Last summer in the normally sedate Hampton Hills, famed as a prestige address and country retreat for rich New Yorkers, wealthy young socialite and party girl Lizzie Grubman allegedly ran over a crowd of people queueing in front of a nightclub in her imposing SUV, only to swiftly drive off into the night. The incident prompted literally hundreds of column inches in America’s broadsheets as they pondered ‘Whither society?’ and tut-tutted over a newly percieved hedonism among privileged youth. It also prompted the ire of American Pie starlet Tara Reid, whom the tabloid press decided to place in the passenger seat of aforementioned vehicle at the time of the accident. (In fact, Grubman had dropped Reid off in Manhattan earlier that evening.)

This is not the first time that the 27-year old actress has encountered America’s gutter press. Her very public engagement to MTV-J Carson Daly in 2001 was an eternal source of headline fodder as the two engaged in break-ups, make-ups and tipsy Sunset Strip outings. Most recently, there were press reports of the New Jersey-born Reid and a post-Justin Britney Spears reduced to drunken tears and consoling each other in a public lobby.

Reid, suffice to say, strenuously denies her reputation as a non-stop party girl and all attendant gossip. She has, after all, worked with some of America’s finest in a career that began at the age of six with commercials for Jello and Crayola. She appeared last year in Robert Altman’s Dr. T And The Women, and most famously played the trophy wife Bunny in the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski.

MovieHouse caught up with Tara on the eve of the release of Van Wilder; Party Liason. A campus movie that could have been made for Homer Simpson, this new National Lampoon flick leaves American Pie with its PC pretentions in the shade as the college wild man (newcomer Ryan Reynolds) falls for straight girl Tara and resolves to win her affection by any means necessary, even if it invovles canine masturbation.

TARA BRADY: Were you a fan of National Lampoon movies previously?

TARA REID: Oh yeah! How can you not be? They’re such fun! I’ve always loved Animal House and the Vacation movies! They are kind of classics. I loved European Vacation especially, “Big Ben, Honey! It’s Big Ben! Big Ben!” They’re really simple, but they’re just the funniest movies! People will always remember little moments from those movies. So to be part of one, and have it turn out good, is very exciting. And the eclair scene in this movie so kicks ass! It totally blows the pie scene in American Pie out of the water!

TB: And how was working with Chevy Chase-a-like Ryan Reynolds?

TR:That’s what everybody says! I don’t really see it myself though. I think he’s a little hotter than Chevy Chase. But then Chevy Chase is about 50 now! Ryan is really a lot of fun though. He was hysterical on set. In fact, a lot of the cast and crew on the movie were really young, so everyone went for crazy ideas and just had fun.

TB: You’ve had a fully-fledged acting career since the tender age of six. Do you still find it challenging?

TR: It’s always a fresh challenge. As far as I’m concerned this job will still be challenging when I’m 90. Because you can never master it completely. You’re always learning.

TB: Many people have this cosy idea of Hollywood where everyone knows one another and went to school together, but it’s close to truth in your case.

TR: Yeah, totally. Well, we did all know each other at school, because the school was pretty small. I think there was only 20 kids in each grade, so it would have been hard not to know everyone. I was in a few classes with Sarah (Michelle-Gellar) and we were always pretty friendly. We’re friendly still, but I wouldn’t say we’re best friends or anything. A lot of people did go to that school. Christina Ricci went there. Macaulay Culkin went there. The kid from that show Scrubs went there. And everyone thinks it’s weird that so many people went there that went on to be famous.

TB: What do you feel was your finest hour careerwise to date?

TR: The Big Lebowski was the biggest career break for me. Because of that I got respect from people. It was like, ‘Who is this girl?’ even though it was a small role. I remember going on the final callback and it was like Charlize Theron and all these other girls. And then me! And I’d never done anything. So I was thinking, ‘Yeah right! I’m really going to get this one’.

TB: And Bunny had the best line in the movie...

TR: Yeah. I still get people saying, ‘Say the line! Say the line!’ I liked playing Bunny Lebowski a lot. She’s crazy, but she’s fun. The kind of girl you would almost love to be, and she’s too cool to hate.

TB: In what sense would you love to be Bunny?

TR: Well, there is a little bit of me in there. You know, sitting by the pool, painting her toenails with a little drink in her hand. But I wouldn’t tell a guy I’d suck his cock for a thousand dollars!

TB: And how was working with the Coen brothers?

TR: I have a brother and sister who are twins and the Coen brothers are almost as close. I know they’re not twins, but they do a good impression! On their movies Joel gets the directing credit and Ethan gets the writing and producing credit, but they direct every single shot together. It’s so bizarre! And they just crack up at each others’ jokes.

TB: Were the brothers easier to work with than the legendarily imposing Robert Altman?

TR: Oh no! And anyone who says so is just nasty. Altman is the best. He is the man. Really! He is like Grandpa. I mean, if you haven’t got to know him, he might seem like a big bear, but really he is like a big baby. He’s the most lovable thing in the whole world and he’s easily the sweetest director I’ve ever worked with. Honest!

TB: Having worked with a couple of great names already, who else would you like to collaborate with?

TR: I’d love to work with Scorsese. And Spielberg as well. As for actors – I love Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts. And Drew Barrymore. I wanted to act after I saw her in E.T. The same with Firestarter. The one where she blew things up with her eyes. That was cool, killing everyone with her eyes!

TB: You have spoken out about your mistreatment by the press of late. How have you ended up creating so many tabloid headlines?

TR: I don’t know. I think whenever there’s a blonde around and the press aren’t sure who she is, they just use my name. It’s just a stupid pop-culture thing. I don’t like the press right now though. You want to be normal and you want to be honest and nice and then they spin your words and you’re dying.

TB: And were you particularly disturbed by the tabloids connecting you to the Grubman case?

TR: Oh yeah. I just can’t talk about that because of the court case, and God! I’m not even sure I’d want to. I was not in that car. I was not in that club. The only thing I know was that when it happened people started calling me up and asking about it. It was hurtful. The whole thing was terrible.

TB: Does your more general reputation as a party girl get to you?

TR: Yeah. It’s said that I’m this crazy party girl. Like I’m always dancing on tables and you know, the whole stupid Britney stories. I hardly know the girl, and anyway I was in Mexico that night! God, even my mom has called me up sometimes to ask me if something she’s read is true.

TB: Do you feel like a specific target then?

TR: I do think they’re telling lies about me and it sucks. Like I’m this poster wild girl and then you get targeted as being in places you’ve never been and hooking up with guys you don’t even know. What can I do though? Sue? That would make it even more of an issue.

TB: And finally, how the hell did you fit into the white bikini featured in Van Wilder – It looks like it was made from dental floss?

TR: Well, when you know you have to do something like that, like appear in a bathing suit or do a Maxim cover, you just act really good for a while. You work out and eat healthy, and then the day it’s done – cheeseburger and fries!