Picture this: A very waifish Kate Hudson, blond mane all messy because of the use of too much mousse, grinning ear to ear. It's hard to describe the young actress and not immediately draw comparisons with her famous mother, Goldie Hawn. At a glance, she's her mother's spitting image. Something about this adorable 21 year old reminds of Goldie in 1969 receiving her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 'The Cactus Flower'. Not a bad genetic lineage. Even though her own personality shines through, Goldie Hawn's playful loveliness lives on in her daughter. Although for Goldie, the good parts are few and far between, Kate is working all the time. She has three new films in the can, playing Richard Gere's spoiled daughter in Robert Altman's 'Dr. T and the Women' who dreams of being a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, and 'About Adam' in which she's a sexually liberated young Irishwoman in modern day Dublin. Hudson definitely is at the brink of superstardom. But it is 'Almost Famous', the third of her movies is the star vehicle that will catapult her to the top.

Meeting the actress is like a fresh breeze on a hot summer day. She's all bubbly, smiles and energetic. Wearing a gray sweater and beige leather jeans with very, very high heels, she's personified sexiness and a charm bomb.

'Almost Famous' is Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical love letter to rock music has a 15 year old aspiring rock journalist, based on Crowe himself, take off on tour with a fictional rock band, Stillwater, loosely based on Led Zeppelin. Legendary groupie Penny Lane, Kate Hudson, is the on the road lover of the lead guitarist Russell Hammond played by Billy Crudup. When she is traded to Humble Pie for $50 and a case of beer before the band gets to New York where Hammonds real girlfriend will be meeting the band, Hudson shows her acting chops. She delivers deadpan on the most memorable line in the movie when she finds out about the beer trade: while crying she laughingly asks What kind of beer? A line, even the legendary Maestro Billy Wilder found very amusing when he saw the movie.

Last year, Kate Hudson has met the love of her young life, Chris Robinson, the lead singer of the Black Crowes. He presented her with the biggest, showy engagement ring and moved her into his New York apartment. They hate to spend any time apart and commute a lot between the Big Apple and Los Angeles. Kate misses her family with whom she's extremely close.

Kate's upbringing was very liberal and open. She confessed to her mother as a teen that she lost her virginity at a very young age. No biggie for either one, mother or daughter. Goldie and step dad, actor Kurt Russell, had prepared her for the big moment. She knew what to expect and she liked it.

For her, sex is a part of life and she enjoys talking about it. Refreshingly open, Kate is without any prejudices against people with different sexual preferences. It's obvious, the young star has a big heart, a great attitude and - talent to burn.

Q: To get it out of the way: the resemblance with your mother is stunning. Same spirit, same kind of beauty. How does that make you feel everybody comparing you to your mother?
A: Getting used to it, because it is inevitable. I try to ignore it as much as I can because I can't listen to it anymore. I've had that my whole life. This isn't just about acting. I've gotten this since I was a little girl. She's my mother. She's a beautiful human being, and I love her to death. But, but, but. She's my mother! People will eventually understand. To me, she's just mom. So hopefully people will get over it really soon. We're not one person. We are different. For one, I smoke, isn't that terrible? I'm actually weaning myself off some of them right now. I can get to the point where I can have just two cigarettes a week. But right now, I'm smoking way too much. Lets not talk about it, its terrible! I am the type of person, when I go out and I have a drink, I like to have a smoke, with it. But that's OK. Everything in moderation.

Q: Did your mother become a stage mom when you first expressed the wish to become an actress?
A: No, when it came to my acting, she stays out of it. When I was in high school, I wanted to get an agent. Mom said, 'No, 100 percent no. Absolutely no. Finish high school. I did finish and then went and auditioned on my own. I tried to make a mark for myself without anybody's help, not even Moms.

Q: Your first movie was supposed to be 'Escape from L.A.' with Kurt Russell. What happened?
A: It was my first audition, my dad and John Carpenter couldn't find what they wanted and they were auditioning, auditioning, auditioning. One day I was getting ready for school, my dad was getting up for a meeting, and (whispers) God damn, we cant find this character. It's driving me crazy. Wait a minute, you're going to come in and audition for it. I just went What? and he said Do you want to audition for this movie? I said, Of course, I'd love to. They all knew that I wanted to act. But we never really spoke about it. And it was never really something I was really vocal about. I was just doing it within my school, having fun with it, and loving it. I had just gotten back from William's Town Theater Festival, it was my first year back in school, after that summer. That was the first time that I fell passionately in love with it. There were people actually out there that felt the same way that I did. That was the first time I ever really saw that. So I went in and I auditioned. When I got the part, I realized that acting is something that I really want to do, and I shouldn't do something with my dad the first time around.

Q: What happened with your mother when you told her you were doing an audition for your father's movie?
A: Yeah, people know this story, my mom was actually in London or Paris, I forgot where, but she flew home. And she sat down with me. It was the first and only time we actually talked about careers, and all she said was If this is something you want I do, forever, you have to think about this choice. And she asked 'How do you feel about it'? I told her Well, I know it's with dad My thing was, I hated school. And I really wanted to act. And I was sixteen and I was so excited about having gotten an opportunity to be able to work on a set. And make money doing it. That's where I was going, I wasn't thinking straight. And my mom just sorta went - Okay, if this is what you want to, you guys start thinking straight. I did and ever since I make choices that I felt were, you know, good choices. I wanted to do little things until I found something that somebody wanted me for, that I felt good about. Steering away from all the teenage, horror, you know, teenage stuff that I never really wanted to do.

Q: After that, did you start pursuing auditions on your own?
A: Oh yes, I went on countless auditions. I pleaded and begged my parents until I finally was allowed to be in a theatrical play when I was 13. It was the most important thing in my life and I was heartbroken when Kurt was off filming Tombstone and told me on the phone he couldn't make the opening. Then, walking onstage to open the play, I heard the sound of a throat clearing, and I went, Dad! He was there, he was flown in for the night! It was incredible. Q: Is he still seeing you in everything you're in? A: Yes, he tries to make it to every set now. He says maybe he'll quit acting to become a stage father!

Q: But from now on, isn't it your boyfriend visiting you on the sets? How do your parents feel about him?
A: My parents really love him. Actually they talk to him more than I talk to my parents. Which is really disgusting. I get on the phone and we'll start talking, cause of we're living here right now, and I'm very close to my family, so we talk a most everyday. So it's like Hi honey it's me. Is Chris there? Sure! Honey, my mom wants to talk to you! And he paces and they laugh, and my dad wants us to move to LA. And they can't wait to have grand kids. You know they really love him, they do, it's really amazing. They think he's a very honest man, and they respect that. Everybody knows his past, he's been very open about it. And he's never lied about it. That's the one thing my parents find extremely respectable. People change, but he doesn't regret a single day of his life. He just wants to live life honestly.

Q: How did the two of you meet?
A: We met about two years ago through a friend, and we re-met at the Beacon Theater for The Kids in the Hall. Genetic laughing in that.

Q: How long the been going out?
A: It's going on about seven months. When I first met him I was just excited to meet the guy. I was like Ahhh, I like his music.

Q: And then you
A: Yeah, I was a huge groupie. (Laughs) No, not at all, I was just a fan. I really liked his music and when I first met him about two years ago we had this really great conversation. We talked all night, with no flirtation or nothing. We really just enjoyed talking to each other.

Q Talking about what?
A: Oh, everything, just life, and relationships. And when we re-met, it was two years later, so it's a while, and it was just Hey it's great to see you. Then all of sudden we couldn't get our hands off each other. It was like I love your scarf, and your jacket. (laughs) and I love your scarf, and your jacket and owww, owww. Were into that immediately, Oh, wait a minute. And on our first date it was something that I can't even pinpoint, I don't know where it comes from I don't know only it was the scariest feeling in the world. And you have to just run away or just following your heart.

Q: Is this an engagement ring you're wearing?
A: Well, it definitely is, but we're not planning on getting married anytime soon at all. I mean we, we, we are. I love him and I'm committed to him, and I really couldn't manage myself right now being without him. And I don't try to hide the fact that I'm young, very young, and we both know that. We just can't wait to grow together and see how we change together. And it will be amazing. We moved in together just because we didn't want to be away from each other. Now, were looking for a different apartment so we could have a new apartment that we can make our own. I came home for my birthday the first week we met and after my birthday, I flew immediately back to New York, and we haven't been away from each other ever since.

Q: Is this the first time you been in love?
A: Yeah! You know, I mean, there were several times when I thought I was and of course there are different forms of love. This is something that I've never this is what my mother calls a once in a lifetime affair. Something that doesn't happen very often to people.

Q: And you get along with his family as well?
A: Yeah, they're good people.

Q: What's the age difference?
A: He's 33 and I'm 21, twelve years, which is actually pretty good considering that men mature a lot slower than women do. (Laughs) He went through all of his stuff and I came into his life at the perfect time and we're learning so much together. Were actually a perfect balanced being when we're together. It's pretty amazing. He's teaching me everyday things, and we inspire each other constantly. It's really wonderful, beyond anything I've ever imagined! It's lovely, it's the only thing ever.

Q: Any role models on how you want your relationship to be?
A: When we filmed Almost Famous, I had the privilege to watch Cameron Crowe and Nancy Wilson and their magic together. They have been together like 21 years and they're still madly in love. It's so magical. I don't know if I really understand what it is. Now I think, I kind of get it. You inspire each other every single day. It's still early for us but I don't see it going away anytime soon.

Q: Have you been on the road with him?
A: Yeah!

Q: Do the real groupies who are around on a tour bother you?
A: They're a very different family! They are seven gentlemen, you know, Rich has been married for years, has two kids Groupies, that's not what they're about!. They were young once, too, young rock n rollers, and they had their fun. They definitely had their fun, but it just becomes uninteresting after awhile.

Q: You're playing Penny Lane in 'Almost Famous', a groupie with a heart of gold. Was there a real Penny Lane?
A: The character was actually a composite of a whole bunch of different women Cameron met on his journey. I researched some of these women like Pamela Debar, Roy Maddoxs Silver Star, and some other women, I've totally blanked now. Oh, Marianne Faithful, of course. I loved doing the research, these women were exciting and a lot of fun. I talked to ex-wives of musicians of the 70's, that was really important, what I brought back. They're the funniest people in the world yet there is this sad, mysterious, beautiful thing in their eyes that says they've seen more than they could ever possibly tell you.

Q: Did Penny Lane come to the set?
A: She came to the set and met with Cameron whom she hasn't seen in years. I was watching Cameron's and her relationship, it was just like they stepped right back into 73. And all of a sudden his whole body language changed, it was like (doing male come-on voice) Hey Penny Lane! it was really, really amazing.

Q: Was Penny Lane her real name?
A: Her last name is Penney.

Q: What does she look like?
A: She's a redhead, she's very tall, she's got beautiful eyes. We look nothing alike. When we saw each other, we both said We look nothing alike. It's a composite character.

Q: It's very authentic what you do with Penny Lane. What did your rock star boyfriend think of your performance? A: He was really surprised. He didn't think it was a rock-and-roll movie. He walked out really moved by a the fact that it isn't necessarily about rock-and-roll, it's just sort of a wonderful metaphor for what the movie is really about, which use integrity, and love, and this amazing journey of music that gets very corrupt and becomes what Phil Hoffman calls: the industry of cool. But really, it's about the music. And the journey is about the people along the way, and what they take from that. That's the most important thing. Chris was incredibly pleasantly surprised at that. Painfully honest with the fact that he thought it was quite authentic. He's the kind of man who doesn't necessarily want to say that this rock-and-roll movie is really what it's all about. Oh yeah, they got it. He went Oh yeah.(Laughs)

Q: How did you get the role?
A: I'd just finished shooting a movie in Ireland. To start out, I just wanted to be in a Cameron Crowe film. I'm a huge fan of his, always have been. So, when I first heard he was doing the movie, I didn't know what it was. I just said, I'll do anything. So walked into their audition and I got the part. And when it went to Ireland to do this other movie, they found out that the Penny Lane character had opened up. At the time, I was getting a few other parts coming in, that were bigger roles, so my agent used that as a way to let Cameron know that I wanted to audition for Penny Lane, that I wanted that role. I was calling Cameron, telling him (whispers) Don't listen to my agent, I'm going to do your movie no matter what. Even if you didn't want me for Anita, I would do anything. I'm going to wait for you. Because he had all this stuff going on with this movie, they didn't know when it was going to start shooting. It was sort of up in the air, and I just stuck in there. And I think when I went in to audition for Penny, that day Cameron told me It was really because we talked and I realized you can bring out a part of Penny that was essential for the character. So I was honest with him and stuck in there.

Q: So you told him I'll do anything?
A: (does graveling voice) I'll do anything. And when I read the character of Penny Lane, I was happy. It's so rare this is exactly what I want to do. It exactly was what I think that any actress who loves the craft would jump on. And just go for it! That's exactly what I felt and to do that with Cameron was great because I've loved him always.

Q: What's the best advice your mother ever gave you?
A: Honesty will never break you. So, I try to always be honest.

Q: What did Kurt Russell tell you?
A: Never worry about bad press: All that matters is if they spell your name right.

Q: Well, and what do you tell yourself every day?
A: Every day it's nice to stop and say: Wait a minute, I am so lucky, this is great!

Thank you.