I always did serious acting as a child. I’m capable of difficult roles: I gravitate towards serious and challenging material. Playing Marissa in The OC was a suspended time for me and for my development.

My sister went to St Paul’s Girls’ School, in London, and I have my moments when I’m sad I didn’t have that education too, but I love what I do and I’ve gone my own way. I just reinvented myself at, like, six years old.

When I first saw any paparazzi, I was freaked and was really mean to them: I’d never look at them, and would tell them to go away. That doesn’t work, so I’m nice now, and they are quite sweet. They open car doors, help with dog leashes and hand me my coffee.

LA’s nightlife isn’t interesting or fun. You don’t meet people from as many different walks of life as you do in New York or London.

I have Irish skin, and I go translucent white, but I would never use a tanning booth.

I recently did a skin-cancer awareness campaign aimed at The OC’s audience. Even though I am only 21, it’s nice to be a voice for people my age. It’s an easy thing to do and it helps to get people to think about it.

For the most part, I put my own looks together. I just flick through magazines, or notice stuff I like and call it in. I’m not a huge shopper.

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