OMG! Mischa Barton and Justin Bobby give us all the juicy deets on 'The Hills' reboot

Channel24's Leandra Engelbrecht caught up with Mischa Barton and Justin Bobby Brescia ahead of the series premiere of 'The Hills: New Beginnings.'

Cape Town – Back in 2006 The Hills ushered in a new wave of reality television, its cinematic approach and storylines had the feel of a scripted drama series.

Viewers were drawn to the attractive cast as they navigated the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives in the City of Angels. 

Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Brody Jenner, Audrina Patridge, Justin Bobby Brescia, Stephanie Pratt, Frankie Delgado and Whitney Port became breakout stars.

And now nearly a decade after the show ended the cast are back for a new beginning.

The new series reunites the original cast, alongside their children, and follow their personal and professional lives while living in Los Angeles.

There are also some new faces joining the cast, notably the former O.C. actress Mischa Barton.

Channel24 caught up with Mischa and Justin Bobby Brescia ahead of the series premiere on Thursday 18 July at 15:00 on MTV (DStv 130).

THE NEWBIE

The Hills: New Beginnings marks Mischa's first foray into reality television. It's a full circle moment for the 33-year-old as The O.C. was the inspiration behind Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The Hills.

Speaking about joining the reboot Mischa says the show is unique and offered her a platform to show who she really is.

"I got approached over the summer, and I wasn't taking it too seriously at first, and then I saw all the cast together two or three months after and I thought they look like a lot of fun."

"I feel like things in the world of television have changed so much there are so much more reality shows and so much more going on in terms of using that as your platform and getting to showcase who you are and being a part of this cool group of friends," says Mischa.

For the actress, it took some time getting used to the medium as she is used to hiding behind the character.

"This is never ending process. You coming, you hanging out and it depends on what happens which dictates where the filming goes. It is hard work with no real certainty of who's going to be getting along and who's not and what's going to end up happening and what they will be filming next. There is a lot more thinking on your toes – it's a completely different process," says Mischa.

THE OG

Justin Bobby joined the show in its third season and brought with him a lot of drama. 

The 37-year-old wants to clear up one misconception: "I am not the biggest womaniser, even though I would like to take the throne."

He adds: "I am a bad boy and I am very loving at the same time"

On their comeback, Justin says it was like a real-life homecoming.

"We stayed a little in contact through the years via texting and things that happened in each other's lives. To come back, pretty much the full cast and to see everyone again it was a good feeling; we felt a lot of love. We have this big sense of family now."

While The Hills was ahead of its time back then Justin believes that they reboot too, can stand the test of time.

"We led and paved the way for reality T.V.  How it was shot, the style, Los Angeles in itself. All those elements and add us the different characters, who we are. We have all those elements which are hard to get on another show."

MAKING MEMORABLE MOMENTS

For Mischa and Justin, the most memorable moments were the time they spent bonding with the other cast members: "My highlight is bonding with the girls on our weekend away. We 'didn't have any drama, we went out on a boat in Orange County. It was quite fun; that was a nice trip. We have become really good friends. We talk and hang out on the regular, in real life off camera."

"Our trip was my highlight too," adds Justin.

He adds: "We let go of a lot of baggage, and there was this sense of freedom. We were able to hash out what we were feeling and share what we have gone through."

As our interview draws to a close Justin drops a juicy plot twist.

"For our fans in South Africa. Stay tuned we 'haven't talked yet - we want to move out of the Los Angeles Area, and we are looking for places to come to. Invite us to South Africa. It's on our radar."

"I want to come back," says Mischa.

"And I want to go on safari," adds Justin.