The new series of 90210 hits our screens tonight on E4, so I caught up with Jessica Lowndes who plays Adrianna for all the on-set, off-set gossip...
How'd you get your big break?
I was so lucky; I was originally just to be in the first two episodes as a singer in the school musical. It was a last second decision to add Adrianna to the cast and then I got amazing storylines- drug addiction and pregnancy. It's a dream come true as it's always very challenging to play things completely out of your comfort zone. I have no personal experience with a lot of the stuff my character goes through but you still learn so much about yourself.
Didn't you always want to be a singer?
Yes it's my passion, I've been writing music my whole life and I love it. I've been doing a lot this year in the show and on the weekends I'm actually recording stuff so by the end of next year I hope to have something released.
Anything embarrassing happened on set?
Not really embarrassing, but what was really funny was when I had the baby bump and the crew would ask "Have you had a big lunch?" and make jokes about my fake stomach. People seemed to think "Hey I'm going to totally touch your stomach" and they'd grab my belly.
You spent a lot of last series in tears...
Yes I did basically cry all last season but I kind of enjoy it because I love the dramatic stuff and it's very therapeutic for me. I feel like a release and I get very excited and hyper on set because I feel so good afterwards.
What's been the hardest scene to film?
The drug stuff was very challenging because I had no personal experience of it. I did a lot of research and talked to real addicts. I wanted to make it as believable and accurate as possible but I was totally freaked out before doing the cocaine scene. I was like "Oh my gosh how am I going to do this?" I also did a film called Altitude [out this year] and it was scary because I had to take flight lessons to learn how to fly a plane so I could look like I knew what I was doing.
And then Adrianna had to give her baby away...
That was one of the hardest scenes too. I was working with a real three week old baby and it was very surreal. It was the right thing for Adrianna to do because she knew she wasn't emotionally or mentally mature enough to handle it because she turns to drugs when she's stressed out and that's no way to raise a baby, but even when the camera turned off I was crying.
Has it made you even less likely to try drugs?
Yes. There's a lot of people that you come into contact with who are battling with drug problems because it's around in LA, but for me it's never been an option. I just don't see the point. I'm very anti it. It can hurt a lot of people around you and it gets you nowhere. I've just never been interested in that but especially after talking to people who have hit rock bottom.
Who's your best friend on set?
Michael Steger who plays Navid is one of my closest friends off camera because we work together so much and he's just an amazing guy. I hang out with him and his girlfriend a lot and he's just so fun to work with.
How have you been handling the fans?
It's so surreal to me- even now I have to keep reminding myself I'm on television when people want an autograph. You see how the show helps people not to feel so alone in their situation. This one girl came up to me and could totally relate to my character because of the pressure Adrianna was under from her mother. It's devastating and sad but then I'm helping this person not feel so alone and I think that's so amazingly huge. She watches every week just to see my character deal with those situations so she can feel like she can get through it.
And any slightly weirder fan moments?
I was once at Subway where the guy making me a sandwich was kind of giving me a weird look and he started shaking as he was putting the toppings on. Then he had me sign a wrapper and got all emotional.
Is it hard handling the press?
It does get weird because I always forget and then people are like "Oh I saw you in this magazine". I try to keep a low profile so I don't really have paparazzi follow me everywhere. Whereas a lot of the other girls do and it's hard because even when we're filming there's like 30 paparazzi taking pictures of us. It can be very hard to deal with when you're in a relationship because you don't want to put that in the press because that gets in the way and it's really stressful.
So was your school life anything like 90210?
My school life was very different. I'm from Canada, Vancouver and I went to private school. There were drugs and pregnancies, but not all for the same person! The only thing I have in common with Adrianna personally was that I was the lead in the school musical and understand the pressure of work and trying to be an actress on the side. It can be very overwhelming.
What's coming up this series?
In season 2 you see a whole different side to my character. She starts off as "no drama Adrianna" and has turned over a new leaf having quit acting and singing. But then there's a love triangle with her ex-boyfriend, some cheating and then there's a very confused side where she finds friendship in a woman named Gia [played by Rumer Willis].
Was it hard? Especially having to kiss Bruce Willis' daughter?!
It was something that was totally out of my comfort zone. I didn't have personal experience with it but I felt very fortunate to be given the responsibility to portray that story. Adrianna is very confused. She meets someone who was born that way and has always liked girls and they form an amazing friendship. They're both in AA, they're bonding and she helps her through some really hard situations. Adrianna doesn't know if sexuality is black and white and doesn't know if it just comes down to sheer compatibleness and who you enjoy being around. She finds herself really conflicted and wanting to experiment.
Sounds to us like it's going to be another explosive series! And not long to wait now either...
The new series of 90210 starts tonight, Tuesday 5th January at 9pm on E4
