Do you find that your fans sometimes think you’re actually their friend?
Yes! That’s the weirdest part about it. People will be like, “Whit! How are you?” Or people
will call my name, and I’ll sort of get confused, and I’m not sure if I know the person or not.

On the other hand, some of the other Hills cast members–cough, Heidi and Spencer, cough–don’t seem relatable at all.
Yeah, they were always more extreme. Spencer actually went to my high school, and he was obviously a less magnified version of the person he is now. But nothing surprises me with him anymore.

Part of the appeal of The City was the “fish out of water” aspect of a California girl in the Big Apple. Did you think of yourself as a New Yorker?
I have a love-hate relationship with New York. I love the energy, I love the culture, I love the social aspect of it. But you don’t have the freedom to just get in your car and go anywhere you want. Sometimes I felt a bit trapped and landlocked.

Is it true you have never eaten spaghetti?
That’s true. Never eaten pasta. I don’t have any allergies or anything. I just don’t like the texture. It’s one of these weird things that kind of irks me, so I have no interest in trying it.

You’re super tall and skinny and had braces until you were a senior in high school. So were you one of those gawky girls who blossomed late?
I was the ugly duckling as a baby and a toddler. As I got a little older—granted, I did not look so
hot with braces—I wasn’t, like, horribly unfortunate looking. And I wasn’t tall in high school, which is weird. I didn’t get this tall until college. I had a really late growth spurt, and now I’m 5’10″.

Which is, like, the perfect height for a model! Is it true you wanted to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel?
That’s more of a dream. I mean, if they called me and were like, “Oh, my God, Whitney, we love you. We want you to walk the runway,” I’d consider it. But I don’t know if that would ever happen.

Hey, you look pretty great in these photos!
This was a big step for me, but I wanted to step out of my comfort zone a little bit, and I thought it would be a fun experience. I have always loved Maxim, and as much as it’s racy, it’s always tasteful and everybody looks really good.