NEW YORK – Evan Rachel Wood thinks her fellow teenagers should be free to explore their sexuality so they can be "responsible about it" — unlike the character she plays in "Pretty Persuasion," (search) due out Friday.
In the film, directed by Marcos Siega, Wood portrays a scheming schoolgirl named Kimberly who uses her sexuality to achieve her goals.
"I'm not against teenagers exploring their sexuality," the 17-year-old Wood told the New York Daily News for its Sunday's editions. "They should be able to find how to use it in the right way and be responsible about it."
Wood said she thinks the media and adults try to ignore sex and cover it up.
That, she said, "just sends wrong messages and makes kids more crazy about it. If the media and adults would just deal with it, kids would realize it could be a beautiful thing."
Wood's film credits include "Thirteen," (search) "Practical Magic" (search) and "Little Secrets." (search)