On October 10th, 2000, Valarie Rae Miller tempted Dark Angel fans with the inside scoop! Here's what she had to say:

FOXcom_Host: Valarie Rae Miller, who plays Original Cindy on Dark Angel (but you knew that), has arrived! Welcome, Valarie!

valarie_rae_miller: Hey everybody!

Alphonse: WHAT DOES ORIGINAL CINDY MEAN?

Scamp: What does "original" mean in "Original Cindy"?

valarie_rae_miller: That's a kind of compounded answer

casper: why do they call you original cindy? love ya

valarie_rae_miller: There are several theories and no two people involved with the creation of the show agree. The most obvious is her style as a person because she's just an original person. That's the basic one, but then there's also a main one. All of the main characters on the show have names that reflect personality attributes. There's sketchy and as you saw in the first episode, he's not always on the up and up. And there's Herbal Thought who's a Rastifarian and they're always involved in herb in certain ways. And our boss's name is Normal who is just that, but he's so normal it makes him odd. And then, of course, Original Cindy. If you say it out loud and take your time when you say it. It's also Original Sin Dee. I didn't realize it at first, and neither did James Cameron. She's definitely a very sexy person.

darkangelfan: Have you met James Cameron? Were you a fan of his before you got this gig?

valarie_rae_miller: Yes, I had met him and I was a tremendous fan.

valariesfan: How psyched were you that you got a gig on a James Cameron show? Did that make a difference to you in pursuing the role?

valarie_rae_miller: No, not really. The project seemed like a really good project and the character was incredible. I read the script and I was really impressed by it and that's why I auditioned for it. The rest of the hype didn't really enter into the decision. I had another job, I was supposed to be doing a talk show for Fox which started production the exact same day this show started production. So I hadn't taken auditions. It was the only one I took for about 4 months.

dawn: How do you like working with James Cameron?

valarie_rae_miller: As opposed to....

Sparkles: Where did the idea for the show come from?

valarie_rae_miller: I know several different answers I've heard to that question. I know that Jim and the other executive producer Charles Eglee brainstormed on it for a while. He was a big producer for Steven Bochco. He worked on NYPD Blue and he was one of the exec producers for Murder One.

JessicaAlbaishot: Is this your first work on television?

valarie_rae_miller: No. I've done a lot of guest star spots on different shows and I am currently the host of ABC's Saturday line-up called "One Saturday Morning".

originalpanic: What was the audition process like?

valarie_rae_miller: Quite extensive. I think I auditioned maybe 6 or 7 times. I read for the casting director first, then the producers 2 or 3 times because for every role that was cast, they saw about 1,000 actors. After I don't know how many auditions because every actor who made it that far had something different. They kind of went with people who were very specific as opposed to finding an actor who was exactly what was written on the piece of paper. So while they might have known that they liked me, they had to make sure that what I was doing was what they were thinking. And then they send you to a network test which is a room with about 20 or 30 people and then I had to go in again. Usually that's the last step, but I had to go in again. They wanted to be sure, it was me and another actress and I had to do an actual screen test with Jessica. Then they had to negotiate to get me out of my contract for the talk show. I think that's why me specifically had to go in so many times. I was a big hassle because of the contract thing, so I had to prove that I was worth the hassle.

valariesfan: How different are you from your character on Dark Angel?

valarie_rae_miller: Pretty different, but with everything, therre's a part of you that's similar as well. I'm pretty feisty, but not as feisty as Original Cindy. Original Cindy is also a lot more outrageous in dress than I am. I dress hip, but she's beyond anything I'd ever come home with or wear out of the house. I really admire her strength. I'm a strong person, but sometimes I wish that I could be as strong as she is all the time.

damien: She is a sexy person and so are you, are you single and how old are you?

valarie_rae_miller: I'm single, and I'm not answering the age question anymore because it's getting me in trouble at work. The casting person will hear you're 22 and she wants someone who's 21. I keep it vague for now. But I'm legal.

Christina: Did you have any misgivings about playing a lesbian?

valarie_rae_miller: Not at all. I think that was the main concern that a lot of other actresses had about the role. They asked me if I was aware that she was a lesbian and if I had a problem with kissing another woman and I said "No". Probably gonna be finer than a lot of the guys I had to kiss and I probably won't have to practice before and after I did the scene.

Scamp: Is Original Cindy going to have a girlfriend?

valarie_rae_miller: Hope so!

originalpanic: Will Original Cindy's sexuality be explored more fully?

valarie_rae_miller: Yeah, it will... each of the characters will be more fully developed as the show goes on and that's part of who she is, so definitely.

darkangelfan: Your character is a lesbian. Do you feel a sense of obligation to represent this community in a certain way?

valarie_rae_miller: I don't know that I would use the word obligation. But I do believe that it's important when you portray anyone in a minority group that it doesn't become your sole identity.

dawn: As an African American actress do you find it hard to find really good roles?

valarie_rae_miller: Yes. Most definitely. But I will say I have been very fortunate because a lot of my roles have not necessarily been written for an African-American. To the credit to the producers of the show, every role was cast open. By that I mean, they saw Asians, Latinos, and Whites for my role.

Kris: Valerie how did you come about getting such an important role on a TV program at such a young age?

valarie_rae_miller: Just a lot of hard work and a lot of it is timing. People always say luck, and I think a small part of luck is having the right skills in the right situation at the right time.

beanz: What about the show Dark Angel stood out to you above any other script you have come across?

valarie_rae_miller: The storylines were very interesting to me. It was character-driven but action and action scripts at the same time.

MCGMAC: Did James Cameron, as a Canadian, insist on the diversity of the show?

valarie_rae_miller: I would say that actually everyone involved, all the producers, James certainly did, but Charles Elgee definitely did. He writes a lot of the scripts.

ReluctantHero: how much of a role does James Cameron play now?

valarie_rae_miller: Now I would say he's more in a supervisory capacity. He makes sure that everything is still following his vision. But on the day-to-day basis, he's kind of passed a lot of the process on to his partners.

gmoney: Do you think James Cameron has made a good transition from film to TV?

valarie_rae_miller: I think so... Did you see the pilot? The pilot rocked!

swtdreamz: He has a great vision by the way.

darkangelfan: In your words, what's the premise of Dark Angel?

valarie_rae_miller: 20 years in the future and much darker. It was The Matrix meets 90210 in an X- Files setting.

TrueAngel: Loved the pilot, should of made it 4 hours, i woulda watched every min. of it

valarie_rae_miller: You would've been watching by yourself! I would've been asleep!

MCGMAC: I thought the pilot was great too!

valarie_rae_miller: Watch tonight. The show gets better.

beanz: how much are you allowed to add to your character 'Original Cindy' over and above what the writers/directors dictate?

valarie_rae_miller: Actually, quite a bit. We all have our own input. When they hired us, they had a basic framework for each character and what each actor brought to the character shaped what they are right now. And they write around us, which is really funny. We can make suggestions. We do all the time. A lot of Original Cindy is the way she looks and dresses and I have so much say in that. And we are on the phone daily with the writers giving our opinions about the dialouge.

nokaoi1: Hi Valerie, How do you see your character growing in the coming weeks?

valarie_rae_miller: Original Cindy will definitely be a lot more involved in the main story line and you'll get to see her take some action.

hirax: What can you tell us about the next episode if you can say anything?

swtdreamz: COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT"S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE NEXT EPISODE?

valarie_rae_miller: Each episode is actually getting better. That's from me reading the scripts.

originalpanic: Does Original Cindy have her own storylines in future episodes?

valarie_rae_miller: Yes. It's a different take.

WidespreadSickness: What makes this apocalyptic show different from other ones?

valarie_rae_miller: Although it's in a time of a depression, I don't think the characters themselves are depressed. Especially Original Cindy. She's a party!

valariesfan: Do you feel that the world could eventually end up the way it is on Dark Angel? Post-apocalyptic?

valarie_rae_miller: Anything is possible.

moonie: How often do you have to work? Taping the show?

valarie_rae_miller: It varies. We shoot an episode in about 8 or 9 days, so it depends on how the shooting schedule is arranged. And how much of the story each character is in.

DarkAngel: Do you actual film some parts of the show in Seattle, WA?

valarie_rae_miller: Most of the show is filmed in Vancouver.

cabrules: Why is the show set in Seattle?

valarie_rae_miller: I think that Jim and Chic saw it as a city that is very representative of the US and that it was or could be a racial melting pot in the future and the landscape is real interesting.

damien: What type of atmosphere is there on the set?

valarie_rae_miller: It's a really great place to work, and I"m not just saying that. It's very supportive. I can genuinely say this is the greatest group of people I've worked with. You can go into the offices of the exective officers and they know the names of everybody from the janitors to the security guards. Chic (Charles Elgee) has one of the security guards in the building playing bongo drums on the show. It's like a big family. I think he almost cried. It really is like a big family.

trippyD: What's your favorite part of working on the show?

valarie_rae_miller: That's kind of hard, because when I did the pilot it was one of the most fun experiences I've had in life as a work experience and even as a period of my life. It was more fun than Disneyland! And I love reading the new scripts when they come, because we never really know what the script is going to be like. It's so exciting!

Atheneris: It seems that the writers are giving up a lot of cool plot elements at the beginning. Do you think they can keep this kind of action going indefinately?

valarie_rae_miller: They definitely will. Each show gets better.

bugzzibuzz: have you guys played tricks on each other on the set already?

valariesfan: Who's the practical joker on set, or is it all pretty serious?

valarie_rae_miller: Not a lot of practical jokes, but a lot of goofiness. Jessica always tries to make me laugh at weird times. The guy who plays Normal is always dancing and he looks really goofy, but he's not really goofy in real life. I don't want to say too much, but we have a lot of fun and I don't want to tell any personal secrets that might get me in trouble when I go to work tomorrow.

TheGman: What is it like working with Jessica Alba

valarie_rae_miller: She's my friend

TrueAngel: Whats it like working with Jessica Alba, and is she in real life close to her character?

valarie_rae_miller: It's the same thing that I said with myself. She definitely has certain qualites that Max has...but she's a lot softer of a person. She's really sweet. She's addicted to chewing gum. She's a lot more open than Max is, definitely.

yoss: do you hang out w/ Jessica Alba after shooting?

valarie_rae_miller: Some, but usually just work really late hours, especially her. We all kind of hang out here and there.

legend10013: do you spend any time off set with other cast members? and if so which one's

valarie_rae_miller: We all kind of do. Herbal Thoughts is played by Alimi Ballard. He and his girlfriend had a dinner with everybody and we just randomly do things together. We went to Karaoke a few of us. We went to a Karaoke bar and we were the only American people in the place and we had people dancing and singing along. Then sometimes we go out for dinner. We're trying to go out to go dancing, but we can't get it together when everyone is in town at the same time.

LyraAngel: How is it like working with Michael Weatherly?

valarie_rae_miller: Michael's sweet. He's such a nice guy and he has a weird sense of humor. He has the cutest little boy in the whole world. I love his little boy. He's my favorite person under 5 feet tall. I hang out with Michael sometimes too.

Griptor: Are you, the cast and the crew satisfied with the positive response the show has gotten so far?

valarie_rae_miller: Yeah, I'd say so.

BakedGoods: How does your experience with Disney's One Saturday Morning help on the set of DA?

valarie_rae_miller: I'm very comfortable on camera. It's a totally different show. It couldn't be more different. But when I shoot "One Saturday Morning", it's just me, 12 or 14 hours a day, for about a month. So, the hours here, as difficult as they may be, I'm used to them.

damien: Do you think that the children that watch on Saturday morning will perceive you any differently after watching Dark Angel?

valarie_rae_miller: No, I think it's so weird because it's such a different character. I don't even know that they'd be aware that it's the same person. My family and close friends don't even put the two together.

ReluctantHero: how hard do you have to work to stay is such great shape?

valarie_rae_miller: Jessica and I work out a lot. I work out probably 3 to 5 days a week, depending on my shooting schedule.

cobra: Has anyone gotten hurt on the show?

valarie_rae_miller: I slipped and fell down a couple of stairs...but no, nothing major. Knock wood, LOL

swtdreamz: Is it fun or kinda scary when filming?

valarie_rae_miller: They're so well choreographed thanks to the stunt department, usually it's more fun than scary. But I'd have to stay, Jessica's stunts are a lot more involved than the ones I've done so far. But I'd venture to stay that they're still probably more fun than frightening because they're so well choreographed.

ReluctantHero: how long do we have to wait before we get to see you fighting beside Max?

valarie_rae_miller: Real soon.

Agent_Cryptonic: Valarie, do you feel FOX might put Dark Angel into an actual movie later next year?

valarie_rae_miller: I don't know, but that's a good idea. You should write in.

xRiel2000: What movies have you been in? So I can go rent them...

valarie_rae_miller: LOL! Nothing major, a lot of TV stuff.

RabinZero: The music is awesome in the series? Will there be a CD of it coming out?

valarie_rae_miller: I just asked Chic the same question yesterday. There's definitely a good chance. There's a song from the pilot when Max is wearing that red dress that everybody is asking about and that's from a rapper whose album hasn't even been released yet.

ReluctantHero: Has the show helped you get recognized elsewhere? what projects are you working on now?

valarie_rae_miller: Hollywood's really funny. There's a couple of projects right now that I cannot get into read for. So, give it a couple of weeks, we'll see.

legend10013: How would you feel if they made the show into a cartoon as well?

valarie_rae_miller: I looove cartoons! I would love it! They could put it on around "Batman Beyond".

FOXcom_Host: Valarie has to take off soon, so now's your chance to send her your comments!

Cyberfreak: Any word on possible merchandise? Toys? Anything?

valarie_rae_miller: We've all kind of joked about it. There are definitely some ideas floating around right now. If they make an Original Cindy doll, I wanna see it first, so that I can have approval, so the doll does not come out BUSTED!

guyjax671: CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE BAR CODE MEANS?

valarie_rae_miller: It's actually in their genetic DNA coding. It's the way the Manticore marked the specimens.

valariesfan: How likely do you feel it is that this show will continue to be such a huge hit?

valarie_rae_miller: I think it's a really good show and I think that each show gets better because the characters are more established. But that's not always a surefire road to success. Because a lot of good shows don't last, and a lot of bad ones keep coming back, like Herpes!

FOXcom_Host: Time to say goodnight to Valarie Rae Miller :-(

Christina: Just wanted to say that the show is great and what an awesome cast! You guys are really a great ensemble.

valarie_rae_miller: Oh, that's nice.

prometheus26: I love the show and your character, Valarie. Keep up the good work.

swtdreamz: I LOVE DA SHOW

valarie_rae_miller: Thank you!

LyraAngel: i love the show!

FOXcom_Host: Thanks for being here tonight, Valarie!

valarie_rae_miller: Thank you so much for all the great questions and your interest and all of us really appreciate your support, and have fun, keep watching!

SkottDaMan: The show freakin rocks!

bugzzibuzz: awesome show

cykbryk: YA ALL ROCKS

ishak540m: can't wait to see it next week

dan_1885: luv ya val!!!!!!!

Keplian: Wonderful show

BakedGoods: Bye!! Love ya!

Griptor: Say hi to Jessica for me ;)

Zach: best of luck to you and all the rest of the people on dark angel

nokaoi1: love ya bye

dan_1885: Dark Angel rocks

cykbryk: GOOD NIGHT

bugzzibuzz: bye

dan_1885: bye babe

cykbryk: YOU ROCKS

IceFire: Love the Show

rogue: love the show

dan_1885: bye babe!!!!!!!

guyjax671: BYE SEE YOU NEXT WEEK

Cyberfreak: Love the show!

swtdreamz: YOU KEEP UP DA GOOD WORK

icewinddale88: bye it's been nice talking to you

AdamB: Keep doin what yer doin...love the show...BYE!!!!

FOXcom_Host: You've been really great chatters - Thanks again for being here, and good night!