OK! Exclusive: Antoinette Robertson is Ready to Cause Some Trouble on Hart of Dixie This Season
Oct. 14 2013, Published 8:10 p.m. ET
One of my favorite season premieres this year has been Hart of Dixie. It felt so good to catch up with Zoe (Rachel Bilson) again and see what had changed in her life over the summer. Plus I'm not mad at seeing that devilish Wade (Wilson Bethel) grin and George (Scott Porter) in a suit (post, um, makeover) and even seeing what antics Lemon is up to this time.
So when the show (and cast, as you'll read below) welcomed a new character this season, Levon (Cress Williams)'s cousin Lynly, I was happy to chat with the actress that will play the trouble-making southern belle, Antoinette Robertson. She dishes on the show's love triangles, fitting in with the cast and most importantly: the fashion.
OK!: First of all, welcome to Bluebell! Do you know how many episodes you are on yet? Are you allowed to say?
Antoinette Robertson: Right now I am locked in til 3.10 and I’m tentative for 3.11.
OK!: I like this, this means you are going to cause some trouble. You come in as the Mayor’s cousin, but are you bummed that already cancels you out as being a love interest for him? I feel like that would be so fun!
AR: That would’ve been, that would be really fun. I know I was like, 'Wait hold on he already has a love interest because he is with Annabeth (Kaitlyn Black)', and they got together at the end of last season. But you know Cress is a wonderful looking man so that would be great. No, that didn’t happen, but he is like a big brother, he is awesome.
OK!: Your character interferes with his relationship with her, how come?
AR: It’s more a living space kind of thing. I’m in the carriage house which is in close proximity to his house, on his property. So it is a little fun cousin who is around lovebirds, that kind of thing.
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OK!: How is your character's relationship with Lemon (Jaime King)? Because I am scared of her, I wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.
AR: Lemon and I have a really good relationship. I mean Jaime and I haven’t had a lot of scenes together, but yeah I love her character too she is interesting. I started binge watching the show after I got the job, and I was like, 'This is so much fun! I want to do that, dress up and be a belle.'
OK!: That is my next question, I need to know what your wardrobe is like because Zoe’s character clearly stands out a little bit, she is bringing her New York style down to all the southern belles, but you are a southern lady. What kind of clothes have you been wearing?
AR: I have to say the wardrobe department has been hooking me up. Lynly is dressed way differently than everyone else, it is very trendy but southern belle, it has that little bit of a girly flair to it. But definitely on trend, it’s different, Bluebell is seeing something different now.
OK!: Anything that has inspired your own style? Maybe changed it a little bit?
AR: I am a little dorky when it comes to putting stuff together. So I usually kind of have to lay it out for me for me to see it. I feel like it has influenced my personal style a little bit, it is fun being a girl. I have been dressing up a lot more. And then I am also in California, I am from New York so I am not used to having wonderful weather in October. So now I am in my cute little dresses and wearing heels all the time! That has definitely Lynly’s flair.
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OK!: How about the southern accent? Did you have to practice that? Did you already have one in your back pocket? How did you do with that?
AR: I definitely had to practice. I grew up in New York and Jamaica the island, so when I get upset my default is Jamaican. So I had to have moments where I was like 'Wait I’m southern!' That’s why I read the script as much as possible so I can knock it down.
OK!: How about the other guys on the show? This show has nailed the love triangle, is your character going to be getting into a little bit of a love triangle at any point?
AR: No, no love triangle for me. A lot of interesting things happen, Lynly gets mixed up in a lot because she is definitely, I don’t know if she is a troublemaker, but she does err on the clueless side. I guess you may or may not figure out whether it's intentional or not. But I definitely don’t get caught up in the love triangles so to speak. I actually come to Bluebell with the hopes of mending a broken heart.
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OK!: In real life, what do you do to mend a broken heart? I am all about the going out with my friends and doing some dancing.
AR: I have to say I like to listen to, you know the like really sad music, like break up music. I put breakup music on rotation for a few hours, and then the pity party is over and then I get up and go to karaoke with my girls. We start singing like “Man I feel Like Woman” over and over, or the Wicked soundtrack, or something like that and then that gets us all psyched and we have a lot of fun. And you know, of course with every break up it takes time, but I like to be active and outdoors.
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OK!: And hey I’m not going to be mad at you if you eat a little bit of ice cream too.
AR: Ice cream, yes. Rocky road definitely a cure-all for everything. It’s like duct tape, you can use it for everything.
OK!: How much does your character get to interact with Zoe on the show too? Are you guys pals? Do you have to go to the doctor? What is your relationship?
AR: I have quite a few scenes with Zoe, quite a few scenes with everyone. They have fully integrated me into Bluebell which is pretty cool. Since Lavon is her best friend and he is my cousin, I’m always at the carriage house, and I’m always in his house and she’s always there too. There is a lot of free food, so that is the place to be.
OK!: Yeah we are going to have to work on getting some of that rocky road on set, I think.
AR: Can I tell you I try to stay away from craft services because they definitely put all the goodies right there, and they are just waiting for you. I’m like, 'No I can’t eat that!' I had my fitting last week and my clothes don’t fit this week.
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OK!: How about the cast too? I’ve hear about this cast that they are one of the most welcoming in TV. Was it easy to jump in there and bond with everyone?
AR: Oh my God, they are like unreal when it comes to sweet. It’s like you think about one of the biggest jobs you can get and you hope that the cast is great and this cast is really great, everyone is really nice and welcoming and sweet and on their game. I am learning so much from all of them. The creator Leila is amazing. Everyone is just really sweet and then when you say that people are like no, no really, they are all super sweet. I walked in there and was like, 'Oh my God you guys are like a little family.' The crew is amazing. Also, given we spent 16 hours a day together, it is so much like family. I’m so happy to be there.
OK!: I read in your bio that you went to school to study chemistry?
AR: I did, I was a chemistry major at Stony Brook university. Yeah and then I took a random theater class and then I was like 'I want to be an actress.' My mom was like, 'What?!' And I was like 'Yeah I want to be an actress' and she was like, 'ok, go for it!' It is interesting because I was working on my pre-med requirements and decided I was going to finish school with the degree so I didn’t lose all my credits, and then I studied under William Esper and completely fell in love with acting. And now I am on a hit TV show in less than two years, it’s crazy.
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OK!: Are you ever looking for roles that can combine both of those things? Like where you get to play a chemist, or do some kind of science?
AR: I would love to, most definitely. I know my agents are now looking at offers for a lot of different things, but it helps that I have a background in chemistry so I can understand the vernacular. It definitely helps understanding the terms. It would be great, any form of crime scene investigative show, I can do an autopsy, I can do whatever you want!
OK!: Is there anything else coming up that you can tease us that we are going to be seeing in the next few episodes?
AR: I am under the ironclad with what I can say about the show. You start to see a little bit more of who Lynly is, and how she fits into Bluebell, or how she doesn’t fit into Bluebell. It is definitely going to be an exciting ride, big things are up ahead. It is going to be interesting, I promise you.
Hart of Dixie airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.
What do you want to see happen on this season of Hart of Dixie? I keep rooting for Zoe and Wade! Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter @OKMagazine.