From White Rock to Hollywood: Jessica Lowndes

BCLiving catches up with Jessica Lowndes to talk about her upcoming projects, how she stays grounded and what she misses about Vancouver

Meet Jessica: she’s stunning, fearless, and from just down the street

Jessica Lowndes is best known for her role as Adrianna Tate-Duncan in the 2008 reboot of 90210, but the 27-year-old is also a singer/songwriter with her third album in the works. The B.C.-born performer is showing no signs of slowing down in the acting world, and has a dynamic mix of creative projects on the go.

The brunette beauty is refreshingly down-to-earth and exudes an infectious positivityit’s no wonder she has a combined following of one million between Instagram and Twitter, and has made People magazine’s list of 100 most beautiful people.

BCLiving caught up with Jessica to talk about her Vancouver roots, her favourite fashion trends, and her plans for the future.

 

BCL: You tend to play really complex characters, like Adrianna in 90210 and Bridgette in A Deadly Adoption. What is your process for getting into character before a shoot?
JL: I’m somebody who loves challenges. If I read a script and it scares me, it makes me want to do it that much more. I think that’s why I tend to gravitate towards things that are completely out of my comfort zone. I use a lot of substitutions, especially in emotional roles. I like to think of what makes a certain character tick, why a certain character is doing something, and why they’re reacting to something a certain way. You have to become the character but give a part of you as well. I was born in White Rock to an amazing family so it can be a challenge relating to these characters that are really dark, but it’s still fun.

BCL: You are also a singer/songwriter with a couple of albums under your belt. Have you thought about doing a Canadian tour anytime soon?
JL: I would love to. I have been playing music since I was five. My mom’s a piano teacher so I was raised in a super musical household and I am in the studio all week creating new material. I am really excited about the new stuff we are working on and can’t wait for everyone to hear it.

BCL: Your song Silicone in Stereo talks about how artificial the entertainment industry can be. Was that your initial experience when you moved to Los Angeles at age 16?
JL: When I first drove down, I didn’t know anyone and it was definitely a culture shock. There’s home footage of me as a kid saying I was going to move to Hollywood and be an actress and singer. For me, Silicone in Stereo was about setting myself apart and not being consumed by this world. I love what I do, but I am not defined by it.

BCL: What do you do to stay grounded?
JL: I have such an amazing family and whenever I need a break, I go home and spend time with the people that I love the most. My mom’s one of my best friends and I talk to her on the phone all the time. I feel like having that support system really helps keep me grounded.

BCL: Where are your favourite places to shop when you come to Vancouver?
JL: I love Robson Street. I was just up there filming a Christmas movie. Other than that, I love Yaletown, West 4th, Pacific Centre… I love it all. I just love to shop!

BCL: So you have a Christmas movie that is coming out soon. What other projects are you working on?
JL: I am in the show Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, which is airing in the next couple weeks and I am in a Christmas movie called A December Bride coming out on Hallmark on November 20th. I’m also launching a fashion fitness blog around November3rd with one of my best girlfriends. It’s going to be called ‘Dear Loco‘.

BCL: What was the inspiration behind the fitness blog?
JL: I wanted to do something that would help young women and make them feel beautiful. I wanted to build a community where people feel safe and could ask any questions they wanted.

I was at the airport not long ago flying to Vancouver and was having a tough dayI hadn’t gotten a job that I really wanted and was going through a breakup at the timeand this girl came up to me and gave me a fan letter. I read it on the plane and thought it was so amazing that she took the time out of her day to do that. So, I decided the blog is going to be all letters. Everyone can ask about their fashion, fitness, and beauty questions and then we answer it with pictures and videos, so it’s a more personalized thing. I just want to help young girls feel comfortable in their own skin because it’s so important and there’s not enough of that.

BCL: It sounds like you have a lot on the go!
JL: I do. In the next film I’m doing I’m playing an MMA fighter so I’m preparing for that (laughs). It starts filming in February so it’s going to take some intense training. I come from a really athletic familymy dad holds the teenage record for running across Canada.

BCL: Wow, he actually ran across Canada?
JL: Yes, he ran across Canada in 81 days. As a 14-year-old, for father-daughter bonding, him and I would go for a six-mile run and I thought that was totally normal. On Sundays, our favourite thing to do would be running the Seawall.

BCL: Any advice to your fans in Canada who are wanting to pursue a career in acting and want to follow in your footsteps?
JL: Go after your dreams and don’t give up, even when it’s tough. Just keep going towards what you love. The number one thing is to never give up because there’s going to be rejection, especially in this industry, so you have to just love it. It’s that fine line between caring more than anything and not caring at all, and knowing your life would be fine without it. It’s about pursuing your dreams and knowing giving up is not an option.

Click through for more of our interview with Jessica Lowndes…

A few of Jessica’s fave fall fashion trends (click through for more photos)

BCL: Any must-have beauty items for this fall?
JL: I went to Fashion Week a few weeks ago and was loving the floral trendI love rocking florals in fall. I’m also loving the pajama trend. I’m not brave enough to rock the top with the matching bottoms yet, but I’m loving how it’s acceptable to wear it out in public!

BCL: I know you love incorporating vintage lingerie into your outfits. Do you have a go-to place to get it?
JL: I just love lingerie in general. I don’t really care where it’s from. If it’s pretty and it makes me feel sexy. I love it!

BCL: Have you ever thought about developing your own lingerie or clothing line?
JL: That would be a dream of mine and with launching the fashion/ fitness blog, I’m excited to hopefully eventually do that with my girlfriend.

BCL: You’ve described your style as “feminine chic” and you love to rock vintage-inspired pieces. Do you have any personal style icons?
JL: Diane Kruger always looks amazing. She’s so classic and always takes fashion risks, but never goes overboard—it just works.

BCL: What do you miss most about living in Vancouver?
JL: Most of all I miss my family, but I do miss the seasons.

BCL: Do you miss the constant rain?
JL: (laughs) You know what? I do. There are days when I miss the rain. There will be days when I land in Vancouver and I’ll be filming or I’ll be with my family and everyone will be like “I’m so sorry that it’s raining,” and I’ll be like, “I actually love it!” It puts me in such a comfy mood.

BCL: What is your number one item for transitional seasonal dressing in Vancouver?
JL: After being in L.A. for so long, I feel like I’ve turned into a little bit of a wimp, so I always bring so many layers (laughs). I love being warm, so layers and a winter jacket is a mustpeacoats are my favouiteand lots of scarves! I’m going to be in Whistler soon for my birthday so I’ll be needing all of that soon.

BCL: So I’m guessing you’re into skiing or snowboarding if you’re going to Whistler?
JL: Snowboarding. I grew up snowboarding. That’s the beauty of living in Vancouveryou’re like 30 minutes away from every mountain, so I was able to take snowboarding as an elective in school and every weekend I was able to do that as a kid.

BCL: What is one thing about you that your fans don’t know?
JL: I love to paintnot a lot of people know that. It’s a hobby of mine. It’s so fun for me and really therapeutic. I love just putting music on and painting either abstract or little canvaseswhatever strikes me at that moment.

Jessica with her dog, Fenway

Jessica models for a photo shoot

Jessica poses for an Instagram snap

Look for Jessica Lowndes in December Bride, premiering November 20th on the Hallmark Channel, and the TV series Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, premiering this December on Netflix.