Northville Actress Jillian Rose Reed Reveals High School Is 'Awkward' For Everyone

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
If Northville native Jillian Rose Reed has learned anything from starring in a runaway hit series, it's that high school is "Awkward" for just about everybody.

"I really think that it's similar (to real life)," Reed said. "I know I've had awkward moments. Our creator went to her old high school (when writing the show) and sat down with kids and talked to them for a couple of hours, asked them about their relationships with their friends, with their parents. We try to keep the show as true to real life as possible.

"Even people who are 35 or 40, they are watching and saying, 'That's what high school was like for me.'"

Reed, 20, is enjoying fame as one of the stars of MTV's "Awkward," a show that de-glamorizes the life of today's American teen. Reed plays Tamara, the sassy, feisty, desperate-to-be popular sidekick of the show's narrator Jenna, who is played by Ashley Rickards.

Starting its second season, the series has Reed happily traveling in an entourage with her parents, brother and grandparents from metro Detroit to Los Angeles.

"In the beginning, I was going back and forth from Michigan to L.A. with my mom and grandparents," she said. "Now that I'm 20, my mom goes back and forth with my little brother ... We have this big pack of traveling family members who are always back and forth from L.A. to Detroit."

Before "Awkward," Reed starred in community theater and did childhood voiceover work for commercials made in Detroit and Chicago. She made her television debut in Nickelodeon's series "Zoey 101," then moved on to guest starring roles on Showtime's hit "Weeds," and HBO's filmed-in-Detroit series "Hung."

Reed took time this week to chat with CBS Detroit about cutting her acting chops -- and what comes next.

1. What's your favorite thing about the character?

I love that she has no filter in anything that she says. Her crazy lines are so much fun. Through the whole first season, there was the story about Ricky Schwartz, who she was in love with, and there was one episode where we were in a fight and I was yelling at him and then we just started making out. It was one of my first on-screen kisses, the first was with Ashley Rickards, so he was my second. I was nervous about it. I thought, 'Is it going to be weird?'" I've been so close with him for so long. But once the first take was over, it wasn't. I just thought the whole storyline was really fun.
2. Are you like your Awkward character in real life?

I'm definitely very similar, usually friends will tell me to slow down when I'm talking, so I bring that the character. Tamara's really info fashion and loves dressing, fashion, she's quirky. I can say some pretty quirky things. She wears a lot of Doc Martens. I begged to steal them, but our costumer was like 'No, I'm going to need them for the second season.'"
3. Do you want to be a role model?

That's the ultimate goal of the show. People tell me I am. They tell me they wish they had a friend like Tamara in real life. We want to inspire teenagers. We want "Awkward" to be their best friends. We've heard from so many people that we're like their friends.
4. Do you stay in touch with friends from Michigan?

I definitely have a close group of girlfriends, we always make it a point to get together. I was here for 10 days (over the holidays) and I had to schedule time for everybody because I wanted to make sure to see all of them.

5. Do you get spotted now?

A few people stopped me when I was at the mall shopping (here at Christmas.) Two girls who were here from California stopped me to talk. It was kind of crazy. I definitely get some people who want to talk about the show.

6. What did you do here for the holidays?

I spent time with my family (in Northville.) I was a little sad there wasn't a white Christmas.

7. Do you feel like you live in a fishbowl?

No, thank God. I'm not the party girl. I have a lot of friends who are in a lot of different facets of the industry; our fun Friday night is just watching movies on the couch. I feel very blessed to have a great group of friends.

8. Tell us about your 20,000 Twitter followers.

I'm a little obsessed with Twitter. People can follow me at https://twitter.com/#!/JillianRoseReed. I love to hear what people have to say. I'm definitely into that. I try to respond to everybody. The things that they share are inspiring. I want to thank them for sharing with me.

9. How did your career get started?

I started at the Marquis Theater in Northville when I was very young. I was in 27 of their productions. I think in about seventh grade, I started doing local commercials, voiceover work in Detroit and Chicago. I decided at this point it was what I wanted to do, and I was the big fish in the little pond. I was too young for theater in New York. I wanted to be in film, so I went to L.A. I started working at 16 on my first big job, I had a lot of guest starring roles after that.

10. Tell us about your upcoming movie.

I just filmed the third installment of "Super Psycho Sweet 16," it will air later this year on MTV. It was so much fun! It was a horror film, all the blood and guts and special effects. It was a brand-new experience. We filmed in Atlanta for five weeks, I met the most amazing people.

11. Are you the victim or the psycho?

You'll have to watch and see!