by Veronica Mixon

Sat, 22 Jul 2000 21:08:28 EDT

Patrick Stewart is Professor Charles Xavier
Best known as Captain Picard from "Star Trek: The Next Generation,"Stewart has recreated Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol,"and given voice to the Pharaoh Seti in "The Prince of Egypt."

On being an icon:
"I have a concern, yes. It felt, right at the beginning, there was a lot of baggage. But the nature of this story in this movie, particularly that he is a modern man in a modern context, in a twentieth century context."

On being different in real life:
"I grew with what I experienced as the shame of poverty. I left school when I was fifteen. So, my education was minimal. I went to acting school in my late teens and I felt that background very acutely. But then, I also was made aware of what Martin Luther King described the significant thing is the nature of your character, and that's what really counts. That helped me to change how I viewed myself, and it's the nature of people's characters that Xavier emphasizes in this movie."

Ian McKellen is Magneto
His most recent films include "Gods and Monsters," "Apt Pupil," "Richard III" and his theater work includes "Macbeth"and a Tony Award winning performance in "Amadeus"on Broadway.

On seeing his action figure:
"'Looks nothing like me. I love it."

Halle Berry is Storm
Best known for her performances in "Bulworth"and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love,"Berry has also appeared in "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge"and "Jungle Fever."

On reading the comic:
"I'd never read any of the comic books. I think that ultimately it may have worked out to my advantage. Most of the characters had gone through so many changes over almost the last forty years and I think that would have been confusing [for me]. I think that I would have felt very daunted trying to put all the aspects of who she longs to be in one two hour movie.

On being different in real life:
"Being a minority in this country, I have always felt that way. But I also share the sentiments of the "X-Men" that it's really what you do with it."

Hugh Jackman is Wolverine
The Australian actor was last seen in the London revival of "Oklahoma!"and his next film is "Animal Husbandry"opposite Ashley Judd.

On being mistaken for Hugh Grant:
"Well, it's kind of better than when I was in school. When I was in school it 'Hugh the Pooh'and 'Hugh the Kangaroo'. So, 'Hugh who' is a little nicer."

On having claws:
"I miss having the claws. But, I have a little scar on my hand and there is a bigger one on my knee. With those nine inch claws, I was getting a little dangerous."

Famke Janssen is Jean Grey
Best known for her role in the James Bond film, "GoldenEye,"the Dutch actress has also starred in "Celebrity," "The Faculty," "City of Industry" and upcoming film, "Love and Sex."

On being different in real life:
"I started growing and growing. It never seemed to stop, and all my girlfriends got up to about my waist at age twelve.

On having super powers:
"I would say telepathy but only if I could manipulate people's thoughts. That would be more interesting especially in Hollywood. It would be really nice to be sitting in a room with a director who goes, 'Wrong person,' and then you could just start to turn the thoughts - she's starting to look really good."

James Marsden is Cyclops
This fast rising actor has co-starred in "Disturbing Behavior," "Gossip," TV's "Party of Five." His next film is the comedy, "Sugar and Spice" opposite Mena Suvari.

On being different in real life:
In Oklahoma if you don't play sports, they basically throw you in the trash. So, I was a bit of an outside. I discovered a sense of humor, and the jocks, they like that. So, I was allowed to hang out with them, and still be in musicals.

On falling off a house:
"I actually don't know how I survived my childhood. I was an insane boy. I thought that I was a super hero, and I needed the help of CGI."

Anna Paquin is Rogue
Best known for her Oscar-winning role in "The Piano,"Paquin has also appeared in "Flying Away Home"and "A Walk on the Moon."

On having super powers:
"I think that it would be fun if I had Mystique's power. I would kind of like to try out being a few other people, you know, shape shifting here and there. That would be fun."

On being Rogue:
"I think that next time, I would like to do a little fighting because Rogue spends most of this movie being a bit of a damsel in distress. It would be fun to maybe get to do a little bit flying, and some fight scenes."

Rebecca Romjin-Stamos is Mystique
Former model and host of MTV's "House of Style,"Romjin-Stamos also has a recurring role on TV's "Just Shoot Me."

On the role of Mystique:
"I was so excited that they wanted me to play a bad guy first of all and that I was the only female villain in the movie, period. This movie is really the first movie with so many female superheroes that are just as important as the male superheroes...that was the main attraction for me."

On spending eight hours in the makeup chair:
"It turned me into an evil bitch."

Ray Park is Toad
He is best known for his charismatic role as the Sith Lord Darth Maul in "Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace."

On having super powers:
"I always wanted to be able to move objects and switch lights on with my mind and read people's minds as well. I get greedy and want them all."

On reading the comics:
"I knew a lot about 'The X-Men' because I used to watch the cartoon but I didn't really know much about Toad when I met Bryan. There was a lot to expand on and create in the movie for Toad. I was utilizing my skills in Martial arts and gymnastics.

Tyler Mane is Sabretooth
A professional wrestler for over eleven years, Mane has recently been cast in the film comedy "The Adventures of Joe Dirt."

On behaving menacing:
"I spent eleven and a half years as a professional wrestler and I played the bad guy. So, I took that mentality, I looked at the comic books, and seeing some of the actions that Sabretooth would do, I just transferred some of my wrestling background over to Sabretooth's actions, and it came quite naturally."