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Brooke Burns plays Nicole Booth, the director of guest relations at the ficticious Grand Waimea Hotel on "North Shore."
NORTH SHORESweetheart
A "Baywatch" veteran returns
with a new series and
a mother’s priorities
The last time Brooke Burns called Hawaii home, she was 22, single, attracted to bad boys and blond in her role as "Baywatch Hawaii" lifeguard Jessica "Jessie" Owens.
Burns is back four years later with her blond tresses dyed brunette as a co-star in Fox Television's hotel drama "North Shore." She plays Nicole Booth, a feisty hotel executive at the luxury Grand Waimea Hotel, trekking around in business attire instead of a low-cut, red "Baywatch" swimsuit.
'NORTH SHORE' The made-in-Hawaii show debuts at 7 tonight on KHON/FOX.
Website: www.fox.com/northshore/
"I am sooo sophisticated in the show and must be taken seriously, dahling," Burns jokes on the "North Shore" set.
Burns now is also the single mom of Madison Elizabeth, 4, purchased a mountaintop home in Los Angeles last year, appeared in the hit film "Shallow Hal," hosted the reality show "Dog Eat Dog" and has seen herself splashed across tabloids thanks to her year-long, now pau relationship with actor Bruce Willis.
"It's great to be back in Hawaii, living and working," Burns said. "I already knew my way around, where my favorite market is, restaurants and all the short cuts to get around traffic."
She's also thrilled to be working again with Jason Momoa, another "Baywatch Hawaii" veteran, who plays hotel bartender Frankie Seau.
"North Shore" is a 20-something ensemble series set at the Grand Waimea, a luxury hotel, where Jason Matthews (Kristoffer Polaha) is the popular general manager and his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Booth (Burns), is the newly hired head of guest relations, having left her father's hotel empire to make her own way in business and in life.
Working side by side causes tension between them because their romantic relationship might be far from over.
Burns is as nice an actor as you can find. During recent filming at Ko Olina, she was dressed in business attire but barefoot, chatting it up with a half-dozen extras. Then she mocked herself walking uncomfortably in the sand as if wearing high heels, and teased a photographer about taking a photo of her with bald acting coach Scott Rogers.
"I can see it now," Burns said. "The caption will read 'Bruce on the set with Brooke.'"
A moment later, Burns sees co-star Corey Sevier, who plays a hotel lifeguard, and she runs to hug him.
"Isn't he so cute!" Burns says.
"She's grounded," a crew member said. "Fun to be around."
Kristoffer Polaha, left, plays Jason Matthews, Burns' love interest on "North Shore." James Remar plays hotel owner Vincent Colville.
Burns lives in a beachfront condo five minutes from the Hawaii Film Studio. She shares custody of Madison with ex-husband and actor Julian McMahon, to whom she was married for 14 months.
Asked about her relationship with Willis, Burns is surprisingly open.
"We had such an amazing year together," she said. "He was unbelievably good to Madison."
So why didn't it work?
"It did work because we were together for a year," she said. "But I work 16-hour days. My family is a priority and his family is a priority. I'm here; he's there. This is a very difficult situation."
Burns won't say whether the couple was engaged, as reported by some media. "You don't stop loving someone one week to the next just because you decide to take a break from the dating relationship."
As to whether they might resume seeing one another, Burns said: "I'm not even thinking in that direction. My priorities are my little girl, my work and enjoying Hawaii."
Young children tend to put a damper on dating, Burns said. "Madison weeds out all the bad guys. Some come to my car and see the car seat and the bottles, and the guys who are only interested in having a good time are like, 'Gotta go now -- bye!'"
Burns was unmarried when she became pregnant by McMahon about three months before the second season of "Baywatch Hawaii" finished filming. The call to her dad telling him the news was "very hard to make," Burns said. "But I've never seen him smile more than in photographs with Madison."
Hawaii's Jason Momoa plays bartender Frankie Seau on "North Shore."
Growing up in Dallas, Burns was a successful ballerina for 12 years until a ski injury halted that career. Burns' mother enrolled her at a modeling agency, and by age 16 she was working throughout Europe. A year later she went to New York to model.
Burns eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue a television acting career. Her first audition was for the syndication series "Baywatch." She wasn't hired, but made several guest-starring TV appearances in shows that included Timothy Hutton's "Nero Wolfe" and "Ally McBeal," where she had a recurring role as the fantasy girl Jennifer.
Burns replaced another actor on "North Shore" and had less than a week to get to Hawaii for filming.
"My character, Nicole, is a strong woman who wants to prove herself in the business world without the help of her wealthy father," Burns said. "The character is more about business than body. I haven't had to do one scene in a swimsuit."
Burns has stood by her decision not to pose for Playboy and other men's magazines, despite constant offers.
"I come from a spiritual family. My father does missionary work, and they live in a conservative state," she said. "Besides, there are just some things Dad doesn't need to see. And I'm a mother."
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