Interview to Jennifer Lopez

Hello,

I have to report an interview to Jennifer Lopez by Alana Lee. I need to add other reporting verbs and also linking verbs..Could you please help me with this because I find it a bit difficult.the original text is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/02/1...nterview.shtml

the reported one is the following:

Alana Lee told Jennifer Lopez that it was hard not to compare the film to “Pretty Woman”. She affirmed that there were comparisons in as far as it was a romantic comedy. She thought of it more like "Working Girl" and "Pretty Woman" together. It was not really a Cinderella story. It was more reality-based. Then Alana asked Jennifer what she liked about her character and she honestly answered that Marissa was more like her than any character she had ever played because she was a Puerto Rican, she was from The Bronx, had the young son and was just trying to make ends meet. Every day she got on the train to work. She went to that big city of dreams and she wanted more. She had aspirations in that way. She really related to her. Also Alana asked her how it had been to work with Ralph Fiennes and Jennifer said he was very good in the movie. It was funny because people would think it wouldn’t be challenging for him but romantic comedy did have a certain kind of tone. You had to strike a balance between reality, telling a story, and being heartfelt and honest. But at the same time, found the humour in it. Finally, the interviewer asked her if the movie had a message and Jennifer assured her that it had, adding that people weren’t always what they appeared and one shouldn’t judge people or discarded them by how they looked and to not give up on one’s dreams.

[Tdol]

It was not really a Cinderella story. It was more reality-based. - It was not really a Cinderella story; it was more reality-based.
she honestly answered- she answered honestly

Are you expected to put an indtroductory verb in every sentence?