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Interview With Chace Crawford

Aired April 14, 2010 - 00:00:00   ET



BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's the quintessential teenaged heartthrob and playing the role of a dapper Upper East Side heir doesn't hurt. Chace Crawford first entered the public eye as Nate Archibald on one of TV's hottest shows, "Gossip Girl."

The show follows a group of upscale New York teenagers who go through the normal and not so normal rituals of growing up. In addition to the elaborate wardrobes and decadent parties, the show has been noted for its often racy content, ranging from drug use to threesomes.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't believe you're really trying to make me jealous in front of my husband and our friends.


ANDERSON: In addition to his television roles, Crawford has appeared in a number of films, including "The Haunting of Molly Hartley" and most recently, the movie "Twelve".

He's a household name for millions of screaming teens.

Chace Crawford is your Connector of the Day.


ANDERSON: And I sat down with Chace on his visit to London.

And I started by asking him what he has -- what he's been up to.

And this is what he told me.


CHACE CRAWFORD, ACTOR: I did a film last -- this time last year, called "Twelve." It's a Joel Schumacher picture that comes out July 2nd in the States. And it's a more grittier, independent, kind of "Less Than Zero" feel for our generation, you know. So, you know.


CRAWFORD: Yes, it's good. It's based on a novel. It's kind of a more hard core drug -- Twelve is the name of the drug. Yes, it's like -- so, you know, it's sort of, you know, about the repercussions of that and the New York City kids. It sounds a lot like "Gossip Girl," but it's a little bit darker. It's not so canned.

ANDERSON: Let's move on to some of the viewer questions.

Sonny (ph) has written in: "Are you anything like Nate?," he says?

CRAWFORD: Yes, yes. I -- well, you know, I -- I sleep with all my friends and -- and 40-year-old women.

No, not really.


CRAWFORD: I mean I -- I know people like that, interestingly enough, in -- in New York and the surrounding areas. But I'm a little more laid back and I -- I'd like to think that I have a sense of humor more so than Nate does. You know, he's always doing the right thing, but it's -- it's fun to play, for sure. It's fun.

ANDERSON: Adrianna asks: "What is it like having people wanting to know everything about you?"

And they do.

CRAWFORD: It's flattering. I wish I was as interesting as they made me out to be in the tabloids. I mean these rumors are great. You know, they're -- hey.

Like who is that guy?

It's -- it's -- it's fun. You know, I kind of keep it separate, though. You know, I'm -- I'm -- and people are -- people are normally shocked, you know?

ANDERSON: Keira asks: "What have you learned about New York that surprised you?"

CRAWFORD: The subways are not as bad as you'd think. It's -- it's -- it's actually a much more convenient way of getting about. You know, cab - - you know, taking cabs is overrated. The hot dogs, you'll end up eating them if you have to. No, I've definitely learned the area. You know, shooting on location, as well, has really get -- given us a good like layout of the city like kind of mentally and, you know,

I'm kind of like ooh, I want to eat here, you know what I mean?

You're kind of like sitting there for hours like reading the menus of these places. And so now, yes, I can -- I can -- I know my way around. I can take my -- my mom and dad around when they come to visit.

ANDERSON: And you can get around, but do you get tapped all the time?

I mean, you know, you're -- you're a pretty famous face these days.

What's New York like to live in as somebody that -- that is -- that is a known face?

CRAWFORD: I kind of -- you know, I keep grown out as much as possible to where I don't look 19 and I can, you know, have a ball cap on and sort of walk around, you know, a little more inconspicuously.


I don't ever see that.

CRAWFORD: Yes, yes. They're always -- it's always fun. So I can always pick out the Southern girls, though. I'm like -- you know, they're kind of waiting for me. I'm like, I'm going to go talk to these girls.

"I believe you're from the South, aren't you?"

They're like, "Yes."

Like over here, let's do a picture. They're always fun.

ANDERSON: That is lovely.

CRAWFORD: You know, I know the tourists from like the actual New York, you know, the New York crowd.

ANDERSON: Emma from Thompson asks: "What's the best piece of gossip you've heard about yourself and what piece of technology," she says, "could you not live without?"

So gossip first.

CRAWFORD: You know, questions about my -- well, about my sexuality have been -- have been pretty funny. And rumors I'm dating certain people, too.

I've been like, you know, what?

Yes, that's a picture of my sister.


Like who is this blonde girl?

It's like, yes. Come on. I -- I can't -- I can't live without -- without my iPhone.

ANDERSON: Angela has written in. She says: "'Gossip Girl' has been seen as very controversial by a lot of people's parents"...


ANDERSON: -- "who think it portrays a racy, inappropriate atmosphere for high school kids. What do you think of this and what were you like," she says...

CRAWFORD: Does it promote racy?


CRAWFORD: It may or may not. I mean, you know, people don't give high school kids enough credit. I think that how much they probably already know. And I mean it's not like we're giving an instruction manual on how to, you know, drink a beer, but...

ANDERSON: What are you like in high school, Chace?

CRAWFORD: It was -- it was difficult for me. You know, I -- I had braces and like highlights in my hair. So I was -- you know, I wasn't shaving just yet.


ANDERSON: I don't suppose for a moment it was difficult for him, looking like that.

Anyway, tomorrow's Connector of the Day is a female architect from an unlikely place. Zaha Hadid was born in Iraq but has designed buildings all over the world. She's going to tell us her favorite building of all time and she's going to answer your questions.

So send them in. Questions for Zaha Hadid. Remember to tell us where you're writing from. Head to