Emily VanCamp is enjoying life on either side of the camera

[MickBeth]

Emily VanCamp looks all around her and sees beauty.

She sees scenes so rich, so colorful that she aspires to capture them. Early in her acting career, VanCamp lived in Utah during the filming of The WB's "Everwood" and helpful directors of photography gave her advice.

VanCamp since has become a regular on the ABC family drama "Brothers & Sisters." She joined during the first season, and the break before the second season allowed VanCamp to travel to Cambodia and Thailand. The sights left her describing what she saw with adjective after adjective.

"Amazing." "Fascinating." "Awesome."

"I love photography, and I've always been very captivated by just the art of seeing basically," she said. "I see things, and I want to document them."

VanCamp, a 21-year-old native of Port Perry, Ontario, always has dabbled in photography. She really found herself immersing herself in the pastime on the set of "Everwood." She said the show, on which she played Amy Abbott, was an invaluable learning experience. Abbott and Ephram Brown (Gregory Smith) became the love-struck couple that caught the attention of viewers.

"They trusted me so much with that character," she said. "They let me take her through all kinds of different emotions. They let me really explore my creativity. I never once felt intimidated or scared."

The story line of "Brothers & Sisters" started in Season 1 with the death of William Walker (Tom Skerritt) in the series opener, and since then, the rest of the family has learned secrets about William's past. They discovered that he inappropriately dipped into the funds of the family business, Ojai Food Co.

Mom's good advice

VanCamp's mother had followed the show and suggested that Emily play the role of Rebecca Harper, the product of an affair between William and actress Holly Harper (Patricia Wettig). The producers gave young VanCamp the role.

Nora (Sally Field) is William's widow and part of a large household with five children and her brother Saul Holden (Ron Rifkin), who helps run the business.

Rebecca has developed a close bond with one of the sons, Justin (Dave Annable), a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who battled drug addiction upon his return.

He confided in Rebecca. She returned his trust and, in time, grew determined to help him get better. She brought the family together for an intervention, and it threatened the connection they share.

All this time, Rebecca has tried to fit into this complex family.

"She's really complicated, which is really cool because as an actress, I get to layer this character with all kinds of different story lines and past experiences that I think she's had and different feelings that she's had in her life," VanCamp said. "It's pretty cool as an actress."

VanCamp found herself drawn to the character because it differs from her "Everwood" role. She said Rebecca is "a little bit tougher, less sort of homegrown country gal. In so many ways, she's different."

Much remains unknown about Rebecca's background and the mystery gives VanCamp a lot to explore.

"There is a lot that I have to sort of figure out for myself, which makes it interesting because I don't really even think they know where Rebecca comes from or what her background is," she said. "I kind of make it up in my mind and draw my own conclusions from it."

Rebecca is intimidated initially by two of the sisters: Kitty Walker (Calista Flockhart), a communications director for Republican U.S. Sen. Robert McCallister (Santa Barbara star Rob Lowe), and Sarah Whedon (Rachel Griffiths of "Six Feet Under"), head of Ojai Food Co. Sarah was the first to tell Rebecca who her father is.

Rebecca grew more comfortable, and Kitty and Sarah came to confide in Rebecca as Kitty and McCallister's wedding approached.

A point of reference

On the wedding day, Rebecca moved from one family to another, a welcoming person for people to talk to. The wedding episode was shot in Simi Valley.

"She's sort of looking at it all from an objective point of view still. I think that they kind of use her as almost like a psychologist or something. They are all bouncing all their ideas off of her," VanCamp said. "They all want to know from an objective point of view what's going on because they are all so in the thick of it and kind of lose track of where they're at with each family member."

VanCamp took a break after the last season of "Everwood" and then jumped into other projects, including a horror film called "Carrier." She gained an inside look into the Irish culture by acting in the movie "Black Irish."

"Brothers & Sisters" gave VanCamp another chance to work with Greg Berlanti, an executive producer for the show who had the same position with "Everwood." In addition, VanCamp enjoys family dramas.

"I do, because I feel like there aren't many on television that are good, and it's like a dying kind of television show," she said. "There are so many cop dramas out there and all of these new, innovative ideas, which is great but that good old family drama just doesn't exist that much anymore, so I love being a part of that. I think people really appreciate that and relate to it really well."

http://www.venturacountystar.com/new...s-enjoying-on/