CosmoGirl: When did you know you wanted to be an actress?

Shantel VanSanten: Despite my mother saying I have been destined to be an actress my whole life, I remember being the kid who grew up not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. I went from thinking I wanted to be a nun at one point, to going to college for journalism! I was involved in the arts and theater from early on, but it wasn’t until I took an acting class when I was 17 that I realized how passionate I felt about it. When I got the chance to start smaller acting jobs I realized this is what I wanted to do. I still have to pinch myself and be thankful that I get the chance to make a living doing what I love.

CG: What was it like joining the cast of One Tree Hill this season as the “new girl” on the set?

SV: I was so nervous when I started OTH because, with it being their 7th season, they had all worked together forever and were a family. Not to mention two of the show’s core characters were now gone. I wanted to come in and bring ME to the table and what I am about to Quinn. Robert Buckley (Clay) and myself really bonded because we were the two “newbies.” But instantly we were both welcomed and a part of the OTH family. Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley) and I spent a lot of time together because we play sisters and we have such an amazing relationship now that I am really grateful for! I also got to work with Jackson Brundage (Jamie). I’m a child at heart so we were always playing pranks or joking. We shoot the show in Wilmington, NC and it’s a small town. Everywhere you go you get to see cast and crew out and about all the time. I left feeling like I had officially joined the OTH family!

CG: Your character Quinn has two sisters. Do you have siblings that helped you relate?

SV: I have a sister who is 18 and a brother who is 17. I’m very close to them. I have two best friends for life in them and they love helping me run lines or reading scripts with me! Family is the most important aspect of my life and I pull so much of Quinn’s relationship with Haley from my sisters and mine. We have lots of inside jokes and things we do that Joy and I put into scenes sometimes!

CG: What were you like in high school — did you go to your prom?

SV: I went to an all-girls school with 43 people in my class so dances were small. I always went with girlfriends or a blind date. I had a real date for my prom and he was shocked that we chose our prom queen out of a hat. Everyone who wanted to be queen wrote down their name and you hoped they pulled yours! I always loved dressing up and because we wore uniforms to school, the dance let us express ourselves through fashion!

CG: Who are your fashion inspirations?

SV: I draw from a lot of people like Heidi Klum, Kate Hudson and Rachel Bilson. I think they add their own individuality into what is “hot” at the moment. My style is dependent on my moods so I feel like it’s all over the place. I love anything embellished and a good pair of jeans is a MUST!

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We called the actress at her home in Los Angeles, just before she was leaving to take another cast member, 9-year-old Jackson Brundage (Jamie Scott), to a screening of “How To Train Your Dragon.”

She talked about her time on set, how life brought her to Wilmington and what might be next on her list of life accomplishments.

Q: I talked to Robert Buckley (Clay) when he first came aboard “One Tree Hill” and he talked about what an easy transition he had adjusting to the cast and crew. Did you have a pretty easy transition period, too?

A: I did. I was so nervous when we first started. It’s pretty overwhelming to join a cast that has been doing it for six years previous to when you joined. And it wasn’t like we came on as guest stars … But my first day on set was the day we shot all of the cake fight stuff, and I got to put Jackson’s face in the cake and Joy and I got to smash cake in each other’s hair. So it was a really good ice breaker and fun first day to shoot. … And everybody was so welcoming. I think that shooting it in Wilmington helps that. Everybody’s so close, you know. Everybody does dinners together and sees each other.

Q: And now that you’ve been back in L.A. for awhile, what do you miss about Wilmington?

A: (laughs) You know, I miss not having traffic. I’m here and it takes me like an hour to go 13 miles. … I also miss the camaraderie of being on a set and with those people. I’m actually taking Jackson to a movie in a little bit. After I get off the phone with you I’m going to go pick him up. It was something we always did while I was there and I miss him.

Q: In addition to your new colleagues, you also have this new character. What do you think about your character, Quinn James, and what do you think about her relationship with Clay?

A: Starting off, it was weird because I didn’t know anything about Quinn and neither did the audience. So it was kind of like finding my own way to understanding who Quinn was and what she was about and where her storylines would go. And it kind of started off in a weird place in her life, I think, for everybody and the audience, because she was separated and then decided she wanted to go through with a divorce. It wasn’t like you picked up on Haley’s sister in this great happy place. … I feel so blessed that I got to go on this roller coaster ride with Quinn and learn how she would deal with things and who she is at her core…

Q: You got to do the cake/food-fight scene. And you got to do a real fight that ended up in a pool, you had your hair crimped for the ‘80s episode, you had a really weird cheerleader try-out episode. When you got involved with this job, did you think you would have that much excitement on set? And what do you think they’ll have Quinn do next?

A: You know, I can only hope that I get to keep exploring that fun dorky side of her. I definitely never think that ‘dork’ is a bad thing. I think it’s that childlike, whimsical side of her spirit. … Quinn’s supposed to be older but Haley’s way more mature, I think it’s because Quinn’s always had that childlike spirit like, ‘Oh, everything’s going to work out.’ But I love those scenes. I love those scenes where I get to be goofy and fun.

And, you know, when we did that dance sequence, I was so nervous. I mean, I was shaking. I don’t like dancing in front of people, ever, in real life. …But it was like two hours of improving dorky dance moves or things that I thought were funny. And I was thinking, ‘What if nobody thinks I’m funny? I’m not a good dancer, I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ I had been in a couple of episodes and I felt comfortable around the crew and everybody and, I don’t know, I just kind of went for it.

Q: You were a model for quite awhile before you became an actress and now you play a photographer on “One Tree Hill.” Did the modeling part of your life help with that?

A: Yeah. … And I think that for the episode where I actually shot Alex (Jana Kramer)… was fun because she hadn’t done a whole lot of modeling, so she was like, ‘You have to tell me how should I pose.’ That part was funny to me, to be behind the camera, but I’ve always enjoyed being behind the camera and behind the scenes. .. I actually dreamed of being a photojournalist and it’s what I was going to college for and I wanted to travel the world and find things that people necessarily didn’t know about in other countries, or issues and problems, and write about them.

Q: The last episode may or may not be coming up in May. If it doesn’t come back, what will you miss most?

A: I’ll miss everybody. I can’t even talk about it because it always makes me cry. The crew was so, so amazing. …I feel like high school ended and you don’t know what’s going to happen. So I think that it’s a family that I found within “One Tree Hill” and it’s something that will be with me forever, like nothing I’ve ever found on any other set. I’ll miss all those relationships.

Q: Do you have any other projects in the works?

A: I do. There’s about two movies. But we have to wait and see if we have another season. There’s just stuff that’s waiting in limbo like everything else. And if they don’t go, it’s back to the feature film world.

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Photo Shoots > Miscellaneous

Shantel VanSanten, who plays bohemian photog, Quinn James on the hit CW series, One Tree Hill, has something major in common with her character. “I’ve always wanted to be a photojournalist and travel as much as I could,” she says. “That’s just one of the similarities I see between Quinn and myself.” The bubbly actress—who you may remember from her role as Lori Milligan in the 2009 movie, Final Destination 3D (185.7 million worldwide)—talked to Kidult about her work on OTH, and dished about the final four episodes of the season.

Where were you raised?

I was born in Minnesota in a town that had like 1,000 people. I was raised there, and in Houston, Texas, which is a lot bigger. I had the best of both worlds.

Did you belong to any cliques in high school?

I went to an all-girls Catholic school, and we had a small class of 48 people—so we didn’t have cliques. It was cool going to a small school because I didn’t have the influence of boys or peer pressure. I was able to figure out what I loved doing without being super judged. I was president of the Glee club, and the Art club.

What was your favorite subject in school?

Recess! [Laughs]. No, probably art. Painting and drawing were better than math!

When did you realize that you wanted to become an actor?

It’s funny because a lot of people knew what they wanted to be when they were five. I don’t think I ever really knew. At one point I wanted to be a nun. I wanted to become a journalist. It was always changing as I explored new things. I took an acting class when I was 16 and even though I had always done theater in school and I liked doing it, I never realized how much I loved it until I took that class. I kept taking classes and started booking commercials here and there, and when I moved out to LA, I saw that I could make a career out of it. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I’m thankful for the fact that I get to do what I love.

When does One Tree Hill return from hiatus?

April 26!

What can you tell us about the first new episode back?

A lot happens. Quinn’s mother has passed away and she has a lot to deal with. She’s also going to be opening up her gallery. That’s something her mom was passionate about her doing, and she pushed Quinn to do. The episode picks up at the art gallery opening and everyone’s there. There’s going to be lots of drama!

One Tree Hill has some of the most devoted fans of any show on TV. Have you enjoyed having such devoted fans?

It’s cool because I’ve never experienced it before. It has such a huge fan base all over the world. They follow the show and have opinions and it’s nice to listen to them. Final Destination had a following because there were movies previous to it, but I’ve never had anything like this. I’ve never had to experience people making Facebook pages pretending to be me, or hacking into my email. I’m still shocked. I’m like, ‘why would you ever want to pretend to be me?’ I don’t understand.

What’s it like playing the love interest of heartthrob Robert Buckley?

Amazing! He’s my best friend in the whole entire world! We instantly connected because I feel like, in another life, I was a boy. It’s the coolest relationship to work with someone I really love—not on a relationship level—but more like he’s a good person and he’s my best friend. We have great chemistry too, which comes forth on screen.

Speaking of Robert Buckley, do you think Quinn and his character; Clay will get their happy ending?

It’s going to be rough because Katie’s back and she’s one of the craziest people we’ve ever had on the show.

Your character Quinn has to go through a lot of emotional drama. Have you enjoyed playing that role?

I’ve gotten so lucky with the writing because I’ve had episodes where I’ve struggled with my divorce and then I found my love for Clay and had the fun in love episodes. Then there were the episodes where my mom got sick. So it has been a roller coaster, but I’m happy that I get to do these things because I think people relate to that.

Some people are saying this 7th season could be the final season. Is that true?

We’re all sitting and waiting in limbo. I’m hoping the fans get the kind of closure they need and want from a show they’ve followed forever.

If the show does return for another season, what kinds of things would you like to see happen to your character?

I love exploring her fun, goofy side—like when I was able to do the crazy dance in the mid-season finale. I feel like we all have our down times, but I want her to do more fun things.

If you weren’t an actress, what would you be?

I’ve always wanted to be a photojournalist and travel as much as I could.

Just like your character!

Yeah! It’s funny—that was one of the similarities I saw between Quinn and myself.

What career advice do you have for your teen fans?

I have found that I’ve always had to follow my heart. Whatever I thought at a moment that I wanted to do or try, I went after it. It’s OK to fail and mess up because in those moments I learned the most. There is room for improvement and room to learn something. It’s about following your heart, and learning from your failures.

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Seriously, how could you not be impressed when someone shows up looking like that? The former model (she’s a mix of Dutch and Norwegian) was in town for auditions and, of course, Fashion Week! Shantel stays in corset-worthy shape by mixing personal training sessions with pilates four to five times a week. That way, she can still indulge on her favorite dinner–Mexican!

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Us: So this is your first time at the tents?
SV: It is! I’ve always always been working in Russia or New Orleans or somewhere so I’ve never been able to make it before. I’m excited.

Us: What are some of your favorite looks?
SV: I love that all of Alice + Olivia’s clothes have such a youthful spirit. I love the funky to feminine aspect of Jill Stuart. I went to DVF, and the clothes were incredible. I kept saying that’s my favorite and then something else would walk by and that’d be my favorite.

Us: How would you describe your personal style?
SV: It changes day to day. Sometimes I wake up and feel punk rock, like I’m in a band. I am always all over the map.

Us: Whose style do you love?
SV: Kate Hudson is my style icon.

Us: Your One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush is a huge supporter of fashion week. Do you guys talk fashion on set?
SV: We do. I actually gave her a pair of Omelle shoes that she wore to the Alice + Olivia event the other night.

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What was your background before acting?

Shantel – I was a model. That was before I discovered how awesome hamburgers were!(laughs) I modeled from the time I was 15 until I was 20. When I moved out to LA I kind of stopped. That whole world is way more toxic than they need it to be in Los Angeles. But when I lived in Texas it’s you know what kept me up float ,and kept me in acting classes, and helped. I was really fortunate to be able to model for the time being.

How did you make the transition from modeling to acting?

Shantel – I actually had an agency in Texas that told me you should take a few commercial classes or some theater classes, and I’d been in theater before but you know never had like this huge character role to play. And so I started taking these acting classes and I just fell in love and I never knew that I could make like a career out of it or this is something I can do for the rest of my life. I always felt like this is fun and it was great. I was in college at the time and you know I wanted to be a journalist. I was going to school to do that, and then it just kind of all fell into place for me. And there’s days I wake up and I feel like I have to pinch myself because I can’t believe I get to do this for a career.

You said you wanted to be a journalist, is that what you would be doing if you weren’t acting?

Shantel – I was going to school for photojournalism. I thought that I wanted to travel to foreign countries, and my problem was that I only really wanted to write about things that I truly cared about. And I thought I wanted to travel where there’s like foreign crisis’s and make people aware of it. So that was something that was kind of where my life was headed I guess.

It’s funny when I was in the eighth grade my mom told me that she still saved a paper I wrote for like a graduation I guess, like where do you wanna be when you grow up, and I wrote this huge long paper about how I had no idea what I was gonna do with my life, no idea what I was gonna be, but that I wanted to make a difference and touch even if it was like one person’s life. Like inspire them and it’s cool because there’s times when I feel like what I do really can reach people and does reach people. And being on a television show and having so many fans is something that I’ve never experienced before and it’s really neat when they come up to you and are like you know that storyline is amazing and really happened to me and really spoke to me in my life, and it’s really cool. I really enjoy it.

One Tree Hill is known for having the most fans visit Wilmington just for a chance to meet the cast.

Shantel – Yeah there’s tons and tons of them here that are always on set so it’s neat to have them come visit us.

You’re more than half way through the season now, what has your One Tree Hill experience and journey been like so far?

Shantel – It’s amazing. You know coming from a film background you know you’re on movies for like three, four months tops, and then you’re done with it. You always know going into a movie, okay what’s my character going to be doing, what’s ahead for me. I was definitely really nervous and apprehensive about being on TV and not knowing what my character was going to do and the choices that she would make and you kind of have to like grow into the skin of your character. At first I was really unsure of who Quinn was and it worked out well that Quinn was definitely unsure of where her life was when I came on the show, you know where she was in her marriage and her career. So it was good I guess that I could share that feeling with my character and I definitely think that she’s grown and I’ve grown and I definitely understand more about Quinn every time I do an episode.

What appealed to you most about the role of Quinn?

Shantel – I’m a pretty complex person I like to believe and I feel like I’ve had a lot of life experiences and things that I can really bring to Quinn. She has like a very artsy side that I feel like you know being an artist of whether you know being an actress or a musician or a painter or writer, it all uses that same side of your brain and I felt like I really connected with the artistic standpoint of her life and you know the uncertainty of where your career goes by being an entrepreneur. I really connected to that part. I’ve never been married so I couldn’t necessarily connect to that part but you know I’ve been in relationships before so. There’s always challenges when it comes to playing characters, they’re not always going to be exactly the way your life has been but it’s fun to bring my life to things that Quinn has in her life . It definitely has been a little bit of a challenge sometimes.

Do you think that many viewers can relate to Quinn, in that they’re trying to figure out who they are in their 20’s, etc?

Shantel – I know it’s difficult too because maybe a lot of viewers don’t always agree and maybe I don’t necessarily always agree with you know the choices that Quinn makes, but I think it is when you’re in your 20’s, that’s the hardest time. You know it’s been the hardest time for me in my life too, just figuring everything out, the way that you feel, who do you love and sometimes we make choices and they’re not always going to be right you know. I think that it’s important to know that it’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to make wrong choices and that you probably will learn more from those wrong choices about yourself then you could if you’ve made right choices your whole life.

What’s your take on Quinn being married and dating clay?

Shantel – Well you know it’s funny because whenever we film episodes I always have to ask like how much time has passed between the last episode because sometimes it’s a week, sometimes it’s just a continuation, sometimes it’s three weeks…so for me it’s always interesting. I know it’s something that everybody has struggled with I guess about Quinn and it’s not necessarily a choice that maybe I would’ve made for my own life but then again I think sometimes you find yourself in circumstances where you know you follow your heart and it’s not going to make sense to anybody else. But you know Quinn struggled with her relationship and her marriage previous to ever being on the show and coming into the show and not knowing a lot about my background or my character’s background is I think something that maybe everybody struggles with. But I think I understand like what path that she’s on. You know she is confused and there’s a lot of resolution in the next few episodes.

What’s your opinion on Clay and Quinn and where they’re headed?

Shantel – You know we’ve both exposed to each other our pasts and our pasts are messy. I’m going through a divorce and his wife has passed away so I think we both come from knowing what love can feel like and are very understanding of our friendship, but that there’s something more for us. There’s definitely gonna be some ups and downs and somethings that we have to go through if we take the relationship further. I think it’s important to remember that Quinn and Clay started out friends, they didn’t just start dating…they started out by telling each other about their lives and not just jumping into bed together

I think sometimes that’s how the best relationships start. Like the best friendships, from those friendships they can grow into some of the best relationships, boyfriends and girlfriends you can ever have in your life because they were there for you in like the most important times.

Who would you like to work with or have Quinn interact with more?

Shantel – Well I love working with Jackson, anytime that I can work with him is amazing. It always brings new energy being around kids. I feel like Quinn has such an old soul but is so young at heart and so many people are like how in the world is she older than Haley but she doesn’t have her life together? But that’s just Quinn. Quinn has a very playful, child like spirit sometimes and I think that it really comes out when I get to have scenes with Jackson.

What would you like to see happen with Quinn in the future of the show?

Shantel – I would like to see for me, have everybody see where her passion really lies. Instead of just talking about being a photographer, really exploring that and people being able to share what really defines her besides relationships or relationships with her family.

Just things that make her who she is that way people can understand what she’s passionate about in her life, what her dreams are as well besides just going after a relationship or spending time with her sister which is really important, but just to like get to know Quinn on every level.

Did you have fun with the cheer-leading scene? And was that scripted or was that all you?

Shantel – (laughs)I feel like in the beginning of the season we started off on a really odd note for Quinn because I come back to Tree Hill struggling and confused. That’s where we picked up on Quinn and you don’t get to see that funny, goofy side. That scene was for sure hands down my favorite scene probably I’ve ever done. We filmed for four or five hours and I actually worked that week with a dancer, like a trainer who trained me. She trained me for like three to four hours a day and I learned this whole crazy awesome regime and I had it down and I get to set and they’re like no throw that out the window you have to be absolutely horrible and make up stuff and do different things every take..so it was quite exhausting. Actually the snow angel move that I did came from me being exhausted and laying on the floor doing a snow angel cause I didn’t know what else to do(laughs) but it definitely was fun and fun to see that side of Quinn, being in love and being happy and being goofy. And I definitely am in real life and I know a lot of people can probably relate to that.

You were immediately thrust into working with two of the show’s lead characters, what has that been like working so much with Bethany Joy Galeotti and James Lafferty?

Shantel – It was definitely intimidating you know coming in and they’ve been here for six years doing this they’re pros at it. It was like summer camp we all came in and super happy and exciting, and I was extremely nervous the first day on set. But you know it was kind of a good breaker the very first day we ever shot was the cake fight. Fun with lots of energy. Joy and I kind of just instantly bonded. I feel like there’s a lot about our lives that we’ve really been able to connect on. She has never had a sister, I have a sister so it’s kind of like just telling her stories about my own life and my own experiences, we’ve become really close. And James is amazing too. I feel like I’ve really lucked out that I’ve kind of really built a family with those people and I’m really close with Jackson as well and you know the people that I get to work with. I’m really blessed that we all get along and we like each other. You know there’ll be days when we’re having a hard day and Joy and I can just go sit and cry and it’s okay. I feel like it’s not only a friend but somebody who’s like a sister to me here.

How has playing the role of Quinn allowed you to grow as an actress?

Shantel – I think for me it’s really a journey. When I’ve selected movie roles I knew what I was getting into and I would discover things along the way about myself, but I feel like I’ve discovered things about Quinn within myself instead of the other way around..you know like strength. I think she probably has more strength than I do in my own life. It’s different things that I admire. There’s certain things that have happened to Quinn and to me. I know that there’s this upcoming speech that really spoke to me as a person and I felt like I really wish that I felt that way about myself more. Every character you’re given as an actress I feel you grow from and if you don’t grow from it then you don’t love what you do because I feel like it’s just like your own life, you can’t not grow.

What is your dream or ideal role to play in the future?

Shantel – I would love to play in like a war movie or a period piece. There’s so many periods I would love to play in. Even World War II movies, I’m in love with war movies. I would love to play in one.

If you could go back in time and spend a day in the life of anyone from history who would it be and why?

Shantel – I think for me I would want to spend a day in the life of my great grandmother. She’s probably the most phenomenal person that I’ve ever had the chance to get to know. She was really like source of inspiration. She lived till she was like 103 and we were always really close. She lived through everything and she experienced everything. I think I was like in ninth grade when she passed away so I felt like I really got to retain the values and the morales she shared with my grandmother who shared with my mom. I feel like so much of her I can see in both of them. I would just love to go back and just live a day in her shoes cause it wasn’t always easy and she somehow raised incredible children and I feel like it’s been passed down to me.

Is there anything you would like to promote, any upcoming projects?

Shantel – Well I believe that officially Mike Grubs, his band is wakeywakey, his CD comes out February 2nd and they’re incredible. I’ve seen them live in New York now twice and I actually just wanna tell everybody that they have to get his CD when it gets released. He’s such a cool person and such a cool artist. And I completely admire anybody who’s a musician cause I don’t have the guts to do that.

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TVGuide.com: What was it like joining an established show?
Shantel VanSanten: I came in so nervous because I had actually never watched an episode so I was really overwhelmed. In Episode 1, we shot a big cake fight scene, and… I was like, “This is going to be great.” I love working with Joy [Galeotti], she’s incredible and really understanding if I don’t know a certain storyline, or if I don’t know what happened in her life previously.

TVGuide.com: Are David and Taylor really together?
VanSanten: They’re together. We have a huge dinner that they cook for us in [Monday's] episode, and there’s a lot of underlying issues that come out between Haley and Taylor, and myself and Taylor. It comes to a head and ends in a pool. Quinn knows she’s made mistakes in her past, and I know a lot of people resent [her] for the way that she’s handled the whole thing. It’s hard because we picked up at the very end when she was separated from [David], when they completely fell out of love with each other. She didn’t just jump into bed with Clay; they really leaned on each other when they were going through a hard time and ended up falling in love.

TVGuide.com: Do you think Quinn and Clay have a shot at lasting?
VanSanten: There are going to be a few road bumps coming up. We both know what’s happened prior to each other… [and] having that bond and that friendship is something that is really important. It didn’t start out like, “Hey we hooked up we should be in a relationship.” It was like, “Hey we’re friends and it grew into something.” So I’m hoping it does [last]. He’s my best friend forever, and it’s awesome working with him.

TVGuide.com: So what else is ahead for the James sisters?
VanSanten: We’re reuniting some parts of the family — our mom and some of our brothers and sisters — we didn’t necessarily know we had before. We have a really big family. My mom [played by Bess Armstrong] comes in town for a big visit, and Taylor obviously comes back. So there’s a lot of family stuff going on. I came in and added one layer to seeing a different side to who Haley is, and the way we interact as sisters. With Taylor coming in, that’s a horse of a different color. Sometimes you have family that you have to love because they’re family, but you don’t always have to like the decisions that they make.

TVGuide.com: Which James sister are you most like in real life?
VanSanten: I’m a lot like Quinn. She has such a young spirit, but I think her soul at the very core [is] older. I completely relate to the fact that she’s an artist — that unpredictable life, making yourself vulnerable.

TVGuide.com: What can you tell me about the ’80s episode coming up?
VanSanten: The episode takes place in a big benefit dance that Haley and I are doing for our high school. We all got the script, and instantly I’m like, “I’m crimping my hair.” It was a blast and … in episodes like that you get away from the drama a bit more and you can play something totally different. It was a lot of makeup and a lot of hair, though. After five days I was like, “OK I’m totally over this. There’s no way I could’ve done a whole period of my life like this.

TVGuide.com: What’s been the most fun about being on One Tree Hill?
VanSanten: I love working with Jackson [Brundage]. Those are the days I live for because he has so much life and energy and never stops going. [Also] the days we shoot on the beach. The beach is like an hour away from the real town, and it’s usually me and Bux [Buckley] out there. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

TVGuide.com: Tell me about Something Wicked, the movie you shot with Brittany Murphy before her death.
VanSanten: Brit passing which was pretty devastating for everybody. She was there for a few weeks shooting — she plays my sister-in-law. She had the most infectious personality and it was really great to work with her. I was completely shocked when I found out that she passed away. I don’t know what will happen to the movie, [but] I hope for her sake it comes out because I feel like as actresses, parts of our soul are always left on screen. Any piece that people can see of her and her life and her soul would be amazing.

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Can Clay and Quinn just hook up already?

Well, maybe they did. We’re still not sure what happened after the two drove off into the moonlight in last week’s One Tree Hill, but one thing’s for sure: Robert Buckley and Shantel VanSanten make a delicious duo.

As for a potential onscreen romance between the real-life BFFs, both remain tight-lipped.

“I can say with certainty that it will be messy,” teased Rob (who used to work on the hit canceled show Lipstick Jungle and, before that, behind the scenes here at E! News). “It’s a tough situation because I wouldn’t say Clay is all for a hookup, but he’s attracted to her.”

Shantel claimed to be in the dark, too: “Obviously, Clay and I get along, but Quinn is still married, so it will be interesting to see. I keep trying to get it out of Mark [Schwann], but he says he doesn’t know yet.”

Hmmm, well we know one person who is definitely not onboard with the tasty twosome pairing up…

Clay’s client, and Quinn’s bro-in-law, won’t be too thrilled about the two either. “Nathan (James Lafferty) makes it clear that he doesn’t want Clay anywhere near Quinn,” said Rob.

Hmm, why so serious about someone who seems to be a good friend to Nathan? Does Clay have something to hide? “We find out more about Clay’s past and how he got to Tree Hill,” Rob revealed. “There will be flashbacks, but a lot of it is happening in real time as well. You meet people from his past showing up, and it introduces a whole set of problems.”

Quinn has her own backstory, too, including expanding her photography career in Tree Hill. “I get introduced into the fashion world because some opportunities with Brooke’s new clothing line present themselves. It’s also cool to see the sister stuff you’ll find out about Haley.”

Back to the maybe-couple, Rob sums it up nicely: “The two have a unique relationship. Clay can put his guard down when he’s around Quinn. Whether that turns into a friendship or a romance that remains to be seen.”

And so we wait…

Source – You can tell Kristin your own opinions on the maybe-couple here!

Is Haley’s sister Quinn going to be a major part of his storyline?
RB: You know, Quinn’s the one person I think we’ve seen Clay let his guard down in front of. They’ve definitely started this relationship that is very unique and special. Are the two going to be part of each other’s lives? I think definitely, given what I’ve seen so far and what the viewers have seen so far. But which direction the writers are going to take it, whether it be a romance or just best friends that are there for each other — because they’re both in similar predicaments and they’re both going through really tough times so they’re kind of the touchstone for one another — that’s a tricky question.

Would you prefer to go one way or another?
RB: Speaking personally, I think it would be wonderful if they hooked up, because that would mean that I would get to spend all my days in the office flirting with Shantel VanSanten. Which to be honest, that’s not a bad way to make a buck. I could make a strong argument both ways. I think it could be fun to see Clay open up and actually let a girl in, because so far all we’ve seen is the playboy side of him, and I think it would be interesting to see what he’s like when he actually starts to fall for someone.

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Have you been watching the new season of One Tree Hill?! Even though Lucas and Peyton are gone, we couldn’t be more pumped about the show! We got the scoop on the newest season (and characters!) from newcomer Shantel VanSanten, who plays Haley’s emotional big sis Quinn. Read on to find out all about her character, what it’s like on set, and how cute little Jamie is on-screen and off. Spoiler alert: someone from the cast got a surprise proposal!

What was it like joining OTH this season?
I was really overwhelmed and nervous moving here. I come from more of a film background and I wasn’t quite as excited about TV because I don’t have as much control over knowing what happens to my character. But after educating myself about the show I was so excited. The cast is all great and welcoming.

So tell us about your character Quinn.
Quinn is Haley’s older sister. She comes back to Tree Hill because she’s really struggling with her marriage and her life and just in general finding inspiration for herself. She becomes a part of everyone’s world in Tree Hill, not just Haley’s.

Do you see similarities between Quinn and yourself?
Yeah, it’s the kind of show that I think everybody can relate to. There’s times when my life is almost paralleled to something Quinn was going through. But they’re all very normal struggles that different people find themselves in at different times in their life. I think that that’s the appeal of the show and why it’s done so well. It deals with very normal, real life problems.

Do you have a favorite part about playing Quinn?
The interactions with Jamie have been so much fun. I kind of play the not-so-conservative aunt to him. I’m the crazy aunt who comes in and kind of like lets him do whatever he wants, and Haley’s a lot more motherly. And in real life he’s such a good kid and actor, so that’s been really fun.

Is he as cute on-set as he is on-screen?
Yes! One day on set, the props department gave him my wedding ring to give to me. So he got down on one knee and proposed to me. And nobody will let it go. Rob Buckley and James are always like, “That little kid, he beat us all to the punch!”

So you play Haley’s sis (and best friend) on the show. Did you guys bond off-set to prepare for the role?
We spent a lot of time together over the very first few weeks just getting to know one another and really bonding and doing sister-like things. She doesn’t have any sisters and I have a sister I’m really close to, so just sharing stories and experiencing things together was a lot of fun.

Do you think that your relationship with your real sister is seen in Quinn and Haley’s relationship?
Oh yeah, definitely. It’s cool because Quinn’s a photographer and my sister’s going to school to be a photographer, so she was in the dark room the other day developing film and explaining to me what it was about. And it’s cool because it’s brought my real life sister and I closer together, even more than we already were.

Now you’ve done both movies and TV. Which do you prefer?
They’re two totally different worlds. When you shoot a movie you get a script and you know what’s going to happen. You create a character and it has a beginning, a middle and an end. But then there’s the aspect of TV that I love where my family gets to watch me once a week and I get to learn about a character and develop a character episode by episode and script by script. And it’s cool to be a part of that.

Is it very different without Lucas and Peyton in the storyline this season?
Of course. But I just think it’s breathing new life into the show. You have new people to follow, new characters with new lives that you get to all of a sudden be a part of. And I think that that energy’s good for a show that’s been around for a while.

So what’s up next for Quinn?
She’s obviously going to explore the confusion of her relationship and really bond with the people around her. And I don’t even know what decisions she’s going to make, but I think that with the confusion will come an opportunity for growth in other relationships as well. There are a lot of opportunities for her that I’m excited about.

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