Katerina Graham Interview -- JustJared.com Exclusive

Vampire Diaries Katerina Graham just sat down for an exclusive interview with JustJared.com. Here’s what the 20-year-old actress dished:

JJ: Hi, Katerina! How are you?

KG: Before we get started, I want to say I’m a really big fan of your blog and I go on it all the time – like an embarrassing amount of time – I hit up your site so the fact that I’m actually talking to you is a little surreal and very exciting. My publicist was telling me about all these other big interviews and he was, like, “Oh, and Just Jared” – I was, like, SHUT UP! SHUT UP! So thank you for taking the time to talk to me.

JJ: That’s flattering, thank you! And congratulations to you on all the Vampire Diaries success.

KG: Thank you! It’s a pretty surreal thing, to say the least. That kind of stuff doesn’t really happen to me so I’m just kind of taking it in. And I’m out here in Georgia, so there are no Vampire Diaries posters or anything like that. We’re pretty much sheltered – we’re just, like, “Oh, shooting a show” and we’re not feeling the magnitude of it.

JJ: You’re in Georgia right now?

KG: Yeah, I’m in Atlanta – well, I’m in midtown – my little bungalow in midtown.

JJ: Which episode are you shooting now?

KG: We’re in episode 108 (airing November 12). It’s called “History Repeating” and it’s a very heavy episode with Bonnie. I just want to stay in and focus, study my lines, break down my scenes and back story. So I’m going to stay home and be a vegetable. (laughs) Stay in and just stay on your site!

(Click inside to continue reading JustJared.com‘s interview with Katerina Graham…)

JJ: There seems to be a lot of females on the set and then there is Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley. How do the guys fit in with the girls on set?

KG: Oh, they’re one of us, honey! (laughs) I’m just joking! I’ll play nice. No, they’re good. They do their own thing – they’re older than us, so they definitely have a different kind of energy. They have a more mature kind of vibe about them. The girls and I, we’re all around the same age, so we go to the movies together and we do things like that together and sometimes they come out with us, but Ian has his life and Paul has his own. But it’s great – they treat us with respect. They come in and do their job.

JJ: Were you around when [photographer] Tyler Shields was doing that photo shoot and all those girls got arrested?

KG: I knew I’d be asked about this! Actually, they invited me but I had someone in from out of town that weekend. I ended up going ATVing and on Monday, I found out what happened and I was shocked.

But I’m playing Bonnie and she’s a very innocent person, but it’s so important that people know I’m not Bonnie. And honestly, if I got arrested and it happened to me, I’m an artist and a bit of an edgy person – I cuss – and I don’t give a f—. I would’ve put my face on my shirt and put “Free Kat” – I don’t take myself that seriously and I would be, like, yeah, it happened, so what? At least my headshot was fierce! I’m like that – I enjoy my life and things happen. You live and you learn and you move on.

But honestly, if I had been with them, I might be shocked that it happened, but because of my image or just how I am, I don’t think it would have affected me that much. I probably would’ve had a good laugh and forwarded my dad the picture and hear him freak out a little bit.

JJ: Tell us about your character, Kim, in The Roommate.

KG: She’s the best friend of Minka Kelly and Aly Michalka from Aly & AJ, who I love – she’s really awesome. She’s basically kind of a fly on the wall and very much possibly an audience’s perspective ’cause I don’t die in the film. Oops! Maybe I do! Too late. And just someone that’s very observant and seeing what’s going on and trying to figure out the strange things that are happening around the campus. It’s not a huge role – hopefully I’ll have bigger ones than that – but it was definitely cool that I could do and I loved working with Leighton Meester because she’s doing music, too, and we’re both on the CW and Aly did music, too, and she’s doing acting and we had a lot of long talks about the perils and the great things about it. I learned a lot working with them.

JJ: Have you heard Leighton’s new single “Somebody to Love“?

KG: It’s really good! I heard a lot of her album ’cause I’ve gone to the studio with her a few times and shoot, her album is sick. I cannot wait for it to come out. And at first, I was skeptical. Even though I’m an actor that’s doing music, I had no right to be skeptical of anyone else.

I’m so dedicated as an artist – when I’m not focusing on working on Bonnie or on set doing stuff for Bonnie, I’m doing music. I bought my own music equipment because no one would produce me – I’ll book my own shows, I’m very guerrilla style – anything. I’m how Kanye [West] was in the beginning. Everyone told him “you can’t do it” and I had to do it myself so I’m very skeptical about actors coming into the game and they’re famous and are, like, “hmm, maybe I’ll be a singer now!”

You know how hard it is to be an artist? And here I am, not famous and busting my a– and they’re just giving it to someone ’cause they’re on a show? But me hearing Leighton’s music, she completely took any skepticism away and I was, like, wow, this is going to be a great album! I would hear her and she would be recording and she can sing, she’s got style, there’s vibes behind this and I’m so excited for the music video for that song – I can’t wait.

JJ: Do you have any Halloween plans?

KG: Gay Pride is having this huge thing the weekend of, so I’m hosting Gay Pride November 1 and then I’m performing at Opera that night, which is hosted by Chris Coleman – he’s a huge promoter for different gay clubs out here.

And then I’m flying to L.A. on the 31st for Heidi Klum‘s Halloween party. I think I’m going to be a vampire! (laughs) A high-fashion vampire – super couture with a high collar – ridiculously over-the-top, fabulous, super-trendy vampire and just beat it over the head.

JJ: Thanks for the interview!!!

KG: Thank you! I love your site, I’m on it all the time! I think you’re amazing – I’m honored to be talking to you. It’s the coolest thing out of my week thus far.

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