Cover Girl: Lindsay Lohan on LA Confidential

For someone who has so much going for her, it's a shame that actress and perennial party girl Lindsay Lohan ended up in trouble again last week. In any event, she graced the July cover of Los Angeles Confidential magazine and sat down to dish about her latest movie and being misunderstood.

LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL: You’ve been spending a lot of time out and about in New York. Is it good to be back East?
LINDSAY LOHAN: I love New York and being here… I haven’t seen my family enough, but it’s been a lot of fun.

LAC: Tell us about your role in I Know Who Killed Me.
LL: It’s the best film I could imagine being a part of. I play a girl who’s abducted by a serial killer; she’s an exotic dancer. It’s difficult to fully explain her without giving away the whole film. I had to learn to walk with a prosthetic leg… It’s my first really intense role. I was doing it when I was in treatment, so it was a lot.

LAC: Will your fans be shocked by the film?
LL: Yes, definitely.

LAC: She sounds like a very “adult” character. Did you deliberately choose a role that would contrast with the others you’re known for?
LL: I did in some ways… I always try and pick [a character] with an arc in the film. You don’t come across characters like this very often. I don’t expect people to relate to her, necessarily, but I wanted to give life to her. The script is just so incredible… I read it and it felt like The Silence of the Lambs, something I’ve always dreamed of finding.

LAC: What does a psychological thriller allow you to do as an actor?
LL: In this case, the things I go through are so dramatic… I do a lot of crying in scenes; at one point [my character] takes a bunch of pills. I didn’t know how to approach the challenge, so I just dove in. She experiences things I certainly hope to never go through in real life. I also get to dance in the film, which I love to do.

>LAC: Like stripping? Was that nerve-wracking?
LL: Leading up to it, I was a little shaky, but I had some friends on set and in the end I wasn’t nervous. Once I was in costume and really “in it,” the scene went great. It doesn’t come across as cheesy or gross, like, “Oh, she just wanted to take her clothes off.”

LAC: You’re coming off all the Georgia Rule hype…. How was that experience, acting alongside people like Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman?
LL: I’ve been really blessed—and I’ll say that forever—to work with these older women I respect, and who are always offering advice. I’m open to it, and really appreciate it.

LAC: How do you picture your career changing in the coming years? Is there a career you’d like to emulate?
LL: There are a lot of people I admire, of course… Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts. I love Madonna… but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and say I’ll have a career like someone else. That’s setting myself up for disappointment. I’ve got to just go with it and do what I do.

LAC: Congrats on topping the Maxim Hot 100 list…. As we speak, you’re getting ready to go to the party celebrating the issue. Do you think those nominations are fun or silly?
LL: I think it’s really cool. I’m genuinely flattered. My friends have been texting me, saying congratulations and blah blah blah…. It’s a lot of pressure, considering I haven’t been working out. I’ve just been going out and having fun.

LAC: You’re about to turn 21. Do you think some of the paparazzi hype that follows you will die down when you’re of legal age?
LL: I didn’t even think of that. I hope so, because it detracts from my acting. It really takes away from what I do. Look, I’m only human, and people try and find anything on me. I have a boyfriend now [British looker Calum Best] and pretty soon I’ll be going home to LA, so everything will hopefully change then when things are calmer. It’s so funny…. This week in New York has been like “go go go go,” and then it all suddenly is going to stop.

LAC: People scrutinize your every move, now more than ever. What do you think the fascination is?
LL: I’m honest… I live my life the way I want to live it, and don’t let other people get me down. I’m very strong-willed.

LAC: Does the attention put undue strain on your relationships?
LL: It’s funny…. Since I’m seeing someone right now, we’ve been talking about it. He’s about to go to London and I’m going to LA. If we were to talk about it and maybe get into an argument, [the press] would go crazy; they’ll dig up people we dated in the past…. Luckily he’s had experience with the media before. I’ve gone through this with guys who’ve never experienced that kind of pressure, and it’s tough.

LAC: When someone gets down on you in the press, how do you deal with it?
LL: I don’t really deal with it. I’ve learned that as much as you want to retaliate and say “It’s not true, I’m not really like that, things didn’t happen like that,” it’s better not to say anything, not to feed into the bullshit. Because when you don’t feed into it, it goes away much faster.

LAC: Do you think LA is a great town, or a hard town?
LL: I think it’s a hard town. Anywhere can be hard if you’ve been through difficult stuff in your life. When you carry that with you it can make anywhere a dark place. I do love LA; I think it’s great, though I consider myself so lucky that I get to travel and get away when I need to. The real hard thing about LA is that it’s all about one thing. Everyone always wants something. This industry is very lonely; I tend to get very lonely. When it’s a Sunday in LA, and there’s no one around, and you see no cars go by, it’s a challenge.

LAC: What are the traits you look for in people who really get close to you?
LL: Honesty and loyalty. The people who’ve been my friends for a long time will say, “Don’t hang around with this or that person, they don’t have your best interest at heart.” I tend to trust everyone too much at the beginning, because I don’t like to cut off ties that easily. I should probably learn to, but it’s just not something I’m able to do that well. I really appreciate someone who’s honest and caring, with a great sense of humor.

LAC: Is it a misconception when people characterize you as someone who loves to party, who’s out all night?
LL: The thing is, people do things and mess up. No one’s perfect; I’m human. I live by that, and I don’t judge people. Everyone judges me, so I know how it feels, which is why I don’t judge other people.

Photos from LA Confidential.