The blonde and bubbly Prince played a cheerleader (also named Bevin) on the locally filmed drama series from 2004 to 2007. A graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington whose family still lives in the Wilmington area, Prince has been based in Los Angeles for the past three years.

She spent one day on the “Housewives” set three weeks ago filming scenes with Felicity Huffman, who plays harried, job-seeking Lynette.

She recently landed a part in the upcoming thriller “Backstage Pass” and will soon be appearing on a Web series called “120th Street Lift.”

We caught up with Prince by phone last week to talk “Housewives,” “Tree Hill” and Hollywood.

Q: Tell me about who you play on “Housewives.”

A: I’m playing Marianna who is interviewing for the same advertising firm as Felicity Huffman’s character is. She is just one of the young little catty girls in the office that is completely aiding all of Felicity’s insecurities walking in to these interviews. We have our little moments.

Q: What was Felicity Huffman like to work with?

A: She was amazing. She was so supportive. I think she could tell I was a little nervous and kind of kept reassuring me that I was doing an OK job. To watch her work was phenomenal. She is such a specific actor. She doesn’t let any moment pass her by. She works really closely with the director. It made me feel better in the future about making sure I feel comfortable with every moment that I get and not just kind of letting things brush by.

Q: Was there a big difference between the “Housewives” set and the “Tree Hill” set?

A: This case is really strange. Two of the PAs (production assistants) that were on set for “Desperate Housewives” were also PAs that used to work on “One Tree Hill.” And the director of this episodes of “Desperate Housewives” was also a director on “One Tree Hill” who I had worked with years before. So it kind of felt pretty normal and natural. I think the difference is walking onto those big lots. There’s all these other productions going on.

Q: You graduated from UNCW with a BA in film studies…

A: I am a huge fan of UNC Wilmington and that film program. The ability for us as students to have internships with the film community in Wilmington was so phenomenal because … you get such hands-on experience, which you can’t get in a classroom no matter how hard you try.

And to learn about production itself I think definitely helps me as an actor because it makes you more aware of what everyone else’s job is, like all the work it takes to make you look good. It just makes you a more conscious actor.

Q: Is that how you got started on “One Tree Hill”?

A: I was interning for school with the Fincannons in the casting office, and they needed cheerleaders to be extras. I was like, “I’ll do it! That will be really be fun!… I think I just hung around long enough that they felt bad for me and stared writing a part.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories filming “One Tree Hill”?

A: I can specifically remember one episode we did where it was a cheerleading episode. It was all of us girls together. We were all together for a week. We were out of town for a little bit, too, so we were staying hotel rooms. It was really like summer camp. (We got to) sit down and play and work with your friends. Everyone was so supportive of me, which I could not be more grateful for. To have people around you who are constantly supporting you and encouraging you and giving you their best advice, that’s what the community of “One Tree Hill” gave me – a little bit of confidence and a lot of love.

Q: What do you think your character’s doing now?

A: I think about it all the time. I would love to come back. To be in Wilmington and to work there with that group of people… that community could not be any better. I’m not sure what Bevin’s up to. I think she’s just living day to day. Poor Bevin probably doesn’t think about too much.

Q: What was the best part of playing Bevin?

A: I love that Bevin constantly is smiling. Bevin knows nothing else but pure joy. and I think that’s due to her being so naive and just unaware of what’s going on. She is just a happy, happy kid.

Q: “One Tree Hill” fans are known for their fierce loyalty. Do you still hear from them?

A: I really feel like the luckiest girl in the world. They have been so supportive of everything I’ve done beyond that. It’s been the greatest thing. They constantly are around providing the utmost support, which you need out here in Los Angeles. It feels really good to have them on the team.

Q: We last saw you in one episode of season five. The show just got picked up for a seventh season. What do you think has kept “One Tree Hill” on so long?

A: I think especially in the past two years, (creator) Mark Schwahn made a really smart decision, pushing the shows four years ahead, which provided a whole new range of material for him to work with. And also, Tree Hill is everybody’s hometown. Everybody can relate to each one of these characters and find a little of themselves. The storylines are timeless.

Q: How has life in Los Angeles been?

A: It’s super competitive. It’s really fast-paced. What I’ve realized the most is that there’s a million or more women that look just like me doing exactly what I’m doing. I just got lucky enough to be in a position – thanks to One Tree Hill – to be able to walk into a room and have someone take a look at me.

Q: Other than your family, what do you miss most about Wilmington?

A: My big dog. I have a lab/golden retriever mix, so she was a little big to bring out here. I miss the water. I mean the beach is close (in L.A.) but it’s not the same. I miss Dockside on a Sunday afternoon.

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