All’s Well That’s Roswell

Shiri Appleby is anything but an alienated teen—she only plays one on TV.

In her first major TV role, Shiri Appleby stars as high school student Liz Parker on the WB surprise hit series Roswell, a show that's taken the theme of teenage alienation to out-of-this-world heights. In the first few episodes alone, Liz found herself accidentally shot, miraculously healed and falling in love with the only alien at school, all while dealing with the tribulations of more earth-bound high school dramas. But while 21-year-old Shiri makes playing Liz look all too easy, her real high school experiences were anything but alienated.

A cheerleader, yearbook editor and member of student council, "Shiri was one of the happy people in class," says her yearbook advisor, Susan Dupuy. "She was just a very talented, bright girl and very optimistic. I was so delighted when she made it. I know she's worked very hard to get where she is."

CHEER CAREER

Credits: sophomore cheerleader at Calabasas HS, Woodland Hills, CA
Major Appearances: football and basketball games
Mascot Moniker: Coyotes
School Colors: brown and gold
On The Side: As if acting and cheering weren't enough to fill the days of this over-achieving teen, Shiri was also a member of Leadership council and editor of the yearbook. "And I actually had normal jobs," says Shiri. "One summer I worked as a hostess and I was a camp counselor."
Shiri Says: "A cheerleader today is someone who is confident in themselves, their school and their peers."

Shiri got her first acting gig at the age of four, starring in Taco Bell and Cheerios commercials. But by high school, with heaps of experience performing in front of the camera, a live audience was still anything but inviting. "The one thing that stands out most in my mind when I was a cheerleader was going to camp," says Shiri. "We were really nervous and excited and had rehearsed our routine over and over. We were just praying we wouldn't screw up," she continues. "I was in the front and had to do a toe touch, something I had never successfully completed. I just couldn't stop thinking that everyone was going to laugh at me because I was sure I was going to fall on my face," she adds. "Our squad was called, we did the routine and I landed my first, last and only toe touch." It was also her first, last and only year as a CHS cheerleader.

"I cheered only my sophomore year because I wanted to get involved in different activities on campus," says Shiri. "It wasn't a hard decision (to leave cheering) because I was always excited to try new things." But, Shiri says her time on the squad taught her many lessons still with her today. "I learned how to work with all different types of people while I was a cheerleader," she says. "Everyone loved what they were doing but they also had different opinions on how they should be done. I learned how to compromise and communicate."

BETCHA DIDN"T KNOW

Star-Studded School: Shiri isn't the only small screen star to attend CHS. Boy Meets World's Danielle Fishel and former child star and current NYPD Blue cutie Ricky Shroeder both graced the halls at Calabasas High.

Alien Encounter: The CIA officially closed a 20-year-long investigation into three "alien crash sites" the U.S. Army found near Roswell, NM on July 4, 1947, saying they were determined to be nothing more than a military experiment. UFOlogists still call Roswell the biggest military cover-up ever.

Role Call: While many actors are hand-picked for television shows, Shiri landed her part on Roswell the old-fashioned way-an audition.

Now in her second season on Roswell, Shiri is making her way back to the big screen with the soon-to-be-released flick, A Time For Dancing, about two high school girls whose love for dancing is challenged when one of them is diagnosed with cancer. A dancer most of her life, Shiri says her years of ballet, jazz and gymnastics training helped her land the role. "She danced so very well," says the movie's choreographer, Marguerite Derricks, whose résumé boasts titles like Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Striptease and the Gap à Go-Go commercials. "She is just extremely talented," adds the three-time Emmy winner. "She has such a fiery attitude and she brought that to her character in the film. She definitely has the ability to go further as a dancer or an actress." Liz Parker fans rest assured; Shiri has no plans to trade her alien encounters for a Broadway career any time soon.

SHIRI'S SUCESS

TV Triumph: Starring in her first TV series, Roswell; recurring role on Xena: Warrior Princess; Sunday Dinner (1991); Knight & Daye (1989); guest appearances on Doogie Howser and ER.
Film Flashes: A Time For Dancing (soon to be released); The Thirteenth Floor (1999); Family Prayers (1993); Perfect Family (1992); I Love You To Death (1990); Go To The Light (1998); Curse II: The Bite (1988); The Killing Time (1987); Blood Vows: The Story Of A Mafia Wife (1987).

A Face To Remember: In only her first year as a recognizable TV star, Shiri found herself on the covers of Teen, Seventeen and Teen People, in the Bon Jovi video It's My Life and as a Teen Choice Awards nominee for best actress.

A FEW FAVES

Music group: Dave Matthews Band
Movie: Beaches
Vintage TV show: I Love Lucy
Cereal: Lucky Charms
Cartoon: Care Bears
Song that energizes you: Oops…I Did It Again
Thing to collect: photographs
Holiday: Hanukah
Part of fame: Getting to answer questions like this
Time of year: summer
Book to curl up with: Summer Sisters, by Judy Blume
Rainy day activity: Rent a movie

February, 2001
Alyssa Roegnik
American Cheerleader