How was this role different from others you've done?
I think just the fact that it's more dramatic. I liked getting to show a different side of me that maybe people haven't seen so far.


How was it kissing costar Oliver James – the heartthrob from What a Girl Wants?

It was a little awkward: I can only be on set for 10 and a half hours a day or else the union gets called and we get shut down or something, and we literally had seven minutes to shoot the scene. So everyone was running around with their heads cut off, and I was just a little bit nervous.


Was it tough doing the emotional scenes?
It's really hard to do a scene when everyone is trying to make sure that the light is good, and doing this or that. There were so many crying scenes in the movie that I tried to make some of them different instead of just bawling.


Speaking of making scenes ... What's up with you and rival Lindsay Lohan?

I mean, how long has this been going on for now, a year? It's just a joke now. It gets really hard sometimes for me to even try to be nice about it or try to keep my mouth shut about it because it's like, "What is she doing? I don't even know you. Leave me alone." She's left really nasty messages on my machine. I don't know how she got my number and it's annoying. It's negative energy that doesn't need to be around.


You seem pretty secure in your role as a teen star. Any interest in moving on to more mature roles?
This young fan base are the people that are going to grow up with you. After a while, though, the people aren't going to like you as much, the next thing will come along. I feel fine with what I'm doing right now and I don't think I have to change. But it depends, maybe I'll feel differently in a half-year or a year.


Have you felt any pressure to appeal to an older audience?

I feel the pressure, of course. Sometimes people will want me to wear something that I don't want to wear. I just don't really put up with it. If I don't feel comfortable, I won't do it.


What do you think of young people getting plastic surgery?
What I think is that the TV shows and stuff, I think that's wrong. Like (MTV's) I Want a Famous Face, that's disgusting. Like, what was that about? People have good reasons for things, though. If something is going to boost their self-esteem and is going to make them feel better about themselves, then I don't see a problem with it.


Do you think you'll get a facelift when you're 60?

Oh my God, totally. (Laughs) I don't know. Maybe my opinion will change at 60, though. I think that there's a problem with it at 16, but not at 60.


You recently went on tour with your older sister Haylie. Will you be working together again?
Yes. She actually helped me write a song called "Mr. James Dean" and a song called "Haters." Her own album comes out in February. She's so amazing. I think that a lot of people just have to give her a chance. They have to not think of her as my sister and think of her as like an artist because her album is going to be awesome. She writes all her own music.


What's next for you?

After this movie comes out, a movie called The Perfect Man comes out with Heather Locklear and Christopher Noth. It's like a mother-daughter relationship-type movie, and my album comes out on my birthday (Sept. 28), and I'm going to be touring in Japan, Australia and Hawaii for the month of October. But I'm taking November off and not doing anything.


Any birthday plans?
My sister is taking me and three of my friends to Cabo. Isn't that nice?