Establishes Herself as ’90210′s Resident Bad Girl

Most girls’ high school experiences don’t include an overdose on heroin, a stint in rehab, an HIV scare, and a teen pregnancy. 90210′s Adrianna Tate-Duncan, who’s played by Jessica Lowndes, is definitely having a unique ride.

iF Magazine found out firsthand that Lowndes is nothing like her television counterpart, except maybe for the fact that the two are both actresses. We caught up with her to get her perspective on the wildest resident of the CW’s most famous zip code:

iF MAGAZINE: Do you have a favorite episode?

JESSICA LOWNDES: I think that they’re all so different, because I go from being cracked out on drugs to being really mean and bitchy to being really sweet, so I like a lot of them. I think they’re all really good.

iF: Do you feel like your character goes through things that the others can’t really relate to?

LOWNDES: I think that my character has been on her own because she wants to keep her life a secret because she’s ashamed of it. So when she was going through the drug stuff, she kept to herself. She couldn’t relate to anybody else. She’s at a different maturity level. I think the pregnancy draws a lot of friendships closer because we deal with it in a very real and honest way. And I think that we’re showing the consequences of teen unprotected sex. That’s a real fear that all of the girls have.

iF: How do you feel about your character going that direction?

LOWNDES: I feel really fortunate, actually. I always feel fortunate that I’m able to play with such pressing issues of society. The drug stuff I have no personal experience with whatsoever, so it was a lot of work. I didn’t want to make a mockery of it. As an actress, my number one goal is to affect people. When I have people come up and say that they can relate to my character and don’t feel so alone, that’s the best thing I can ever do. I’ve gotten fan letters from actual recovering addicts, I’ve had fan letters from girls who have controlling mothers. I feel really fortunate. It’s a challenge.

iF: How do you think your character fits in with everybody else in the show?

LOWNDES: I think that in every group of friends, there’s that one person who’s a bit different. She’s living out a life that she’s been hiding for awhile. She’s paying the mortgage of her mother’s house and numbing all her pain with drugs. She’s pregnant. She’s going through a lot, but still has a really close relationship with Naomi.