Celebrity Interview - Rachel Bilson
Stunning temptress with a touch of innocence
Rachel Bilson Stunning temptress with a touch of innocence
AFTER SPENDING SEVERAL YEARS AS THE ALLURING VIXEN SUMMER ROBERTS IN THE O.C. TV SERIES, RACHEL BILSON IS TRYING TO ESCAPE ALL THE TRAPPINGS OF THE “HOT YOUNG THING”. INTERVIEW BY BEN SNOW/FAMOUS Rachel Bilson is in the process of establishing herself as a film star, hoping that her fanatical following from The O.C will carry over towards the big screen. Unlike Mischa Barton, whose career has plummeted, Bilson is a highly talented actress coveted by directors for her seductive beauty as much as for her evident charisma."I want to go up for the best roles," says Bilson. "I know I'm competing against incredibly talented actresses like Natalie Portman and Keira Knightly and Scarlett Johansson, but all it takes is one good role and things will fall in place..."I'm trying to avoid getting caught up in overtly sexual parts, though. Being seen as a temptress is interesting in one way but it's dangerous if you're going to be typecast in that kind of mould. The O.C. was a great experience, and I love feeling sexy, but there's more to me than that."Indeed there is, and with her appearance in the sci-fi drama Jumper, directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs Smith) the 26-year-old Bilson may well find herself tapped as the movie world's new "hot young thing." Or at the very least be seen as a sensationally alluring young star whose ability to combine wide-eyed innocence and sexual menace blows away most of her competition.Jumper stars Hayden Christensen (Star Wars) as David Rice, a tormented soul who has the supernatural gift of being able to transport himself at will to any place on earth. Imagine sitting at Cafe Flore in Paris one moment, then touring the Tate Gallery the next – you get the picture.Bilson plays Millie, David's love interest, and the pairing of Christensen and Bilson proved to be equally effective off screen as their romance blossomed − though, at the time of going to press, they were both issuing a steady stream of non-denial "I'm not going to talk about that" statements.In the interview that follows, Rachel Bilson sheds some light on her transition from The O.C. to the movie world, her off-set relationship with series co-star Adam Brody (then dealing with the break-up while still shooting the final season) and how she wants her life to evolve differently from the crotch-exposing, drunk-driving ways of Hollywood's young and restless.
■ How did you get the role in Jumper?It was a total accident. They had already cast someone else (Australian actress Teresa Palmer – and British actor Tom Sturridge) in the leads but then they felt they wanted slightly older actors to play the roles... I was at a wedding in Tennessee when I got this cryptic SMS from Doug Liman asking me whether I was busy in the coming months. Doug had directed the pilot episode of The O.C. and so he knew me from the series and obviously he must have kept me in mind.Then I got a call the following week and they flew me to Toronto for an audition and they pretty much told me I had the part. It was a bit complicated though because they were going to shoot the film at the same time as I was working on (what would become the final season of) The O.C. And they were shooting in all these exotic locations around the world so I spent three months flying around the world and suffering from a permanent case of jetlag (laughs).
■ What's your character in Jumper like?She's terrific. A very straight, very responsible woman who is in love with the main character played by Hayden. She's his rock because he's very suspicious of everyone and she's the one normal person in his world who has to deal with the kind of incredible ability he has and everything that's going on in his world. It's an amazing story.
■ How does it feel to have finally moved on from The O.C.?I'm glad to have been a part of that series because I think it obviously touched a nerve with the public and spoke to a different generation of young viewers. It could have lasted much longer but that's another story on its own.
■ You developed a cult following while The O.C. was running and it's still something of a cult show even today in re-runs. What do you make of that?The story allowed us to have these intense and confusing relationships that got to the heart of a lot of feelings younger people have but often don't get expressed in a sophisticated way. People identified with the situations and the emotions because the characters experienced all the turbulence that comes with the territory.
■ How have you adjusted to becoming a celebrity fixture on the teen gossip sites and someone whom young people identify with?I don't know. Most of the girls who come up to me are really friendly and guys just stay away because they're too scared I will blow them away or something (laughs). I'm pretty quiet. I don't tip off the paparazzi where I'm going to be shopping, I rarely go to clubs anymore, I don't flash my crotch because I like wearing nice underwear, and I would rather hang out with friends at home and watch DVDs.
■ You had a romance with your series co-star Adam Brody. How did you handle that?It was beautiful for a while. We were inseparable and totally in love and then things kind of fell apart. But I was so happy to have him in my life, although it was hard having to go to the set some days and be with him while we were in the process of breaking up. It was hard for me but it also helped us stay friends in a way because otherwise we probably would have never spoken again – or at least not for a while.
■ Was it a difficult break-up?It was pretty rough because it was the first time that I had had that kind of long-term relationship and that kind of intensity and closeness with someone. So it took me a while to get used to not being with Adam, who had become a big part of my world and then suddenly you have to adjust to the fact that he's not there anymore. So yeah, when you really care for someone, breaking up is definitely a sad experience.
■ It sounds like you would rather just let your work speak for you?Right! I'm very serious when it comes to my career and things are just beginning to open up for me. I'm totally not interested in creating some wild public persona to attract attention to myself that way. In the end it's all about your work, anyway. That's what matters and I'm focused on that.
■ You're noted for being one of the most beautiful women in the business today. Have you always had to deal with that kind of attention?I've never been that outgoing or the kind of girl who will try to manipulate guys because they find me attractive... I enjoy being romantic and doing the kinds of little things and gestures you make when you're in love with someone. I think I'm a hopeless romantic!
■ You've recently stated that you still suffer from memory lapses because of a terrible car accident you were in when you were 14?(Pauses for a few seconds) It's a strange thing. It's not that I forget people's names or things like that, but I have trouble sometimes remembering events from the past and that's kind of weird. But I'm used to it now. I have no problems memorising my lines when I work; it's just difficult for me to read novels because I don't remember as much as I should. I'm sure it's the result of the car accident – I could easily have been killed so I'm pretty lucky in that sense.
■ How did you get your start in the business?My father (Danny Bilson) is a director and screenwriter as is my grandfather, who directed a lot of famous TV series like Dallas and S.W.A.T. So that started me thinking about acting when I was a kid. I was only seven when my dad hired me to work on The Wrong Guys and then thanks to my dad I got a small role in the TV series The Human Target. Nepotism is great, isn't it? After that I started trying to do a lot of theatre to work on my acting and I think that was pretty important because there's no more intense place to learn your craft than in theatre.
■ Did you always believe that you were going to have a successful career as an actress?(Laughs) It depends on which month you would have asked me! Sometimes you feel as if you're never going to get the right role or do anything other than playing the cute girlfriend instead of being the lead and having the chance to show what you can do. But then The O.C. came along and that was the kind of opportunity that I knew I could take advantage of. I guess sometimes if you want it badly enough you'll get it!
■ Do you still feel the pressure to succeed now that you're trying to build your film career?I'm not trying to rush into everything I get offered. The trick in this business is to find parts which you can build on and take you to the next level. I'm ambitious, but I don't feel that becoming a huge star is the definition of how I want to live my life. I want to be happy and enjoy this experience and not think in terms of celebrity and magazine covers and that stuff. I just hope I can find some good roles and see where it all takes me. It's been pretty interesting so far!
