By Christina Radish

Leven Rambin at an in-store appearance with the cast of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" held at Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood, Calif. on September 13, 2008.

Before being cast on the show, Houston, Texas native Leven Rambin juggled a dual role on the soap opera All My Children, as both the autistic Lily Montgomery and her lovable older half-sister, Ava Benton. The 18-year-old recently spoke to MediaBlvd Magazine about her hopes for the new season.

MediaBlvd Magazine> How did you find out about the role of Riley?

Leven Rambin>  I’ve got a great agent at Endeavor. I had just auditioned for several movies that week. It was a huge week and I was so tired. That Friday, I had three auditions; one for a movie, one for the re-make of Fame and Terminator. I had had a horrible day auditioning, the day before. I went to an acting class and got all of my frustrations out. Then, I went in on Friday and I got the role in the movie, and then my next audition was Terminator. It was in a casting office in New York, and they said, “We’ve got to call them in L.A. to say we’ve found you!,” and I was like, “Are you serious?”

MediaBlvd> Which scene did you audition with?

Leven> There were several scenes. There was one with Riley and Sarah, where Sarah is driving Riley back to her house, and they’re talking about how she and John have become close. And, another one was the first scene that I filmed in my first episode, where Riley is in John’s room and she gives him a toy and he says, “Oh, what it that?,” and she says, “It’s a robot. What does it look like?” It was very laid back and they apparently loved it because I got the job the next day.

MediaBlvd> What do you know about your character?

Leven> Riley is just a very punky, Ava-esque character. She doesn’t really care what people say. She’s her own girl. She doesn’t really care about anyone. She’s going to get what she wants. She befriends John Connor at school, and she is just very intrigued by his anti-social tendencies, so she tries to bust into his personal space. It’s fun to watch.

MediaBlvd> Were you familiar with the show, or did you have to catch up on it, once you were cast?

Leven> I had no idea what the show was about. I watched the entire season on DVD when I got the role, and now I’m really passionate about it. I love it! I also watched Terminator 2, which is my new favorite movie of all-time. Everyone knows the iconic phrases, like “I'll be back” and “Hasta la vista, baby,” but I’d never actually seen it before I was cast.

MediaBlvd> How did you decide to leave All My Children, and did you have Terminator already lined up?

Leven> The decision was organic. That was always my plan, from the beginning. I was very young when I began the show, and I had just turned 18 when I finished. It just seemed like the natural thing to do. I had done everything I could do with the character, and the new character wasn’t really panning out the way that everyone hoped it would. I was really enjoying having the experience of playing Ava, though. I thought it was very fun to watch. It was very out of context and it was more realistic than all the other characters. This show came up right after. I’m very fortunate to have this kind of work right away.

MediaBlvd> While you were on the soap, was it challenging to play someone who was autistic?

Leven> I’m very passionate about the cause. I could talk for three hours about it. One out of every 55 children are autistic. Two years ago, it was one out of 66. I think it’s mostly boys, but it’s expanding into African Americans too. It’s really alarming. I was really, really lucky to have a role like that on a soap, especially since most soap girls are the standard, bitchy high school girls. I was lucky to have something with a little more depth and integrity. Even though I was 14, I really understood how grateful I should be.

MediaBlvd> Did you have any plans for education? Were you going to go to college?

Leven> Yeah. I was planning on going to college in the Fall. That’s on hold, but I’ll definitely make that a priority. I absolutely want to go back, eventually.

MediaBlvd> How do you like living in L.A. instead of New York? Are you used to it yet?

Leven> I’m a little used to it. I’m living in Toluca Lake, so it’s removed from Hollywood and Los Angeles. It’s very close to our studio. So, I’m very focused on work and family, and I’m just really focusing on my career.

Co-stars Thomas Dekker & Leven Rambin at an in-store appearance with the cast of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" held at Golden Apple Comics in Hollywood, Calif. on September 13, 2008.

MediaBlvd> Do you have family in L.A.?

Leven> My mom’s living out here with me now. She’s taking care of me. I have a lot of friends here. I don’t have a license, so she’s driving me everywhere. I’ll get one, though.

MediaBlvd> What do you miss the most about New York?

Leven> I miss the fashion, of course. And, I miss just taking the subway. Now, I have to learn how to drive. But, I like L.A. a lot. I’m loving the weather. I’m getting a little tanner than I’ve ever been. Everyone’s being really supportive, welcoming me into L.A. I’m really happy about that.                      

MediaBlvd> Growing up, did you read any sci-fi, or like that genre of movies?

Leven> I did not. I was so not a sci-fi person. When I was a kid, I was into psychological thrillers. When I was 12, my favorite movie was Thirteen. I just really liked movies that showed an extreme range in acting. That’s what made me want to become an actress.

MediaBlvd> Because this is your first experience with sci-fi, are you prepared for the sci-fi fans? Does that make you nervous?

Leven> I actually really compare them to soap fans. I feel like they’re both really dedicated and super-interested. I’m a fan of television to where I’ll sit back and TiVo my show and watch it. But, soap fans and sci-fi fans will get into the action. They will come to the events, they will root for you, and they will really be an integral part of your life, your show and your character. They find a way to really be involved, and I think that’s really cool because we like to see that gratification of making people happy and entertaining them. It’s eerily similar. And, I think some soap fans are sci-fi fans. I’ve seen some soap fans at sci-fi events, and it’s really cool to have them following me and my career.

MediaBlvd> Do you know how many episodes you’ll be in this season?

Leven> As many as there are, I think. I came in, in the second episode, and then there’s a lot to be done with these people, so I’ll come back. Riley just a distraction. She’s not trying to kill anyone. She’s just light-heartened, and much more fun than everyone else. She’s just a regular girl.     

MediaBlvd> Have you been doing any training at all for the show?

Leven> I’ve done boxing for the past three years, in New York.

MediaBlvd> Are you hoping to get more involved with the stunts?

Leven> I would love to! I would love to be involved with the CGI and wield a rifle, or something. My character might get involved.

MediaBlvd> Have you suggested anything yet to the show-runners for Riley to do?

Leven> I just do what they say. They have a very meticulous way of creating this new character.  They put a lot of thought into it. She’s just a regular person, not a Terminator. I trust them, for sure.

MediaBlvd> Is this work schedule easier or harder than a soap schedule?

Leven> I don’t think it’s easier. It’s difficult because I’m not used to these hours. I’m not used to standing for that long. At least on soaps, we’re done quick. You have to do it right. Here, we have so much time to laboriously film all these scenes, and every word is perfected.

MediaBlvd> Since you do music as well, have you been picking Shirley Manson’s brain on set?

Leven> Oh, yes. I definitely am. Absolutely. That’s a sound that I’m really interested in, and that my producers in New York are really interested in. They were like, “Really? She’s on your show? You have to talk to her about it.”

MediaBlvd> Are you in the process of recording now?

Leven> Yes. I actually just recorded a Pink Floyd cover of “Wish You Were Here.” It’s amazing!

MediaBlvd> What other musical influences do you have?

Leven> It’s a throwback. We’re working with a lot of the original Parliament Funk members and their original tracks, and George Clinton is helping us out with producing. They’re very supportive of me, and they really believe in me. We go to Woodstock, New York to their big compound, and they’re all old dudes that just want to chill out and rock.

MediaBlvd> What is your ultimate goal for your career?

Leven> I’d like to take the Katherine Heigl route. One of my mentors was her mentor when she was starting out, and I think she’s made a graceful transition from primetime TV shows, like Grey’s Anatomy and Roswell, when she was younger. As she matured, she became more recognizable, and now she’s a leading lady in her films. She has great comedic timing, and I really admire her. 

MediaBlvd> What director or actor would you most like to work with one day?

Leven> When I was 10, my favorite movie was A Clockwork Orange, which is a weird thing. I was just a weird kid. So, if Kubrick were still alive , I’d like to work with him. And, my favorite actor is Christian Bale. He’s so brilliant and manages to keep it all under control, too.