MCTThe “Confessions of a Shopaholic” actress has killer good looks with acting chops to match. The once small-town Pennsylvania girl is now a creative force to be reckoned with, recently landing a major role in the highly anticipated “Gossip Girl” spinoff. With talents in acting, music and writing, she’s smoldering. Add in a large dose of effervescent attitude with endearing charm and a dash of rock edge, she’s an entertainment siren.
Q: The movie is set in New York. Having lived in New York, is your life at all similar to your character’s, Suze, in the movie? How so?
A: My N.Y. and Suze’s N.Y. are very, very different. Sure, I wish I owned my own apartment in Manhattan-or inherited one from my family-but that’s certainly not the case! N.Y. is the center of the universe for me as far as geography goes but I’m a little bit more “Brooklyn” than Suze and Rebecca. And my apartment is a whole lot smaller. Running around the streets with my best friend I can relate to though. That drunken scene with me and Isla running to the postbox all bundled up and freezing reminds me of me and my best friend Susan the real life Suze. Best friends are the best.
Q: What can we expect from “Confessions of a Shopaholic?”
A: It’s truly a feel good movie, with a lot of laughs, about friendship and determination. It’s about picking yourself up when you hit rock bottom.
Isla and I had so much fun together and I really think it translates on screen. Oh, and great clothes!
Q: Are you a shopaholic? What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to purchasing?
A: I’m a saver. Thrifty. Frugal. Cheap. The small town roots stick with you. “Eat everything on your plate.” “Waste not, want not.” “If you don’t need it, don’t buy it.” But I guess if I really want to splurge, it would be on a nice dinner with my man. Oh and my car, I love my car and I love pimping it out.
Q: The “Gossip Girl” spin off is huge news. Are you excited? What can you tell us about your character? What can “Gossip Girl” fanatics expect from the May 11 premiere?
A: I can’t give too much away, but I can tell you that “Gossip Girl” fans won’t be disappointed and hopefully we will bring in a whole new audience as well. It’s a two hander focusing on a young Lily and her older sister Carol, me. My character’s going to be quite a trip. She’s a bit dangerous and a total force of nature. I’m very excited!
Q: Acting isn’t your only gig. With such a busy schedule, how do you find time to make music as the lead singer of Ex Vivian?
A: I don’t sleep! Kidding, I work really hard; I have a lot of creativity that manifests itself in a lot of different ways. It’s all about time management.
I love playing music and I love writing, so I make time for it. Check out the Ex Vivian tunes on myspace.com/kandthehiredguns.
Q: Your career is smoldering with the major role in “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and landing a lead in the upcoming “Gossip Girl” spinoff. Was there ever a time when you considered venturing into a different career path? Was there ever any great piece of advice that kept you going?
A: I love everything about this industry and I will admit that before I discovered it I had no idea what I would do with my life. I even dealt with a lot of depression. It’s a dangerous thing for young girls to not have anything that they feel good about. When I was first exposed to this craziness, for lack of a better word, I knew that I had found a home and I was never going to look back. I’ve found a way to make my great love my job! I am very fortunate. I’ve been working my butt off and appreciating every minute of it ever since. The best advice I’ve gotten is “hard work pays off.” It sounds cheesy and a little cliché, but I am a true believer. Be prepared when it knocks-because if you’re not, there’s someone else that will be. Know what I mean?
