Working alongside Rob Schneider, Haskell said that she received some of the best training in the business when it came to comedy. Schneider's help only made the transition from recent college-graduate to movie star easier for her, especially since Haskell never had any formal acting training.
"I majored in theater and English in college, but I never acted. I went in for design because I never had a desire to act or sing and stuff," Haskell said. "So Rob was great by taking the time out to teach me everything acting wise. I would say a joke and he would tell me to say it a different way when I was just like, 'I don't say things like that, though.' But I found out you just had to be more eager and louder for the camera. "
Haskell said that the production crew for "The Animal" knew that they were hiring an amateur when they cast her, so everyone was extremely patient with her.
"No one was cracking a whip, I just had to show up prepared," she said. "They (the cast and crew) went through everything really slow for me, like 'this is called a mark,' so it felt like kindergarten class everyday which was always fun. I just had to make sure I was comfortable with my character and with the cast and the rest was left up to chance."
While Schneider believes that "The Animal" will skyrocket Haskell to movie star status, Haskell is a bit hesitant to devote herself to the entertainment industry.
"I would call my mom up a lot while shooting this film to ask her, 'what am I doing here?,'" Haskell remembered. "I was supposed to be working at some graphic design place up in San Francisco, and I was comfortable and prepared for that. Now I am in this situation where when "The Animal" comes out who knows what they will say or what will happen. I gained a lot of self-confidence working on the film though. And no matter what, I had a good time and I can walk away from this saying it was fun and that that was my chapter on Hollywood."
