I’m here at the no-frills House of Pies coffee shop in Los Angeles with JoeyLauren Adams, the Arkansas-born-and-bred beauty who relieved Bud Bundy ofhis virginity (in Married….With Children), was pursued by Ben Affleck (inChasing Amy), and danced with the angelic John Travolta (in Michael). Whilethis 28-year-old actress has certainly enjoyed Hollywood success, she’s nowbraced for her biggest break yet- playing opposite Adam Sandler in thissummer’s Big Daddy. Joey, excuding Southern comfort in a pair of old jeansand a plain sweater -shirt, chose our meeting spot because, as she puts it,”The last thing I wanted to do was go to one of those places where everyone’s wearing sunglasses and talking on their cellphones”. Don’t expect to bumpinto her at the trendiest Hollywood club-your more likely to find Joeyworking on her vintage ’68 Firebird. “I have a girlfriend who rebuilds herown transmissions,” she says. “I can’t do that, but I have changed my ownbrake shoes.”

Kenneth Chanko (KC): So this ’68 Firebird of yours, is it in tip-top shape?

Joey Lauren Adams (JLA): Well not really. I don’t have the right equipment.It took me all day to change the shoes because I didn’t have the specialtool to take off those hard springs. Anyway, right now the throttle isn’tset right, so it’s running low, and it dies. I don’t take it out as much asI used to.

KC: What do you ride around in day-to-day?

JLA: I bought a ’95 Ford Explorer. I could never buy a new new car. I can’t stand things like all-leather interiors. I prefer cars I can kick arounda little. I even feel like I sold out when I drive the Explorer around-it’slike this little plastic toy compared to my Firebird. But at least I boughtAmerican, right?

KC: I heard the Japanese own Ford now. Just kidding. Are you a big AdamSandler fan?

JLA: I liked parts of The Wedding Singer, but I don’t always go for theboys-will-be-boys kind of thing. But Big Daddy is a lot more realistic foran Adam Sandler movie. His character adopts a child, and I’m hiscareer-oriented lawyer girlfriend, who has no time for this kid. Adam evengets teary-eyed in one scene.

KC: And it’s not supposed to be funny?

JLA: No! It’s serious dramatic scene, a little bit of a stretch for Adam. Igive him credit for trying something different. He takes his workseriously, and he wanted more “actorly” actors in this movie. He saw me inChasing Amy and asked me to do Big Daddy. Steve Buscemi and Rob Schneiderare also in it. There’s a funny stuff too. The courtroom scene betweenAdam and Rob is a riot.

KC: What’s your take on Adam?

JLA: He’s pretty much a kid who never grew up. Like a lot of actors. Thetoys might change, but the boy stays the same. Women are different. Asgirls, we never really played video games or football on Sundays.

KC: No, you spent the day changing brake shoes.

JLA: Yeah, okay. I guess I have a little of the tomboy in me. Maybe it’sbecause of my name-it’s not a nickname; “Joey” is on my birth certificate.Maybe it’s because I wanted to be different from my older sister, but forsome reason I never cried about clothes, whether my hair ribbon matched mysocks.

KC: I’ve heard you play the guitar and write country songs.

JLA: Yeah. My favorite song that I wrote is called “Daddy’s Dead in Mama’sHead.” It’s got lyrics like: “After 25 years of being the best wife shecould possible be/She found out her man had been running ’round town/And theworst part, she heard it from me.” If I wasn’t an actress, I’d want to be acountry singer. The only thing is, my voice isn’t that good.

KC: That never stopped Willie Nelson.

JLA: You’re right. I’m pretty good with a guitar, and I think I write goodsongs. My dad was a really good guitarist. When B.B. King and Charlie Richcame through Arkansas, he played in their bands. Maybe I should give it atry. I really like Charile Rich and George Jones, but my favorite is WillieNelson. Hmmm-then’s theres Johnny Cash. And Dwight Yosksm is great.

KC: Any encounters, by the way, with Bill Clinton while you were growing upin Little Rock?

JLA: Very funny. Nope, not one. But let me say this about Bill: I thinkhe’s very, very smart, and has used the Southern hick/Bubba thing to hisadvantage most of the time. I think he got away playing dumb with the bimbothing. I think his policies have helped a lot of people, but his dishonestyhas caught up with him.

KC: Do you like Los Angeles, or do you miss Arkansas?

JLA: I do miss Arkansas, and I go back lot to visit my dad and friends. Mymom lives in San Diego. I fantasize about moving back, getting a lakehouse-there are beautiful lakes in Arkansas-with a porch and a swing. Goingwater-skiing. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

KC: Fantastic. But your career seems to be going pretty well here in L.A.

JLA: I guess so. A lot of people will see me in Big Daddy. But I want tomake movies that are real. Know what I mean? Tender Mercies-like real.Those kinds of movies are hard to get made in Hollywood these days.

KC: Do you ever do the Hollywood club/party scene?

JLA: No way. I don’t like that kind of stuff. I have a boyfriend, VinceVaughn, and we don’t really get into that sort of thing. The House of Piesis more my kind of scene. By the way, how’s your banana cream?