American TV star Audrina Patridge has achieved astonishing success as one of the original cast members of MTV's The Hills and is becoming a major onscreen personality with millions of fans tuning in across the country.
Audrina is currently competing on Dancing With The Stars over on ABC where she trains for 6 hours a day to be at the best physical fitness. Patridge is also host of Yobi.tv, a global talent contest network where people from around the world can win cash prizes and record label deals. As one of Hollywood's hardest working personalities, the pressures of fame, the media frenzy and social commitments are not easy to manage, and one must stay mentally fit.
The Reality TV star has also played small roles in several feature films and continues to develop her acting, which is close at heart. In addition to her onscreen roles, she has been featured in Maxim and Rolling Stone magazine and has delved into philanthropy, working for children's charities. This includes raising awareness for breast cancer through the Know Your girls campaign.
Find out here on Film Industry Network how Audrina made a career in Hollywood and her advice for young people looking to work in the entertainment industry.
Audrina Patridge interview with Iain Alexander
Iain: How did you get your big break onto MTV?
Audrina: I was living in LA and I was going to auditions and castings because I wanted to be an actress and I met the producer and was cast as one of Heidi's and Lauren's first LA friends there. I was already established there and had my life going, so I did it and it opened me up to this industry and this whole world and it got me comfortable with the camera and how everything works. I really think The Hills was a bridge out for me. The day that I knew the Hills was really well known and that people were interested was when we did the photo shoot for the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Iain: Were you nervous?
Audrina: I wasn't nervous. I was more excited because the Rolling Stone magazine is so iconic and it's such a big deal to be on the cover of that. When we were all 4 of us on the front cover that day, it was a great experience because it meant we made it. This is it!
Iain: Did you have a mentor or someone to help guide you in your career choices?
Audrina: I always go to my parents for advice and I have a mindset of what I want to do all the time but then I always want to get their opinion because they will look and see things I don't always see. They kind of give me things from their perspective on what they think and on what I don't realize or notice. But I also have my agent, my manager and my publicist, and they have always overlooked things for me too. They would give me their professional advice and then I'd make my decision at the end of the day.
Iain: Do you have any role models you look up to?
Audrina: When I was 13/14 years old I watched Heidi Klum. I've always looked up to her because she's so classy, she's a businesswoman, a model and very smart. She's talented and a nice giving person with a good heart.
I've always looked up to Charlize Theron as an actress because she has done such a variety of movies and different characters. She's never stuck to just one cliché. She's gone from being the pretty, beautiful woman to this hard monster. She was this hard woman who was a lesbian and had to deal with all these issues (Monster, along co-star Christina Ricci). She has a wide variety of different ranges and I really love and respect her.
Iain: What is your advice for young people trying to succeed in the entertainment industry?
Audrina: If they want to get into this industry they have to have thick skin because it's a very glamorous industry but on the other side it's very hard and you have to deal with the balance of good and bad.
The good is that there are so many opportunities to do things that are glamorous. You get to dress up all the time and you can help people with charities and spread the word about them.
The bad side is there's lots of gossip, rumors, and you are always going to be judged from head to toe, inside and out, and on everything you do. There is no privacy. If you can handle that you can make it. You need to be motivated and not give up because it's real competitive.
To find out more about Audrina's charity work: Facebook.com/yoplaitpledge.
(T shirts sold raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the cure, supported by Yoplait)
