Stephen Colletti revealed why it took years for him to fully embrace revisiting Laguna Beach, the MTV reality hit that launched his career.
Speaking at Deadline’s Reality TV Summit, Stephen reflected on his complicated relationships with Lauren Conrad and Kristin Cavallari that made him a household name.
Steeeeeeeeeppphhhhuuuunnnnn:
While Stephen participated in The Reunion: Laguna Beach, he admitted that he wasn’t interested in a reunion for a long time.
“Surprisingly, for me, it was an easy yes” to appear on the Laguna Beach reunion. But it wasn’t always that way. “For so many years, it was an easy no,” he said. “When we got cast, we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into, and once it came out, there was quite the shock, and we weren’t prepared to handle the recognition that came with it.”
He added that “we were just regular kids that didn’t really know what reality TV was at that point. It took me a while to process it. Eventually, as time has gone on, you’re old enough to revisit it and you move into that part of your life as we mature into a more comfortable place.”
Laguna Beach, a retrospect:
ICYMI, the series, which premiered in 2004 on MTV, followed a group of teenagers living in the affluent coastal community of Laguna Beach, Calif. The show’s glossy style and a focus on real-life relationships, friendships, and rivalries set it apart from other popular shows at the time, like The OC. Laguna Beach influenced a wave of reality programming for MTV and beyond.
Appearing on an episode of the Teen Beat podcast with Danielle Fishel, Stephen recalled his early skepticism of the show. “What are they doing here? Did they realize that they’re wasting a ton of money on us? The location’s nice, but, like, I mean, we’re bored here anyway. We’re looking to get out of this town,” recalled Stephen.
