By Christina Radish

Paris Hilton at the premiere of "The Hottie and The Nottie" held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. on February 4, 2008.

Convinced she’s the only girl for him, Nate moves back to L.A., tracks her down, and learns that she’s still single and stunning. He also discovers that the reason that she’s single is that she simply refuses to get serious with anyone until her less fortunate friend from first grade, June Phigg (Christine Lakin), finds a boyfriend. As Nate and June become friends, she emerges from her cocoon, and Nate slowly realizes that the girl of his dreams might not be the hottie after all.

Co-stars Paris Hilton and Christine Lakin spoke with MediaBlvd Magazine about what makes a hottie and what makes a nottie.

MediaBlvd Magazine> Paris, was this movie your idea? Did you conceive the storyline?

Paris Hilton> Actually, the writer came with it to me and said, “We wrote this with you in mind, and there’s no one else who can play the Hottie. Will you please play it?” And, I read it and fell in love with it. It’s a really fun film, but it also has a really beautiful message. I thought it was just a cute, fun love story about two best friends.

MediaBlvd> Prior to this role, what kind of scripts were you offered?

Paris> A variety of different scripts -- horror films, comedies. But, out of all the ones I read, this was the one I liked the most.

MediaBlvd> How do you think the industry sees you?

Paris> I think a lot of people see me from The Simple Life. I’ve been doing that show for five seasons, and t’s a reality show where I’m playing a character, so I’m basically acting in that. Maybe people think that’s really how I am, but it’s not. And, I’ve been working with Ivana Chubbuck, who’s an incredible acting coach. I’ve worked really hard for this, and now I’m taking it seriously.

MediaBlvd> Paris, what did being a producer on this entail for you?

Paris> It’s a lot of work because you’re basically working on and off-camera. But, it was just such a fun project that I enjoyed every minute of it.

MediaBlvd> Christine, you’ve been acting since you were a child, and you can play off the script a lot, but were you both able to improvise with Joel David Moore?

Paris> Joel is the King of Improv.

Christine Lakin> Yeah, he’s great. We didn’t really rehearse a lot of our scenes, but we would go over stuff right before we decided to go on, and we would riff off each other. And then, sometimes, we would bring it into the actual scene.

Paris> We changed a lot of the dialogue.Christine> We actually did. And, thank God, the writer, Heidi Ferrer, was not offended by it. But, Joel always keeps you on your toes. It was really fun. It kept everything very fresh.

MediaBlvd> How much fun did you have, making this movie?

Paris> Actually, it was so much fun on set. We all immediately bonded. We became really close friends and we would hang out, even when we weren’t working. So, I was really happy with everything. Everyone was awesome.

Christine> Yeah, we had a blast between Joel, who is one of the biggest jokesters I’ve ever worked with, and me in my hideous make-up, all day.

MediaBlvd> Christine, how long did it take to put on all that make-up?

Christine> It took about two and a half hours. On a really hardcore day, where I had to do my legs with hair, and the bruising, the pimples and the toenail, and the whole shebang, it was close to almost three.

MediaBlvd> What did you think, the first time you looked in the mirror and saw it all?

Christine> They had me turned away from the mirror because they didn’t want me to start getting freaked out, halfway through, and be like, “Screw it, I’m not doing this!” But, when they first turned me around, I was a little shocked, at first. I thought I looked a little bit like a cave woman. That was the closest thing I could kind of, with the single eyebrow and everything. It took a couple of seconds to get used to, but it was everything that I had talked about. In that moment of seeing myself in the mirror, the character really started to come to life. And then, I loved looking at myself in the mirror and making faces and playing around with it. I would bare my ugly teeth to people, especially Paris.

MediaBlvd> Why did you recently decide to actually go out to a club in your costume?

Christine> Paris and I talked about doing that, ever since we started the movie. It was the first day, when I was in the make-up trailer, and the producer came in and she said, “God, it would be so funny to see you two actually out on the town like that.” And, we both started to laugh, but Paris was said, “I was thinking about that. I should totally take you to some club. We should do it.” We were both laughing at the idea of how people would actually react to it. And then, when we were in Sundance, I said, “I still really want to do it,” and she said, “Me too.” So, when we got back, we called the make-up artist from the movie, and he still had my mole, my hair and my eyebrows.  I put a hat on, and I called the costume guy and he still had the dress that I wore in the movie. So, I called Paris and said, “I’m ready to go. Is everything cool?,” and she said, “Come on over.” I got ready for an hour or so, and then met Paris out. It was funny. We had a blast doing it. The Nottie was out until about three in the morning. It was fantastic! The Nottie had a very good Wednesday. But, it was funny because there was just an utter sense of confusion, when we walked in. People were looking at Paris, saying, “Oh, who is that unfortunate girl next to her?” A lot of people didn’t realize it was our characters in the movie, so some people were just literally looking at us, trying to take pictures of her and trying not to get me in them. It was very funny.

MediaBlvd> Did this movie make you start looking at everyone in the world as either a Hottie or a Nottie? 

Christine> No, it didn’t really change the way I saw anyone. I always think that somebody who is technically a Nottie always becomes a lot hotter, if they’ve got a great personality, or  they’re really funny and kind. And, I always think of someone who’s really beautiful becomes a Nottie when they open their mouth and just says ugly things. That is what the film is ultimately about. It’s about friendship. And, while it’s a romantic comedy, it’s also about the fact that who you are on the inside is not always reflective of who you are on the outside.

MediaBlvd> Have either of you ever had the feeling of being the Nottie in a situation?

Christine> Oh, yeah. I have an inner Nottie. I’m short, and sometimes I feel like an Oompa-Loompa, compared to everyone. I think everybody has an Ugly Betty day. Now, I’ll just call it the Nottie day.

Paris> I think every girl feels unattractive, sometimes. We’re all human. When something bad happens, you feel sad.

MediaBlvd> Would either of you consider plastic surgery, as time goes by?

Christine> I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. I guess, if something bothered me enough, I would do it. Life’s too short not to be happy with yourself. But, I don’t think about it now.

Paris> I’m really scared of even getting shots. I don’t want to think about it.

Christine> I don’t want to think about what actually goes into it. You see it on those surgery shows, and it really grosses me out.

 MediaBlvd> Paris, would you ever date an ugly guy in real life?

Paris> Yeah, I have before. I’m not going to say who because I feel bad. It was a couple years ago.

MediaBlvd> What do you look for in a man?

Paris> Just someone who can make me laugh, who’s sweet, who’s fun to be around and who’s honest.

MediaBlvd> What turns you off about a man?

Paris> Just if someone’s at dinner and they’re rude to a waiter. I really get angry about that. Or, people who lie or brag. Just guys who have a bad attitude.

MediaBlvd> Has an old friend from school ever looked you up?

Paris> Oh, yeah, there have been a lot of them on My Space and Facebook, who have written me from back in nursery school or kindergarten.

MediaBlvd> Do you remember them at all?

Paris> Yeah, of course.                                  

MediaBlvd> There’s a joke in the movie about the stalker guy. Paris, have you had experience with that in real life?

Paris> I’ve had some major stalkers, so I was thinking of one person, when we were doing the movie.

MediaBlvd> What did that stalker do?

Paris> He showed up to my house and slept outside for two weeks. He stole our cat and then pretended to give it back. He did the weirdest things.

MediaBlvd> What’s the greatest pick-up line either of you two have ever heard?

Paris> A lot of guys will come up to me and try to be cool and say, “Hi, what’s your name?” I’ll say “It’s Deborah,” and they’ll say, “Oh, really?,” and they’ll just keep talking to me, pretending that they don’t know who I am.

Christine> The worst is someone coming up to me and saying, “Oh, I saw you on TGIF on Friday night. Caught your Step by Step re-runs.” That’s very weird. I don’t really know what to think about that. “Thank you, I guess. Are you hitting on me? Wait, you watched me as a kid? Did you think I was hot as a kid?” It’s all very confusing.

MediaBlvd> Paris, if the roles were switched, would you have still taken on the movie?

Christine> I would.

Christine Lakin at the premiere of "The Hottie and The Nottie" held at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. on February 4, 2008.

Christine> It’s very liberating, once you get past the embarrassment.

MediaBlvd> Paris, since you’re working with a coach, is your acting career something that you want to expand into more dramatic roles, in order to get people to take you seriously?

Paris> Yeah, definitely. I just did a movie, called Repo! The Genetic Opera, with Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed all the Saw films. Paul Sorvino plays my father, and Sarah Brightman plays my nemesis. It’s a musical horror film. And, I’m never blond in the movie at all. I always have different hair and different eyes. In every scene, you can never tell it’s me. That was fun. It was great to get a role like that, and be given a chance. I’m just going to have to take on different roles and prove myself, in that way. Hottie was just a fun movie to do. It’s a really sweet, romantic comedy. And, my next movie is completely different. And then, I’m going to do a drama after that. I just need to do different roles, and do a good job.

MediaBlvd> Who do you play in Repo!?

Paris> I play Amber Sweet. She’s the daughter of the guy who owns the company, and she’s a little demented and crazy. She’s obsessed with plastic surgery and always changing the way she looks because she wants to get her father’s approval.

MediaBlvd> Do you sing in it?

Paris> Yeah, I sing in 12 songs.

MediaBlvd> Is there a character in a film that came out recently that you thought you might have liked to play that nobody would have thought of you for?

Paris> I loved the movie Juno. I thought that was pretty cute.

MediaBlvd> What do you enjoy most about acting? Paris> I love being on set. I just love meeting new people and experiencing it. I love being in front of the camera, and just being another character. It’s fun to escape from my real life.

MediaBlvd> Do either of you have any special plans for Valentine’s Day?

Paris> I’m single, so I don’t know. I’ll be in Las Vegas. I’m having my birthday at LAX in Vegas on the 15^th, so I’ll be there all that week for (the Fashion & Apparel Trade Show) MAGIC, for my clothing and shoe line.

MediaBlvd> Is Nicky going to have her clothing line there, too?

Paris> Yeah. We’re both going to be at MAGIC.

MediaBlvd> How many businesses do you have now?

Paris> I do clothing, perfume, books, shoes, purses, hair extensions, drinks and watches.

Christine> It’s a whole enterprise.

MediaBlvd> Do you just lend you name to those products, or are you involved in developing and designing them as well?

Paris> I develop everything. I design. I wouldn’t put my name on anything that I didn’t believe in.

MediaBlvd> So, do you wear your own perfume?

Paris> Yes. I have five fragrances, but I’m wearing Can Can today.

Christine> She gave the whole cast and crew, girls and boys, all of her fragrances. My boyfriend wears Heir. He loves it.

Paris> Good. I wear Heir sometimes, too.

MediaBlvd> How many dogs do you have now?

Paris> Seventeen.

MediaBlvd> Do they each have their own beds?

Paris> I built a little doggie mansion. It’s in my backyard. It’s a replica of my house. It has a chandelier, and the same stairwell and furniture. They all live there.

MediaBlvd> Do you have cats too?

Paris> I have four cats.

MediaBlvd> What’s the best advice you could give someone who just doesn’t get all the hype about you?

Paris> I’m just a sweet person with a big heart. I’m having the time of my life and I’m very happy. I just want to make people smile and bring some color into the world.