Oh Felicity. The late-’90s coming-of-age drama that brought us Keri Russell’s impossibly springy corkscrew curls, Sarah McLachlan’s Angel, and one of television’s greatest love triangles (were you Team Ben, all crinkly eyes and brooding sensitivity, or Team nice-guy Noel?).
This weekend the cast reunited at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas. A panel including Keri Russell (Felicity), Scott Speedman (Ben), Scott Foley (Noel), Tangi Miller (Elena), Amanda Foreman (Meghan), Amy Jo Johnson (Julie), and Ian Gomez (Javier) reminisced about the cult series – which turns 20 later this year – and talked a potential reboot. Here’s everything we learnt.
1/ Keri Russell almost didn’t get the title part
She choked during her second audition: “I just remember [series creators] J.J. and Matt [Reeves] pulled me aside into some copy room and were like, what is going on? Pull yourself together! … They made me laugh and I went back in and did it again.”
2/ Everyone was concerned about that haircut
“It wasn’t the best,” says Russell of her pixie cut that sparked outrage (and saw ratings plummet) in Season 2. But, she insisted, “it was so good for the character … Felicity was never a fashion plate.” Speedman said he tried to pretend he liked the new ‘do, but “failed miserably”.
3/ Noel was originally Ben
Errrm? It turns out Foley was cast to play Ben, but casting directors switched him to Noel when Speedman auditioned. “Nobody could have played Ben Covington better than Scott Speedman,” he said, pointing to his co-star. And if he’d kept the part? “What a s**tty show that would have been,” he laughed.
4/ Nobody knows what was in Meghan’s box
Acording to Foreman (who played Meghan) the contents of her mysterious box were just that, a mystery. Her theory: “I thought maybe it was a confession to a murder or something… or it could be a finger.”
5/ A revival is … possible
Everything old is new again – Gilmore Girls, Will & Grace, Full House. So can we add Felicity to that lauded line-up? “I would love to work with everyone again,” said Foley, “and get an opportunity to find out what happened to [everyone] … I’ve missed you guys.” Added Speedman, “There’s a way to make it work.” You heard it here first: they can make it work.
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