In case you're going through MIOBI withdrawal after that intense season finale on Monday, Josie Loren (who plays Kaylie on the show), is here to help. In addition to executing the perfect comeback with her floor routine, Josie also happens to be about to graduate from college! She sat down with Seventeen to talk about everything from rush to boyfriends and avoiding the Hollywood party scene.
17: How did you end up deciding to go to UCLA on top of working on the show?
JL: After high school, I was going to move out to LA and try to pursue my dreams of acting. My parents said, “That’s fine. We support you, but you have to go to school,” which was fine because I’m a studious person anyway, I enjoy it.
17: Do you feel like you got the "real" college experience, doing both?
JL: My first year was really difficult because I was very focused on getting work. I was going out to audition for everything under the sun. Plus, I was taking an acting class that, I kid you not, was from 6:00 to midnight. It was such a crazy time. So my first year, I didn't get the full college experience. But my sophomore year, I dated a UCLA basketball player, so I started going to basketball games and did the normal stuff, which I'd never been able to do before. It was awesome to be able to experience that.
17: What's your best advice for girls feeling overwhelmed by balancing school with everything else in their lives?
JL: You have to really figure out what's important to you. When I got out there, I really wanted to join a sorority. So I rushed, and during rush, I booked a big guest spot on Cory in the House. They worked around me, but then I couldn't make any Monday night meetings because my acting classes were on Monday nights, and I couldn't make any events, because during the week, I was auditioning. It all just got so hectic, and I realized, "I can't do this. I came out here for a reason and I want to make that happen, and that's more important to me than being in a sorority." You just have to figure out what your priorities are. Because nothing ever comes easy!
17: Did you ever feel left out because you didn't end up doing the Greek thing?
JL: I mean, yeah. I wasn't in a sorority and I wasn't invited to all the parties, but now, people are knocking on my door, saying, "Let's go out—let's do this" and it's so funny. Last week, this guy who never gave me the time of day in college, ever, Facebooked me. Like I had tried to be his friend and that just never happened, and I swear on my life, he was like "Where have you been all my life?! We have to get together!" And I was like, "Come on dude. That's just lame. Really? No. Not okay."
17: Fake friends are the worst! What do you do to make sure your friendships and relationships are real?
JL: I try to remember that relationships are a two-way street. I give them as much attention as I can, and remind them that I'm here to listen, because whatever they have to say is just as important as whatever I'm going through. I have a boyfriend right now—I've been dating someone for a year. He's a grad student, and his life is definitely different from mine, but it's wonderful. What he's doing is ridiculously awesome, and if you love someone, you do just care about what they're going through.
17: Your life feels really different from other young Hollywood stars. How do you stay so grounded?
JL: At the end of the day, it’s about your family, and I was just raised differently. I don’t think my parents would ever let me go that way. They’d be there to pull be back. But child stars like Miley have had it easy. For them, once they got their roles—like once Miley got Hannah Montana—that was it. She’s had to work really, really hard for it because she had such a mind-blowing schedule, and I feel so bad for her for that, but once she got, that it was done. That didn’t happen to me. I had to work really hard. Everything was me clawing to get there. My schedule doesn’t let me go out and party. If I did that I won’t be ready for my audition tomorrow. And that’s not why I came here. I mean, I still go out with my friends. I’m 24, so I’ll go out and, yeah, have a few drinks and dance—I love to dance—and have a good time, but I like to do other things too. I like going to the beach and reading and hiking. And now I'm getting into taking cooking classes and going to art museums. You just have to have things in your life that aren't going out.
What do you think about Josie's anti-partying attitude? Sound off in the comments!
17: How did you end up deciding to go to UCLA on top of working on the show?
JL: After high school, I was going to move out to LA and try to pursue my dreams of acting. My parents said, “That’s fine. We support you, but you have to go to school,” which was fine because I’m a studious person anyway, I enjoy it.
17: Do you feel like you got the "real" college experience, doing both?
JL: My first year was really difficult because I was very focused on getting work. I was going out to audition for everything under the sun. Plus, I was taking an acting class that, I kid you not, was from 6:00 to midnight. It was such a crazy time. So my first year, I didn't get the full college experience. But my sophomore year, I dated a UCLA basketball player, so I started going to basketball games and did the normal stuff, which I'd never been able to do before. It was awesome to be able to experience that.
17: What's your best advice for girls feeling overwhelmed by balancing school with everything else in their lives?
JL: You have to really figure out what's important to you. When I got out there, I really wanted to join a sorority. So I rushed, and during rush, I booked a big guest spot on Cory in the House. They worked around me, but then I couldn't make any Monday night meetings because my acting classes were on Monday nights, and I couldn't make any events, because during the week, I was auditioning. It all just got so hectic, and I realized, "I can't do this. I came out here for a reason and I want to make that happen, and that's more important to me than being in a sorority." You just have to figure out what your priorities are. Because nothing ever comes easy!
17: Did you ever feel left out because you didn't end up doing the Greek thing?
JL: I mean, yeah. I wasn't in a sorority and I wasn't invited to all the parties, but now, people are knocking on my door, saying, "Let's go out—let's do this" and it's so funny. Last week, this guy who never gave me the time of day in college, ever, Facebooked me. Like I had tried to be his friend and that just never happened, and I swear on my life, he was like "Where have you been all my life?! We have to get together!" And I was like, "Come on dude. That's just lame. Really? No. Not okay."
17: Fake friends are the worst! What do you do to make sure your friendships and relationships are real?
JL: I try to remember that relationships are a two-way street. I give them as much attention as I can, and remind them that I'm here to listen, because whatever they have to say is just as important as whatever I'm going through. I have a boyfriend right now—I've been dating someone for a year. He's a grad student, and his life is definitely different from mine, but it's wonderful. What he's doing is ridiculously awesome, and if you love someone, you do just care about what they're going through.
17: Your life feels really different from other young Hollywood stars. How do you stay so grounded?
JL: At the end of the day, it’s about your family, and I was just raised differently. I don’t think my parents would ever let me go that way. They’d be there to pull be back. But child stars like Miley have had it easy. For them, once they got their roles—like once Miley got Hannah Montana—that was it. She’s had to work really, really hard for it because she had such a mind-blowing schedule, and I feel so bad for her for that, but once she got, that it was done. That didn’t happen to me. I had to work really hard. Everything was me clawing to get there. My schedule doesn’t let me go out and party. If I did that I won’t be ready for my audition tomorrow. And that’s not why I came here. I mean, I still go out with my friends. I’m 24, so I’ll go out and, yeah, have a few drinks and dance—I love to dance—and have a good time, but I like to do other things too. I like going to the beach and reading and hiking. And now I'm getting into taking cooking classes and going to art museums. You just have to have things in your life that aren't going out.
What do you think about Josie's anti-partying attitude? Sound off in the comments!