Style & Substance

Shiri Appleby has been acting almost her whole life, but it wasn't until she dated an alien that she became famous. As Liz Parker in the WB's sci-fi hit series "Roswell," Appleby had a tortured relationship with a hunky extraterrestrial, played by Jason Behr. The show was soaked up by young viewers but got canceled last May.
"We suspected it," Appleby told The Post. "We were in a different time slot all year."

The doe-eyed brunette can be seen in the teen thriller "Swimfan," out in theaters now.

"I love the original 'Fatal Attraction,' " said Appleby. "This [movie] isn't a definite replica, but it has a lot of similarities."

"Swimfan" stars Jesse Bradford, who plays a high school senior with a promising swimming career, who cheats on his girlfriend Amy (Appleby) with the new girl in school (Erika Christensen).

Growing up in L.A.'s West San Fernando Valley, Appleby lived an unremarkable suburban life, joining the yearbook staff and the student council while attending Calabasas High School. She also worked as a restaurant hostess and camp counselor.

But another one of her side gigs was commercials - for Cheerios, Taco Bell, and M&Ms. She also starred in several made-for-TV movies, and had plenty of guest roles on "7th Heaven," "thirtysomething," "ER," and "Xena: Warrior Princess."

Appleby (whose first name means "song of my soul" in Hebrew) made her feature film debut in the black comedy "I Love You to Death," with Kevin Kline, River Phoenix and Tracey Ullman.

Now Appleby, 24, is finishing up college after a two-year break, taking English classes at UCLA.


Q: You always play the sweet, innocent girl who gets the guy. What do you look for in a man?

A: Someone who is honest, easygoing, funny, smart, handsome and perfect. Someone I can spend the whole day with and then want to hang out with him at night.

Q: Are you similar to your character Liz from "Roswell"?

A: When I was 18, I was very similar to her. I was very sensitive and vulnerable. I am still those things . . . but she was desperate to be loved.


Q: "Swimfan" has been described as a teen "Fatal Attraction." What's your character like?

A: She's madly in love with her boyfriend, and she's a really outgoing, really vivacious art student.


Q: Can you make it in Hollywood?

A: I would love to try out the movie thing. I love the consistency of TV, but for a little while, I'd like to work with a bunch of different characters. I'd like to do a comedy. Adam Sandler is funny, and Jim Carrey is hysterical.


Q: Describe your personal style.

A: Really basic. I'm big on flip-flops and skirts and things that are really clean and form-fitting. I'm thin. I like things that are tighter.


Q: Favorite designers?

A: Roberto Cavalli - I just bought a skirt by him recently and it's beautiful.

Q: Where do you shop?

A: All over the place. I like to shop when I travel. When I find something I like, I buy it. I don't go out to go shopping.


Q: What do you wear when relaxing?

A: Thin schmatas.

September 8, 2002
Style & Substance