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When she and 11 other finalists entered the last rounds of "American Idol," Brooke White was characterized as a perky LDS goody-two-shoes who had never seen an R-rated movie. With her folksy voice and hyper-cheerful demeanor, she wasn't expected to last long.

But she surprised critics and judge Simon Cowell by making it into the final five in spite of - or possibly because of - her sunny disposition, which lent itself well to the easygoing 1970s singer-songwriter tunes that she preferred to perform.

In an interview, White, 25, talked about the maturity of her friend David Archuleta, missing her sister's wedding, and her lack of experience in watching R-rated movies.

On her impressions of Utah:

I've been there quite a few times. I've come during the winter times when it's snowing. My cousins live in Logan, Hyrum to be exact.

On David Archuleta:

He's done you guys really proud. I tell people all the time, he is completely unaffected by it all. . . . He's hilarious. People don't realize that he's kind of quiet but he's got a quick wit and a dry sense of humor that I love. I mean, half the time I don't think he's even trying to be funny. I always say, I don't know how someone at his age was able to do what he did so well on the show because I just turned 25. I couldn't have done it.

On her Mormon faith:

It's very important to me. Like I said in my audition, it works for me. It's working in my life. I feel it keeps everything in balance, and it keeps me in check. It keeps my priorities in order and gives me kind of a bigger picture of my choices and where it puts me in my life. . . . It's a great foundation for my life, especially in this business. . . . For the most part, it makes certain things easier.

On her sister, whose wedding White missed because of the show:

Yeah, she forgave me even before it happened. The day of my sister's wedding was the day we were meeting with Mariah Carey. And they couldn't reschedule that one.

On if she has now seen an R-rated movie:

No. I mean, I've seen it if it's been edited for television. I still haven't seen one, and I probably won't. It's working for me.

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David Burger can be reached at dburger@sltrib.com or 801-257-8620. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.