American Beauties
By Dina Sansing
When Young Americans premieres in July,
you can bet that scandal and heartache won't be far behind. After stirring
things up on Dawson's Creek this spring, Will (Rodney Scott) headed off to
Rawley Academy, an all-male prep school in small-town New England. In the
opening episode of the new series, blue blood meets blue collar, and town
clashes with gown. Before tuning in, we wanted to get to know the newcomers who
make up the show's cast, so we asked them for their vital stats... and their
thoughts on love (none are currently in steady relationships.)
Kate
Bosworth
She plays: Bella Banks, a strong-willed townie.
Birthday: January 2; Capricorn.
Hometown: Born in Los Angeles; now lives
in Boston.
Her close pals: "I just love hanging
out with guys. I like girls, but sometimes they can be competitive, and I hate
that."
Thoughts on love: "The hardest thing
about dating is the first part when it's really awkward. Then you get over it,
and it's just fun to discover new things about each other."
Ian
Somerhalder
He plays: Hamilton Fleming, the loner son of Rawley Academy's dean.
Birthday: December 8; Sagittarius
Hometown: Covington, Louisiana
The early years: He moved to Europe at 17
to pursue a career in modeling.
Thoughts on love: "I'm constantly in
search of how or when you know it's right. Most of my friends are older, so I'm
always asking them, and they all say the same thing: 'You don't!'"
Katherine
Moennig
She plays: Attention-seeker Jake Pratt (she disguises herself as a guy to
attend boys-only Rawley.)
Birthday: December 29; Capricorn.
Hometown: Philadelphia.
Family ties: Her cousin Gwyneth Paltrow
won an Oscar for playing a girl disguised as a guy in Shakespeare in Love.
The early years: "I was a tomboy
growing up. All my friends were guys, and I'd get mad in the summer when they
would take their shirts off buy I couldn't."
Thoughts on love: "Honesty is
important. If someone isn't honest, you wonder what you did wrong. You think,
I'm not good enough."
Rodney
Scott
He plays: Will Krudski, a whip-smart local boy desperate to flee an
abusive, alcoholic father. To ensure he'll be accepted to Rawley, he cheats on
the entrance exam.
Birthday: February 17; Aquarius
Hometown: Ocean City, MD.
Favorite pastime: Reading biographies
(he's gone through more than 100).
Thoughts on love: "If you're not
going to trust someone, don't get into a relationship. It's pointless. Trust is
something I've really had to work on.
Mark
Famiglietti
He plays: Scout Calhoun, a confident kid from the right side of the
tracks who falls for the one person he can't have.
Birthday: September 26; Libra
Hometown: Clinton, CT.
Secret Talent: Writing screenplays (he's
completed several). "Most people do other things so that they can pay the
bills and act. I act so that I can write screenplays.
Thoughts on love: "Distance has been
a recurring problem for me. It's not out of sight, out of mind, but if you don't
see each other enough, you start living separate lives."
