Rachel Bilson - successful actress for over ten years yet still not completely at ease with Hollywood life, dealing with getting older having just turned 30 and now the subject of a movie about her misfortune of being the victim of repeated robberies. Now Rachel talks candidly about dealing with what life has thrown at her.
Rachel Bilson On turning 30
“Everyone has body insecurities; it’s just one of those things… Once you hit 30, you just own it. You realise, ‘This is who I am’. And, for me at least, I’ve learnt to be proud of what I’ve got.”
“Thirty is a whole different thing; you can slow down and focus on family. Starting a family one day is definitely something I look forward to.”
On Hollywood Pressure: A successful actress for over a decade, Rachel still struggles with the pressures of Hollywood:
“I don’t think I ever overcome pressure well. I’ve just learnt not to put myself into situations where I have to deal with it much!”
“I quickly learnt not to pay attention to that stuff [fame and media attention]. Especially if it’s going to make you feel bad. It’s very unhealthy, so I try to stay away from it.”
Rachel BilsonOn Those Robberies And That Movie:
Unfortunately Rachel attracted unwelcome publicity four years ago when a gang of youngsters repeatedly broke into her home and reportedly stole over £200,000 of her designer clothes collection and sentimental items including her mum’s engagement ring. Angry that their crimes have been made into a movie called ‘The Bling Ring’ starring Emma Watson, she stays:
“I thought it was weird to glorify something that was so upsetting for a lot of people. It’s important to detach from material things, but the special, personal things I lost are hard to forget.”
That Movie!On getting older:
“I’m not scared of ageing. I would like to stick to being natural and not having surgery. My mom recently grew out her hair and she went all grey but she looks beautiful. Whatever age you are, just own it.”
On her teenage years:
How a near-fatal car crash that put her in a coma for days was the wake up call she needed to set her on the road to stardom:
“I went through a little bit of a wild phase when I was a teenager and got into trouble. It was just enough to make me feel like I’d done everything and I didn’t need to party as much as I got older. I survived a car crash when I was 14. It definitely impacted me and how I was living my life. It was a wake-up call… I had no choice but to wake up and get with the programme, but I think it set me in the right direction.”
On her early acting years, she admits she thought she knew it all:
“I didn’t have any idea how much The OC would change my life… I thought I knew everything, but now I look back and think, ‘You were a dumb ass! What was your problem?’”
On the embarrassing ‘birds and the bees’ talk with her mum:
“My mom is a relationship counsellor so she’ll still slip in comments wherever she can. I’m like, ‘Mom!’ After my first time, she just knew. She didn’t ask questions, she just told me things – she doesn’t wait for permission to speak!... She’s taught me all sorts of things about relationships, like how important it is to be honest and have trust.”
On love and being a true romantic at heart:
“My parents’ divorce [Rachel was nine] didn’t make me cynical about love and marriage. I’ve always been a big romantic and I look forward to all those things. I’ve been in a relationship for six years and I’m happy… To have a partner is one of the greatest things. I’ve always been a fan of love! I love any movie or book or anything to do with love because I’m a romantic… I’m an emotional person; I go with my heart before my head every time!”
On Eminem and Rapping:
“If I could karaoke duet with anyone it would be Eminem. I secretly want to be a rapper.”
The full interview appears in the August issue of British Cosmopolitan, on sale 4th July.
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