It was great getting a chance to talk to The Hills‘ Whitney Port. Many know her as the voice of reason on the show, and even though I talked to her just days before tonight’s premiere, she was just as cool, calm and collected as she is on the show. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to her and there’s no better way to get ready for tonight’s show than checking out what she has to say about it.
Murtz Jaffer: Hey Whitney, it’s Murtz. How are you?
Whitney Port: Hey Murtz. Good, how are you.
MJ: Good. You were actually recently in my part of town for the season 2 finale.
WP: Where are you right now?
MJ: In Toronto.
WP: Ohhhhh. Yeah. We were there. It was so much fun!
MJ: Are you ready to get started?
WP: Yeah, I am ready!
MJ: How excited are you for the season 3 premiere?
WP: I am pretty excited. I am pretty excited only because I have no idea what’s going to be on it. I mean I see it, pretty much exactly when everybody else sees it.
MJ: Do they kind of prep you and tell you what they are going to show or is are you just going in blind when you are watching it?
WP: No, I pretty much go in blind. I mean, I try and pressure the producers to tell me what I say and what I do but they don’t really sort of give me any heads up.
MJ: Is that scary? I can only imagine that if you don’t know what’s going to happen, I guess your parents don’t know either.
WP: Yeah, well it’s a little scary but to be honest I try to stay more private so I know there’s not much they can use or much they can edit you know?
MJ: Last season you were more of a supporting character but this season, I kind of feel like it is going to be all about you You are graduating and you obviously got the job in New York. Do you think season 3 is really going to be The Whitney Show?
WP: I don’t think so at all. I think that it is probably going to be more “The Lauren & Heidi Fighting Show.” I think I’ll be sort of on the backburner.
MJ: Most people get nervous during any job interview, so I can’t even imagine what it must be liked having it taped. Do you ever get used to the cameras during the job interview, during your private conversations?
WP: You know what? I got really used to the cameras when I am with Lauren and when I am at Teen Vogue in LA but when I was in New York interviewing with Amy (Astley), I was like very very nervous because as you said, an interview is nerve-wracking on its own and then with three cameras in your face, it’s extremely nerve-wracking.
MJ: I kind of feel like you always get the bum deal with the cameras, like you got the cameras for the job interview. You had the cameras for the Good Morning America thing. I don’t know, they always seem to find you in nervous situations…
WP: (Laughs). I don’t know! Maybe I just can’t handle pressure! I don’t know how that is….
MJ: Can you tell me more about being a “fashion contributor?” What does the job entail?
WP: The job really entails a whole set of duties. It involves styling on photo shoots. Styling backstage at runway shows. A lot of the duties that I have now are a lot of the same interning duties as well. Basic assistant job.
MJ: So the job is still in California right? Even though the interview was in New York?
WP: Right. Yeah. I’m not ready to give up LA yet!
MJ: (Laughs). Yeah, ’cause you’d be giving up the show too I guess…
WP: I don’t know! I don’t know if they would follow me to New York. I have never really asked that.
MJ: Did you beat Emily out for it because apparently she is listed in Teen Vogue as the fashion contributor?
WP: I really don’t know to be honest. I don’t know how that happened. I haven’t spoken to Emily since that. I think that she’s doing just fine for herself in New York and I think she has a high-level job over there.
MJ: So I guess it really is true. You are really going to be Lauren’s boss this season?
WP: Yeah, I guess so. I mean I try not to think of myself in that way. But I do it in a more friendly manner more than a demanding manner.
MJ: Can you tell me what you think of Emily in general? What are you feelings on her?
WP: I thought Emily was a really cool girl. I really admire her dedication to the job. I don’t know if we had the same work ethic just like as I said, Lauren and I have a more easy-going way of doing things. I never had anything against Emily. I always thought she was a very good and nice girl.
MJ: Do you know if we’re going to be seeing her at all this season? I guess you don’t know because as you said, you don’t know what’s going to make it to air.
WP: I really don’t know. We haven’t seen her yet but I know there’s still so much more to be shot, so I have no idea.
MJ: One of the things that made me laugh when I was watching the DVD was when you and Lauren joked about taking Emily to Area nightclub and she was just “sipping her champagne.” What was that night like?
WP: Yeah! Actually, we had a lot of fun with Emily that night. She kind of let loose. I think maybe she was more guarded when the cameras were there (as all of us are) but Emily’s a fun girl. We had a great time that night.
MJ: I can’t imagine her at a place like that!
WP: She fit in quite well. I think she’s used to being in New York and used to going out and you know, she’s more mature whereas we might be drinking different drinks than champagne!
MJ: I have been to LA and I know how hard it is to get into Area. Aside from having a name like Murtz or being a hot blonde girl, how hard is it to get in there?
WP: (Laughs). It’s hard! I mean everyone’s on such a power trip at the front doors you know? So if there’s a group of guys that come together, they (the bouncers) kind of want nothing to do with you but if you’re with a couple of guys and more girls… I think the key is go with a bigger amount of girls than guys.
MJ: (Laughs). I am very curious as to what happens when you show up at the door. Do they automatically know that it’s like Whitney from The Hills or do you just smile? How does that work?
WP: No! I don’t make it known. When I go with Lauren and Audrina, I let them do all the work of getting us in. When I go with my girlfriends, I wait in line just like everybody else.
MJ: That is so fascinating! In past seasons of the show, you have always kind of kept your personal life quiet. We knew you had a boyfriend, but that’s about it. In all the commercials for this season, you are telling Lauren about how you broke up with him. Is that going to be one of the main storylines this season? Sort of “Whitney’s Personal Life Finally Comes Out!”
WP: No, it’s not. I mean they kind of caught me on a bad day there. It was like the day after I had broken up with him and so I vented to Lauren just because that’s what we do. But other than that, I really don’t bring that into light.
MJ: Totally, totally. And I feel like you are the only one and similarly after keeping your personal life out of the show, did you find that you were talking more openly? Because in the same commercial for the new season, I think you mentioned a trainer or something?
WP: Oh yeah. I mean that was a nothing thing. Like they are going to try and get me to show more of my personal life, but the trainer… we’re just friends really. Nothing really furthered than that either.
MJ: It’s a great line though! He’s a “trainer.”
WP: Yeah, it was horrible! I felt horrible after that. I immediately texted him and said ‘I am so sorry! I meant nothing against you or your job.’
MJ: (Laughs). That’s really funny! Now many people might not know this, but in one of the deleted scenes from last season, you told Lauren that you actually went out on a date with Brody Jenner.
WP: Yeah, I just saw that the other day.
MJ: How did that go down and what happened?
WP: It was awhile ago. I had met him at this music festival. We always had musical friends just because we grew up in the same city so one night we just went out and it pretty much ended right after that. There wasn’t really too much there. Not really a connection.
MJ: So this was all pre-Lauren right?
WP: Yeah, this was way before.
MJ: I have to tell you that I really want to be Brody Jenner. He’s got Lauren and Bunny and now like Whitney. I mean what does this guy have that I don’t have?
WP: Nothing.
MJ: (Laughs).
WP: He has a really pretty face but I really don’t know about much else. (Laughs).
MJ: Are you still close with Lauren now?
WP: Yeah, we’re really close. It’s a good friendship.
MJ: You always seem to be the voice of reason during the show. Like for all of the Spencer/Heidi/Lauren drama, you kind of are the calm, cool and collected one. In fact, some of my friends have this saying when they are in a tight spot. ‘What would Whitney do?’ Can we just expect more of the same from you this season? Being calm and normal?
WP: I think so. I think my mom is kind of like that so it just kind of transferred onto me. I think that with my friends I have always tried to be sort of the listener. I am not really much like that within my family because they’re the only ones that I can really divulge my deepest and darkest secrets to but I think in terms of the show, I’ll sort of maintain that role.
MJ: I have to ask you about Spencer. What do you think about this guy?
WP: You know what? I have a personal friendship with Spencer just because we went to the same highschool so I really have no hard feelings against him. I think he’s a really funny guy. I hear rumors and I watch things but other than that, I really have no opinion towards him.
MJ: You know, they say that the show is kind of like Lauren’s show and that’s what The Hills is, but I have to tell you that I can’t imagine watching the show without Spencer in it?
WP: Oh, I know! I think he made the show for sure.
MJ: (Laughs). You have said that last season was about relationships. Boy girl relationships and friendship relationships. What do you think that this season is going to be about?
WP: I think it is probably about the same thing, but I think that in terms of Lauren and Audrina, I think they are out on the prowl. Going out at night, just dating and stuff. I think it’s just going to be a lot of us growing up in the city and we’re more comfortable with the city and we’re becoming adults. So it will be hopefully a more mature show. At least from my point of view but I guess not from everybody else’s.
MJ: I find it very funny that you say that they are going to be “on the prowl.” You make it sound like they are cougars.
WP: (Laughs). Not quite! But they like to have fun.
MJ: Why should people watch this season?
WP: I don’t really know to be honest. I always kind of think to myself if I wasn’t on the show, would I actually watch it? And I think I would just because I find the lives of these young people so entertaining, not that they are so interesting but just that they are so entertaining.
MJ: Does that include your own?
WP: No. I don’t think my life on the show is that entertaining but I mean if people think so then…
MJ: Thank you so much, this was fantastic!
WP: You’re welcome!
– The season 3 premiere of The Hills airs tonight on MTV and MTV Canada at 10 p.m. ET. Episodes will air regularly on Mondays in the 10 Spot.
