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Teddy Dunn plays "Duncan Kane" in the UPN Series Veronica Mars. He also starred as Private Wilson in the 2004 feature film "The Manchurian Candidate,"
directed by Jonathan Demme. On television, Dunn guest starred on the series "Gilmore Girls."
Dunn started acting in high school and later attended Northwestern University, where he studied theatre and political science.
Aside from acting, Dunn enjoys playing several sports and is a devoted fan of major league baseball. He also remains a student of history and
politics.
Dunn grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and most recently lived in Brooklyn, New York.
1. Why/how did you become an actor?
I started acting for fun in high school and seemed to improve with every show I did. Acting was one of the few aspects of my academic career where I
felt I really stood out. So I continued to pursue it through college, but with no real professional ambitions until my senior year. My manager saw me
in a talent showcase and gave me a shot. I decided to put off law school for a year or two in order to see if I had what it took to make a living as a
professional actor. Six months later I booked the pilot for Veronica Mars and here I am.
2. Are there any similarities between you and your character?
I think the most significant similarity between Duncan and myself is that we both try to uphold our principles and our morals through our actions.
While this may not always be evident on the show because of the complexity of the world that we have created and the relationships within it, I believe
that Duncan has a very firm idea of what is right and what is wrong. He doesn't judge others by the superficial characteristics like wealth and social
status that some of the other characters do, but he tries to see each individual for who he or she is. I can only hope the same is true for me. The biggest
difference is definitely our athletic abilities. Duncan is an all-state soccer player and I SUCK at soccer. I mean I'm really bad.
3. What do you do the most on the Internet?
I'm a big Boston Red Sox fan so I definitely spend most of my time on the Internet reading the Boston Globe Sport's page to keep track of my WORLD
CHAMPION RED SOX!
4. Veronica's quest is for the truth. What is your advice to students about what is and what isn't the truth on the Internet and/or in chat
rooms?
I rely on the Internet for most if not all of my news sources. I try to stick to sites that have a reputation beyond the Internet such as The
Washington Post or CNN. But there are also thousands of other sites that are very useful and trustworthy. And then there are thousands that aren't. I
think the most important thing when using the Internet is to maintain a clear and critical mind. When you read something or watch something just
remember that you are at the mercy of the person who posted the material and that person, for whatever reason, may have an agenda in posting that
material. It's like my mother always said, don't believe everything you read. I think the same is twice as true on the Internet. Same goes for chat
rooms. I don't use them that much so my advice is limited, but I would say that you must always remember that you're talking to a stranger. Maintain
your guard as you would if you were talking to a stranger in the street just to be on the safe side.
5. Many people in the public eye do not like having their personal information known to avoid stalkers. i-SAFE tells students not to reveal
their personal information to avoid predators. How important is it to not give away your personal information online?
It's very important. Even if you've been chatting with someone online for a long time and you think you know them, you still have never met that person.
You don't know his or her history, and that's really the bottom line. Not everyone in the world is out to get you and I certainly don't advocate living
our lives in fear, but the fact remains that there are people out there with bad intentions. One of the best precautions one can take is to never give
out personal information online.
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