Mandy Moore takes 'Walk' toward film stardom

Mandy Moore, 17, stars in the coming-of-age love story "A Walk to Remember."

By Alesia Stanford
CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Mandy Moore is blond no more.

The pop star, known for her teeny-bopper hits such as "I Wanna Be With You" and "Crush," changed her hair color to brunet to play Jamie Sullivan, a Baptist preacher's daughter in the romantic drama "A Walk to Remember." The dark locks are now a permanent part of her appearance.

Moore, 17, a big fan of the Nicholas Sparks best-seller on which the movie is based, says she enjoyed wearing her character's baggy clothes as part of the process of becoming a different person for a few months.

"Jamie has her faith, and it's so special and so important and it plays such an important part in her life, but she's not preachy about it," Moore says. "She doesn't say to people, 'This is what I believe in, and if you don't believe in it, then you're wrong.' "

Early financial success

The movie seems to fit with Moore's image as a pop star. Skin-tight spandex and dangling snakes are not for her. "A Walk to Remember" is rated PG and features little talk of sex, except for the leading lady saying ''no" to her boyfriend.

In fact, the movie has received strong support from Christian groups -- along with Moore's natural constituency, teen-age girls -- factors that may have helped to propel its initial box-office success.

Shane West plays Moore's love interest in "A Walk to Remember."

The movie placed third on North America's weekend box-office chart with around $13 million, according to studio estimates. The strong debut is good news for Moore, who seems to be trying to shed her image as another cute blond singer, a la Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or a host of imitators.

Moore could become her own media franchise. In addition to her success as a pop star, she's has a talk show on MTV and played a small role in last year's "The Princess Diaries" as a snotty cheerleader.

But directors haven't been beating down her door to offer her film roles. For "A Walk to Remember," Moore says she used an acting coach and worked hard on developing the character, auditioning for the part -- several times.

"I was definitely a bulldog once I read the script," she recalls. "I said, 'I have to try and get this,' and I did."

Life and love

Her passion convinced director Adam Shankman ("The Wedding Planner") and producer Denise Di Novi, who cast her opposite Shane West, the 24-year-old star of TV's "Once and Again."

West had never met his co-star until filming began, but he did have a phone conversation with her when Moore interviewed him for an article on "The Five Most Interesting Guys in Hollywood."

"She just asked me questions about life and love and all those things," West says.

The studio, Warner Bros. -- a division of AOL Time Warner, CNN.com's parent company -- calls "A Walk to Remember" the "little movie that could."

With a budget of $10 million, the movie has already made all its money back and then some. Its success could help Moore in getting her next acting gig -- without having to audition or even sing.