MAKE IT OR BREAK IT’s Josie Loren on Her Teen Choice Nomination and What’s Next for Kaylie…and Austin…and Her Parents Too

Josie Loren has a lot going on right now.

Currently enjoying a six-week hiatus from her hit ABC FAMILY show, MAKE IT OR BREAK IT, the young actress is taking a full load of summer semester classes at UCLA, hoping to inch just a little closer to the degree in Mass Media Communications that she’s been working towards for quite some time.

But there won’t be much studying on the agenda this weekend as Loren has been nominated for a Teen Choice Award — Choice Summer TV Star — and MAKE IT OR BREAK IT has received a nod as well — Choice Summer TV Show.

With the ceremony taping on Sunday and airing on Monday, she’s got a full load of celebrating to do over the next few days.

GIVE ME MY REMOTE got a chance to chat with Loren about what’s on tap…

Congrats on the Teen Choice nomination. You’re in great company with stars like Nikki Blonsky and Anna Paquin.
JL: Thank you! I’m very excited. Just to be in that company is very flattering.

ABC FAMILY is kind of dominating in the Summer categories with MIOBI, HUGE, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and SECRET LIFE.
JL: Oh my gosh, yeah, it’s crazy how much this network has blown up. The president of ABC FAMILY has now moved up to ABC just because he’s been doing so well with the FAMILY network, it’s pretty incredible.

Yeah, what’s up with that, they go and steal your president!
JL: I know! He was doing so well for us.

He really was, you guys have been killing it and of course I’ve been keeping up with MAKE IT OR BREAK IT which is my choice summer TV show.
JL: Well that’s super appreciated, thank you!

And the last episode ended with a big moment for your character, Kaylie, too. Olympic gymnast/playboy Austin just went in for the kiss.
JL: That’s right, yeah.

What do you think of this storyline? Kaylie seems to be trying so hard to stay on the straight and narrow this season, stay focused on gymnastics and yet Austin is insisting on being this distraction.
JL: Well I think that’s the beauty of it. You know, she’s really sticking to her guns and really trying to be as focused as possible and get these goals met — these ridiculous goals that she’s set for herself. But as we know, in life, nothing goes as planned and nothing is perfect. You sometimes just have to let life go and I think that that’s what Austin reminds her of. He brings a lightness into Kaylie’s life that wouldn’t be there without him. I think that without Austin in these ten episodes [that make up the first half of our season], Kaylie would be pretty miserable.

So is she now going to be more open to having him in her life?
JL: It’s still a struggle. You’d think that after they kissed, it would just all fall into place and it definitely doesn’t. He still has to really struggle to break through her walls because she was really hurt and devastated by what happened with [her former boyfriend] Carter [sleeping with her best friend Lauren last season]. She’s not going to just let anybody in. So it’s a battle between them.

He’s pushing for it and she’s pushing him away.
JL: Yeah. There will come a time when they come together and Kaylie finally accepts him, but it takes a lot of drama and a pretty large event, which I cannot disclose right now. But it’ll happen!

A pretty large event. Interesting…
JL: Yes.

Is there anything that you can tease to in the next four episodes, which will close out the first half of season 2?
JL: Well, the last episode is pretty gymnastics intense. There’s a competition and it gets really heated in the gym because we’re getting closer to World Team Tryouts, so nerves are on edge and people’s tempers are flaring.

Yeah, it’s been fun to watch the contentious dynamic between Kaylie and Lauren this season.
JL: Yeah. Like I’ve said, she’s just so focused that not only is she kind of putting blinders to boys but also to the distraction and the drama in her life. So Lauren has just kind of been butted out and eliminated because she doesn’t really wanna deal with her drama. The only drama she does want to deal with [concerns] her parents. That’s like the most important thing to Kaylie right now, other than her gymnastics.

Yes, I liked the little “Parent Trap” scheme she set up a couple weeks ago.
JL: Yeah. It’s heartbreaking though, because she’s trying so hard [to get them to reconcile] and everybody asks me if they stay together and at the end of these ten episodes, that was not addressed. It’s just kind of left open-ended, so I don’t even know if all her hard work pays off. We’ll see.

It’s a very relatable storyline, because so many kids go through it, having to watch their parents split up.
JL: You know, I didn’t go through it, thank God, my parents are still together. But it was almost sad — and very touching — how so many kids reached out to me through Twitter, telling me about their story with their parents and what they went through.

So hopefully the writers will address it properly in the second half of season 2.
JL: Yeah, I hope that they don’t tie it up in a neat little bow, because that wouldn’t be realistic. I think the reason so many people are so moved by the storyline is because it is difficult and it’s a struggle that can go on for a very long time, so I hope [the writers] kind of stretch it out a little bit.

Yeah, Kaylie has a lot going on, which I think is one of the reasons that teen viewers are really connecting with the character. Not only does she have this family drama happening, but she’s lost her boyfriend to her best friend…
JL: Yeah, it’s been a lot of hard work to be honest. But that’s what you want as an actor, to always been challenged. I’m very grateful to the writers.

Well, you’re obviously doing a good job with it. The Teen Choice Awards nomination is proof of that.
JL: Oh, thank you.

Is there anything that you’re particularly looking forward to at the awards this weekend?
JL: I look forward to the celebration of it all. I have absolutely no hopes to win, to be honest. I’m in a category with huge stars, so just being nominated is an honor. It’s such a cliche, but it’s true. And it’s a great show. I look forward to seeing everybody there. I remember that last year it was so much fun, I had such a good time with my castmates, so just being able to do that again is going to be awesome.

Outside of your castmates, is there anyone you’re really excited to see?
JL: Oh, the guy from Gossip Girl. What is his name? I talk about him all the time… Chace Crawford. I remember the first time I saw him in person was last year at the awards show and I was flabbergasted. I was like, how is it possible to be so much better looking in person?! I don’t get it. Yeah, he’s pretty incredible. And I always get a little excited when I see Kim Kardashian. I think she’s beautiful! She’s just a gorgeous girl and carries herself so well.

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So, what do you think?

Will you root for Josie at the Teen Choice Awards?

GIVE ME MY REMOTE will be there, talking to your nominees on the red carpet, so comment below if there’s someone in particular whom you want us to stalk…

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