Was it difficult to get into character for this all-American, small-town role?

"I grew up in a small community, and I live in a small community now. It's the environment that I'm drawn to. And so I liked that we were recreating an era in our country where a lot of people have nostalgia. But we were showing it from a totally different perspective. This was the perspective of an outsider who glamorizes all of the dorky little things about Americana: the Kentucky Fried Chicken, really just wanting to go as a Star Wars character for Halloween. There's a collective memory that we have as a country, and so I think at this point in time, it's really good for our country to see it from a different perspective."

What was the inspiration for your character's accent?

"I'm Southern. I'm from Virginia, and then I lived in North Carolina forever. And Jason [Lee, who also stars in the movie], he's a good ol' country boy, obviously... we just fell back on mimicking our relatives. I think about the glamorous people I would see in the early '80s as a child, with the winged eyeliner, and the big hot-rolled hair. And the coral-colored fingernails. All these things are not necessarily cool right now, so I don't get an opportunity to try them out, but this movie was my opportunity! It was great. I loved every single thing I wore. It was ridiculous." Switching gears to One Tree Hill — why do you think that Peyton and Brooke's friendship was able to endure so much drama?

"Well, because they're actually friends, they're not fair-weather friends. I'd say the same goes for Sophia [Bush] and me. I think, underneath, there was an understanding between the two of us, like, we're in this to win it. And we've got all these male bosses telling us how teenage girls should act and feel, and we've got all these different variables coming at us. And I think now, as grown-up women, we can look back, the same way Brooke and Peyton could, and be like, Man, we survived some stuff together, huh? And that's a good feeling. I think when you're in the trenches with someone, whether you agree with each other at the time or not, once you're past it, there's a bond there you can't deny." With so many shows getting rebooted these days, do you think there's a possibility of a One Tree Hill reboot or reunion?

"No, I'm on the Lethal Weapon reboot right now! I'm shooting guns, man! I don't need to go back to kissing and crying! "I think we're all in such a different place, it wouldn't be something that I would be into. That said, I would love to work with my cast mates on other things. Like, I would love to do one of my Christmas Hallmark movies with Chad. Or, I would love to do a kick-ass girl project with Sophia. Right now, on Lethal Weapon, I am actually working with Daniella Alonso, who played Anna. And we saw each other yesterday and just geeked out. Everyone's like, 'How do you two know each other?' And we're like, 'Oh, we used to kiss each other on TV, it's no big deal!' So I would love to be able to play house with all my old family members. That would be fun."