On moving from Atlanta to California as a child: "It was difficult. It was difficult because all of my closest friends were there. I was like, 'I don't want to go to California. What's in California?' But I'm so glad we did because I think it was good for all of us. I love it out here. I'm definitely a beach girl."

On sharing a profession with her father, actor David E. Willis: "He's done mostly television. He's done a lot of commercials. He was the Advil spokesperson for a while. He was a newscaster on ALLY McBEAL. But it's really cool because he helps me with all my auditions. He'll coach me and run lines with me, and if I ever need help or anything, I always go to him and he's really super-supportive."

On what drew her back to acting in her teen years, after a childhood go at it: "When I got in front of the camera and I started doing stuff like 7TH HEAVEN [on which she recurs], I just realized that there was something about it that I loved. I loved being in front of the camera. I loved working with directors. It was so exciting. When I first started - and still - I have this nervous feeling. But it's like, this great feeling because it's so exciting. I could never get bored of it. Every time I get in front of the camera, anytime I'm in a scene or something, I have this feeling; this rush. It's great. So I think that's what drew me to it."

On moving to New York to work on ANOTHER WORLD as Alli: "I was nervous because I was 19 and I didn't know anybody there at all. But I was also excited not to have to wait tables anymore [laughs]. So I went out there and it was the best thing that could ever happen to me. I grew up so much living on my own out there. The city is amazing. It's just got so much culture. I lived by myself in the West Village. And it's so funny because everybody was like, 'It's going to be really difficult finding a place out there.' But for some reason, every time I apartment hunt, the first place I find is the first place that I rent. And, of course, the first place I saw [in New York], I was like, 'Okay, this is perfect. I'll take it.' I loved the Village. It was very cool."