The real deal: this is not the Mandy Moore we're used to seeing on MTV and in a walk to remember. Mandy spills about her role as frustrated teen Halley - Interview

Girls' Life, June-July, 2003 by Amy Sultan

mandy

mandy Moore has been sitting on an airplane for two hours, giggling about boys. Of course, this is no ordinary airplane. It's a prop on the set of her new movie How to Deal. Mandy plays the part of Halley Martin, who believes true love doesn't exist...until the right guy proves her wrong.

Mandy, 19, knows a few things about romance. At the time we sat down with her in her private trailer on the set, she had most recently been involved with That '70s Show actor Wilmer Valderama. On this day, Mandy is single and curled up on a sofa chair, sipping Evian and talking candidly to GL about blind dates, first love and crushes....

GL: Tell me about this character Halley. MM: She's angry at the world in the beginning of the film. Her parents are going through a divorce. She made this pact with her best friend that they are going to not cave in and fall in love because it's always depressing when you get your heart broken. So her best friend, when she comes home from camp, is hangin' out with this guy, and her sister is marrying some guy Halley is convinced she's not in love with. But, of course, Halley meets someone, and it changes her views on love.

Can you identify at all with this girl? I have things that make me crazy, stressed out and angry, but I consider myself pretty romantic. I definitely believe in love, love at first sight, young love, and just love in general, so I am not really sympathetic. I don't relate to her in that sense. But it's not just the lack of love in her life that's making her angry. It's other things. It's being a teenager, you know?

In what. way do you think you are a romantic? I don't know. I love romantic films. I love reading romantic stories. I love boys. I have been in a couple of relationships.

Did you learn anything from those relationships? Yes. The most important lesson is to not lose a sense of yourself, and that is what Halley, is afraid of in this film. She already doesn't know who she is, so she is trying to figure that out. In my relationships, yeah, I've learned to not lose a sense of self, and don't forget about friends and family because they are a huge part of your life.

Have you learned how to mend a broken heart? No. I don't know if there is a good way to nurse a broken heart. It takes time. I know that is cliche, but ice cream and girl-bonding and retail therapy isn't gonna take it away.

We saw your ex-BF at Fox's Teen Choice Awards, and we saw you there also. How do you guys manage to remain friends? It's a personal decision. I wanted to stay friends with him. It took a couple months of waiting around and not talking, which is hard. When someone is part of your life every day for a year and a half, it is weird for them just to go away and no more phone calls and no more hanging out. It took a couple months, but once the other person starts returning calls--or you start returning calls--and things are back on course, it's easy to be friends...if you want to. If something really bad happened, I can understand not wanting to associate anymore.

I remember you once saying he was your first real love. It was my first real love. And he's a great guy.

Are you dating anyone now? I went on one blind date with a guy that ended up being OK but then not working out later. We went out, and it was fine but not quite right.

Is it possible to go on a blind date when you are Mandy Moore? I guess he knew what I looked like. I had no idea who he was. He came and picked me up. It was a traditional thing. I was nervous getting ready, didn't know what to wear and changed 50 times and was freaking out. Butterflies. He ended up being really cool, and we had a great conversation. It was my first blind date, and I'm glad we went. I've been out a couple times since.

Anyone special? I definitely have a crush on someone right now, but we'll have to see where it goes from there.

Who is it? I am keeping my lips sealed. [We know! At press time, Mandy is romantically linked to pro tennis player Andy Roddick.]

What is your ideal planned date? As long as I can have a conversation, I am not picky. I am not too big into going to a movie because conversation has to be halted. I like to go to dinner. I like to walk around: I remember my first date with Wilmer--we went to a really nice dinner and then walked around a shopping area in LA. It was a nice evening.

Would you ever cook a guy dinner? I am the worst cook. Maybe I'm just not giving myself credit. I can make a mean grilled cheese and anything easy. I can slice off cook ie dough, but [haven't really attempted any thing in the kitchen. I have years for that.

What celebrity couple are you most obsessed with? Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. What's up with that? I don t know, but it s so interesting. Thursday is when the new People and US Weekly come out and we all clamor to the drugstore to buy the new magazines so we can read up on all our gossip. That's what we do on set. Every Thursday Thursday is magazine day.

Who do you think is the hottest musician? Brandon Boyd from Incubus. I think he's hot. It's that sexy surfer kind of Zen like aura.