From "Seventeen Magazine":

American Beauties

Meet the cast of the WB's steamy new series Young Americans.

by Dina Sansing, Photographs by Robert Trachtenberg

When Young Americans premieres in July, you can bet that scandal and heartache won't be far behind. After stirring things up on Dawson's Creek this spring, Will (Rodney Scott) headed off to Rawley Academy; an all-male prep school in small-town New England. In the opening episode of the new series, blue blood meets blue collar, and town clashes with gown. Before tuning in, we wanted to get to know the newcomers who make up the show's cast, so we asked them for their vital stats . . . and their thoughts on love (none are currently in steady relationships).

Kate Bosworth
She plays: Bella banks, a strong-willed townie.
Birthday: January 2; Capricorn
Hometown: Born in Los Angeles; now lives in Boston
Her close pals: "I just love hanging out with guys. I like girls, but sometimes they can be competitive, and I hate that."
Thoughts on love: "The hardest thing about dating is that first part when it's really awkward. Then you get over it, and it's just fun to discover new things about each other."

Ian Somerhalder
He plays: Hamilton Fleming, the loner son of Rawley Academy's dean.
Birthday: December 8; Sagittarius
Hometown: Covington, LA
The early years: He moved to Europe at 17 to pursue a career in modeling.
Thoughts on love: "I'm constantly in search of how or when you know it's right. Most of my friends are older, so I'm always asking them, and they all say the same thing: 'You don't!'"

Katherine Moennig
She plays: Attention-seeker Jake Pratt (she disguises herself as a guy to attend boys-only Rawley).
Birthday: December 19; Sagittarius
Hometown: Philadelphia
Family ties: Her cousin Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar for playing a girl disguised as a boy in Shakespeare in Love.
The early years: "I was a tomboy growing up. All my friends were guys, and I'd get mad in the summer when they would take their shirts off but I couldn't."
Thoughts on love: "Honesty is important. If someone isn't honest, you wonder what you did wrong. You think, I'm not good enough."

Rodney Scott
He plays: Will Krudski, a whip-smart local boy desperate to flee an abusive, alcoholic father. To ensure he'll be accepted to Rawley, he cheats on the entrance exam.
Birthday: February 17; Aquarius
Hometown: Ocean City, MD
Favorite pastime: Reading biographies (he's gone thorugh more than 100).
Thoughts on love: "If you're not going to trust someone, don't get into a relationship. It's pointless. Trust is something I've really had to work on."

Mark Famiglietti
He plays: Scout Calhoun, a confident kid from the right side of the tracks who falls for the one person he can't have.
Birthday: September 26; Libra
Hometown: Clinton, CT
Secret talent: Writing screenplays (he's completed several). "Most people do other things so that they can pay the bills and act. I act so that I can write screenplays."
Thoughts on love: "Distance has been a recurring problem for me. It's not out of sight, out of mind, but if you don't see each other enough, you start living separate lives."