Lindsay Lohan: Up Close and Personal

Redheads rule! (This writer is prejudiced...being one). 17-year-old actress/singer Lindsay Lohan was, at age three, the first child model with red hair and freckles chosen by the famous Ford modeling agency. Her titian tresses once bothered her but now she's workin' the look and it's hot. Lindsay is on a big roll that started in 1998 with her part as twins in the Parent Trap remake. Then, Freaky Friday and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen cemented her into the pantheon of teen goddesses. She can only move further up the ladder with her role as Cady, a home schooled teen targeted by a trio of Mean Girls.

When we met in Lindsay's 4 Seasons hotel room in Beverly Hills, the actress was casual in jeans and a vintage blue "University of Alberta" t-shirt made into a cute tube top. Her only jewelry was a honkin' big blue watch decorated with tons of silver and diamond bling. She had a great tan that semi-hid her freckles and her long, red/strawberry blonde locks were resting on her tanned shoulders. Okay, she's cute all right! We wish we looked that good in a tube top.

Lindsay kicked off her heels, hopped into a chair and curled her legs up under her for our quickie gurltalk session.

TeenHollywood: We're both redheads. Were you picked on or teased about being a redhead with freckles when you were a kid?

Lindsay: I hated my red hair. I only like it now because I love Ann Margret and she has red hair. My freckles were annoying though. I remember people making comments on my freckles because I had so many. Still do but now they have that Mystic Tan spray that makes you tan. Hello, my skin is so white! Like you can see it there (she spreads her fingers apart and, in the web of her hand lurks Lindsay's ultra white skin..a spot missed by the tanning spray).

TeenHollywood: But everyone was commenting on what a nice tan you have!

Lindsay: (beaming) Really? Cool!

TeenHollywood: Tina Fey (writer of Mean Girls) was saying that you are doing "Saturday Night Live" on May 1st. Are you getting a chance to create what you will do on the show or are they giving it to you?

Lindsay: I'm going to take what they give me and talk to them about it and work with them and just have fun with it. I know it will be stupid, fun and silly. They should do a Freaky Friday (skit).

TeenHollywood: Or maybe Parent Trap. You'll play your own twin again!

Lindsay: Now that would be funny!

TeenHollywood: Your mom was a New York Rockette and also worked with stocks on Wall Street.

Lindsay: Yeah. That's where she met my father.

TeenHollywood: So do you want to follow in her footsteps and be a performer who also handles the business part of your career?

Lindsay: Yeah. I want to have a production company. I want to produce films and I have great treatment ideas for scripts. I write stuff down all the time. At my age, I know that a lot of kids like the Olsen twins have this huge industry. I don't want to do clothes. I want to be known as an actress and even though I'm younger, I want to have my own business. Like I want to be able to produce t.v. shows. I have an idea for an MTV Reality show that I'm trying to do. I have to sit down and write the treatment but I have no patience. I don't need to be in it. I just want to produce it.

TeenHollywood: If you could pick anyone to sing with, who would it be?

Lindsay: (no hesitation) Prince. I love him. I think he's so cool. His music is amazing!

TeenHollywood: Who would you love to be able to be in a movie with? Either a guy or a girl.

Lindsay: Johnny Depp for the guy. I love him or like Anthony Hopkins and for girl, Jodie Foster or a Julia Roberts.

TeenHollywood: What qualities do you want in a guy you are going to date?

Lindsay: Funny, confident, loyal and caring. That's the perfect guy. I want a boyfriend where I can go out at night, be with my friends and not have to worry. If he's talking to another girl, I know he still likes me and we have that kind of connection. I don't have to worry and he can talk to whoever. That's why I can wait until I have a serious boyfriend.

TeenHollywood: Like your character Cady in Mean Girls, did you ever run with a crowd and then think suddenly, 'this isn't really the group for me'?

Lindsay: When I was younger my best friend and I started hanging out with these girls who were into...they were kind of like The Plastics. They wore jeans, boots and Juicy or a colored cardigan every day. It was very "Clueless". Oh, and a cool bag, a Kate Spade bag. Kate Spade bags were huge. I was about in seventh and eighth grade and I got my first Kate Spade bag and I was like 'oh my God, this is sooo cool'. Then I came home one day and I was really nasty to my mom and my mom was like 'what's wrong with you? You're changing. You're acting different and I don't like it'. I just broke down and got very upset.

TeenHollywood: Very much like the character in the movie.

Lindsay: Oh totally. I don't tell a lot of people that. (We go on about how everybody gets in with the wrong crowd at one time or another).

TeenHollywood: What was the most important advice you were ever given and who gave it to you?

Lindsay: In life my parents have always told me just to be thankful for everything and surround myself with good people and I've always just said 'live life to its fullest' because you only live once. That's what I would say. No matter what people say about you, just don't get involved in the drama.

TeenHollywood: Do you still keep in touch with Jamie Lee Curtis?

Lindsay: Oh yeah. We call each other a bunch of times.

TeenHollywood: So she's sort of like a fun mom type figure for you?

Lindsay: She is. She's a great person and I love her to death. She's really sweet to me.

TeenHollywood: What if you had to choose between your singing and acting?

Lindsay: I don't know if I would choose. I'd just make both of them work.

TeenHollywood: You don't sing in this movie. Did it just not fit the character?

Lindsay: I sang in other movies for my character and I also did it so, subconsciously, people could accept me as a singer. I've been working with Diane Warren and Randy Jackson on demos.

TeenHollywood: Will there be an album out soon?

Lindsay: Eventually. I'm kind of thinking of just putting an album out and not being with a label, just with Randy and Diane.

TeenHollywood: Do you have a message for teens who look up to you?

Lindsay: (getting all serious) Don't read the tabloids! What you read is not true. I have a younger sister and I don't want her reading that stuff. Don't read it. They make up stuff about me and I know what they're making up next. I'm a 17-year-old girl. I'll be 18 in 75 days. If I go out and stuff, I've grown up faster than a lot of people. I'm just being my age and a lot of people say I'm doing stupid things and am drunk and stuff like that but I don't drink and do that. I just want girls to know that.

TeenHollywood: Birthday plans?

Lindsay: Yeah out here (in L.A.). I'm throwing the party.

TeenHollywood: And that catfight stuff with Hilary Duff is all bull?

Lindsay: Totally. Right.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.