She came to fame as a quintessential California blonde. Now, five years later, she's taking a hiatus from the cameras, publishing her first book, and ditching her signature look to try life as a brunette.
Find out why she did it and if swarming fans and paparazzi can still spot her as a brunette. Plus, what she really thinks of Heidi Pratt's rumored Playboy spread and about Kristin Cavallari taking over her show.
See more photos of Lauren as a brunette here.
"You Look Like Hannah Montana"
When Lauren decided to leave The Hills, she considered dyeing her hair brunette so her producers couldn't coerce her back in front of the camera. "I went into a wig store and tried on a brown wig, and they all laughed at me," Conrad recalls. "All these women [who worked there] were like, 'You look like Hannah Montana.' I think initially the wig threw people off, but they figured it out. I felt like it only disguised me for a moment, and then it made me feel like I was hiding, which made me feel silly." Will we be seeing her as a brunette again? Find out in her full interview.
She's Not Perfect and Everyone Knows It
After 5 years living with cameras and countless tabloids chronicling her personal life, we've come to know Lauren quiet well. And one thing is clear - she isn't perfect.
"Imperfection is relatable," Conrad explains. "If you look at the show, there are a lot of skinny girls with big boobs, and they're always perfect. I don't think perfect is relatable. I've screwed up a lot." Indeed, she has screwed up so often, she wanted to publish a book titled How Not to Date "and basically write down every mistake I've ever made."
Dating, with Release Forms
You may have read about them in the tabloids: Laguna costars Stephen Colletti and Jason Wahler; Brody Jenner; baseball player Doug Reinhardt; actor Kyle Howard. These five guys have two things in common--they've dated Lauren and had to sign legal documents to make it happen.
In addition to living with her personal life on public display, Lauren says many of her personal decisions during filming were contingent on the production schedule of The Hills. "My friends all got to date guys who didn't need to sign a release form."
The Role Ahead of Her
Down the road, Lauren would like to produce television -- perhaps a scripted show based on her recently published book, L.A. Candy -- and she believes she'll ultimately return to reality television as a host. "I'm comfortable in front of the camera, but I can't act. I definitely aspire to be someone like Tyra Banks, who's created an empire for herself," she offers.But as for her next role? "If an actor leaves a show, they go on to play a new part and a new character," Conrad says with great perspicacity. "I'm not moving on from a character. I'm not going to play a new part." Lifting the brown wig from her head, she adds, "I'll be me before and me after."
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