plays her long-suffering father in the film. "We were always cracking up; it was hard to keep a straight face when we were shooting together," Roberts said about performing with Donovan.

Roberts, who wanted to be an actress since she was very young, said she hopes girls can walks away with some of Nancy's values after seeing the film. "Nancy Drew is not afraid to be herself, even if people will make fun of her. I hope girls can take away that it's okay to be yourself and be independent," she said.

"Nancy Drew," rated PG for mild violence, thematic elements and brief language, opens nationwide on June 15.

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