LAist Interview: Lo Bosworth of The Hills

“Which one is she again?”
If you’re not an avid watcher of The Hills, the semi-scripted, LA-based reality show in which early twenty-somethings live out the decadence we never had, you may find yourself asking such a question about fringe character Lo Bosworth. She’s not the one stealing your boyfriend, leaking rumors to Perez Hilton or squeaking out a pop record. She's hiding cleverly behind the others, making snide comments about their foolish choices while graduating from college and making something of her semi-famous life.
LAist: You are of the most level-headed characters on the show, but besides one rumored kiss with Frankie a few seasons ago, the producers of The Hills have made your character look as though she never goes out on a single date. There’s never a man in Lo’s life. C’mon, What’s the truth?
Lo Bosworth: The real truth...I’ve always had a boyfriend when we’ve been filming and since my Laguna [Beach] days I went on one or two dates and filmed them, and it was just so uncomfortable for me, probably because I was new to the filming experience. But ever since then, I’ve made an agreement with the producers that I’m not going to date on the show, and I am able to keep my private life private. And they’ve just kind of respected that. You know, they still bug me every once in a while: “Can we get you and your boyfriend to go on a date?” But the answer’s no. And you know, at this point I think I would be more willing, but the people I have dated in the past few years have had zero interest in being on the show. It’s not all my decision, it’s their decision too. But no, I’m not like...barren. No dates. [Laughs]

LAist: Well that’s good. Another thing about your character is that you’re one of the most non-confrontational, but also the least frequently victimized. You’re able to stay out of the middle. Is this by design?
LB: It is by design. I’m looking to make a transition into hosting after The Hills is over and for me, I go into filming thinking about what I’m going to do, because I know the transition is going to be easier without everyone remembering me as being this crazy girl on this crazy reality show. I want to be respected and, you know, I think that I have enough fun on the show. I love to be the normal one, but I throw a few glances here and there and have some things to say every once in a while. I think that kind of brings it back to what I’m talking about today.

LAist: Tell us more about where you career is going now, and if you think being on The Hills has helped or hindered you.
LB: Of course it has helped! 100 percent. I went to UCLA and I didn’t really know until my last year of college what I wanted to do, and it was at that point that I decided yes, I definitely want to work in television. The next goal that I have is to transition into hosting. My favorite shows are The View and [Live! with] Regis and Kelly, and I would love love love to be able to host a show like that. But long term, I’m also interested in producing, and the great thing is I have my degree so I can go work for a studio, I can go work for a production company...so I have the ability to kind of pick and choose what I want to do. But I know that I definitely do want to work in television.
LAist: And is it going well?
LB: It’s going very well. I’m very excited.

LAist: Speaking of UCLA, you were in Kappa Kappa Gamma while you were there. How does the drama in a sorority house compare to the drama amongst your castmates?
LB: It’s funny because I think that the show is very true-to-life. It’s just packaged very well, because I think that a lot of the fights and the situations that we’re in are very similar to things that other people my age are going through, or have gone through or will go through. You know, we get people of all ages watching the show, and they watch because it’s representational of stuff that’s happened to them. But we just do a good job of making it look really pretty and fun, and that’s why people love the show. It’s a guilty pleasure.
LAist: Going back to your high school days, though we now have shows like NYC Prep and My Super Sweet 16, Laguna Beach was really the first reality show to invade high school. Even without cameras, high school is all about hierarchy. How and why do you think MTV chose your group of friends to be showcased, and did it propel you to superhero status at school, or was all the attention detrimental?

LB: A little bit of both. When MTV first came to our school, everyone was really excited because nothing like that had ever happened to us, and The O.C. was a really popular show back then. It was presented to us like it was going to be a reality version of The O.C., but we really thought it would be a one-hour special and that was it. And it turned into something so much different. They set up in the courtyard of the high school and we all filled out these packets with lots of questions. They kind of figured out who was friends with who, and I think that they really chose the group that, you know, liked to go out, liked to have a good time, but also already had an interesting story in place. And it was just easy for them to go from there. And the kids at school...nobody really knew what was going on. You know? The show had never...nothing like that had ever been done before so nobody really knew how to anticipate it. We went to a small high school too so it’s really not that big of a deal. And a lot of kids didn’t want to be a part of it. They had the kind of foresight like, “Oh, you’re going to do it and that’s fine but I don’t really want to be a part of it.” It was almost after we left that it kind of turned into something maybe a little more negative, but you never know where that energy is coming from. If it’s from a jealous place, if it’s from a place that “we just don’t like the show,” or what.

LAist: Kristin Cavallari was on Laguna Beach for two years in high school, and I won’t ask you to speak for her, but do you know if her life as a senior was very different from her life as a junior since the show had time to become more popular?
LB: I really...I have no idea.
LAist: Speaking of her, since you’ve known her for so long, do you think she’s living proof that people never change?
LB: I think that she has changed in some ways. I think that everybody, when they’re 18 to 22, goes through a lot of very serious changes. I think it’s a time when you go from a much more selfish person to a person that comes to care a lot more about your family and your friends and your relationships because you realize, once you leave home and go to college, that these are the people that you need. I think that’s an evolution in most people, and I’m sure that it’s happened in Kristin’s life too.
LAist: Last season on The Hills, Audrina made a play for Brody Jenner even though he had a girlfriend, and this year Kristin makes a play for Audrina’s ex, Justin Bobby. Do you think maybe karma’s a bitch?
LB: Um...I don’t know. I think that, you know, stuff happens, and there’s nothing you can really do about it. You either participate or you don’t.

LAist: In past seasons, you have mostly been Lauren Conrad’s snarky voice of reason, but not that she’s gone, you have a chance to break away from sidekick status. How does your role change in this upcoming season?
LB: In this season you’ll see me as much more of a moderator between groups of friends. Kristin, I kind of introduce her to a lot of these people that I already know and have relationships with and it doesn’t go over very well at the very beginning. So it’s kind of me vouching for everybody, to everybody. [Laughs] Like you said, I feel like my role is kind of the voice of reason, and I almost, I hope to be positioned as the calm between the storms. I think there’s going to be a lot of them. I just want people to see more of the real me who is smart and level-headed, and normal...compared to all these people.
LAist: Is Doug Reinhardt (who is now dating Paris Hilton) going to make an appearance this year?
LB: Uh...I haven’t seen him filming in a while.

LAist: What do you love about living in LA?
LB: I love the energy in LA. There's always something to do: a hike, a great museum, fun party or amazing dinner with friends. I'm never, ever bored.
LAist: What drives you crazy about living in LA?
LB: The traffic in LA drives me crazy. Absolutely nuts. I have pretty bad road rage too, so the easiest thing for me to do is always leave way too early for any appointment I have.
LAist: Let’s play “Survivor, The Hills.” Who do you think would be the first person voted off the island?
LB: Uh...[laughs]...I don’t know. [More laughs.] I’m not really sure.
LAist: Do you know who you would vote off the island?
LB: I’m not great at reality shows.
Credit - laist.com