Paul Johnson Calderon:: High Society's Bad Boy

If you ever thought that the CW soap Gossip Girl was purely fiction, then the new reality series High Society (which airs on the same network) will prove that theory wrong. The young socialites in this Manhattan world aren't actors but truly are the adult children of the wealthy and privileged in New York City and spend their time party-hopping and shopping in the most elite stores on the East Coast. Centered around socialite Tinsley Mortimer, the series also spends time on Mortimer's crew of friends that range from the bitchy and snooty to just plain entertaining.

Where does High Society co-star Paul Johnson Calderon fall between those two? The out 20-something probably lands somewhere in between both categories. While he has no problem sticking his nose up to society columnist Devorah Rose, throwing drinks at his ex-bff-now-arch-nemesis Jules Kirby or pilfering the loan his mother gave him on new designer duds, he also shows a slightly more vulnerable side when romancing sexy Ford model Tommy DiDario. Edge's Jim Halterman talked to Calderon about how he's being portrayed on the show, if he ever wants to settle down with a special someone and what he has to say about someone saying that nobody takes him seriously.

Likable?

EDGE: Now that the show has been airing, how do you feel about the way you're being portrayed on the show as not always that likable?

Paul Johnson Calderon: Actually, it's funny you say that. I'm being asked that quite a bit. I'm actually totally okay with it. I think it's worked for the show and I think that ultimately it's just really fun and really entertaining at the end of it.

EDGE: So if you could get into the edit room, would you cut the show the same way?

PJC: [laughs] I could never personally do that because I'm such a bonehead with equipment like that. I would probably wind up making it look really bad. The people who are doing it and are editing I think are doing a great job.

EDGE: There's nothing more entertaining than throwing a drink in someone else's face as you did in the first episode. How many times have you done that in your life?

PJC: I think that stuff happens more in college than it does in real life so I haven't done it in a really long time. I've probably done it a handful of times in my whole life.

EDGE: Have you been the recipient of a drink being thrown at you?

PJC: Definitely. I definitely have had that happen so it's a vicious cycle in retribution.

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Watch this scene featuring Paul Johnson Calderon from the CW reality series High Society.

A real-life Gossip Girl?

EDGE: The show has been called a real-life Gossip Girl. Is that accurate or is that selling it short?

PJC: I don't think it's selling it short at all. I think maybe everyone going into this had their own agendas and that would come out. You could look at it as being about Tinsley or about New York; but comparing it to Gossip Girl would be a compliment.

EDGE: You were having a fling with Tommy but where does that stand now? Do we see more of that in the rest of the first season?

PJC: You definitely see more of that. Tommy and I are still very close. Both of us are very busy with our schedules and it's hard to have a relationship when there are cameras around and stuff like that. I don't want to jinx anything but we're definitely still in contact. When we see each other we stop and chat when we can but you'll have to stay tuned to see what happens as we get to know each other.

EDGE: Personally, do you see yourself settling down and having a family someday?

PJC: I'm looking for something like that further down the road than anytime soon. I have this picture of me being a 30-year old dad. I'm not 30 yet so maybe in the next five years. I just want to wait until all that falls into place. You really have to find the right person and it's really not something you can just do. I see myself in a Brangelina-type relationship. Multi-cultural babies from around the world. It's definitely something that will be down the road. I think it's something you really have to be serious about and I don't think right now that's something I could do.

EDGE: We meet your mother on the show. How has she reacted to what she's seen, including how you blew the money that she loaned you?

PJC: She wasn't so happy about that but she knew about it before she saw it on TV. She really likes the show and thinks it's entertaining and it's fun that she was able to be a part of it. She's a very big part of my life and she's somebody I can always turn to whether it's for career advice and you do see more of her as the season progresses.

EDGE: Talk to me about Devorah, who is also on the show. She says that nobody takes you seriously and I want to know your response to that. I'm guessing there's not a lot of love lost there, right?

PJC: I could wax poetic about how much of a little runt I think Devorah Rose is but instead of being petty I would be more concerned about somebody saying something about people taking me seriously. There are people out there who know who I am and do take me seriously. People are going to say whatever they want especially people like that who are jealous. I would never say something that cold about her but she's not really a person that I really think about that much.

EDGE: The show is all about New York. Can you tell me why you think it's such a special place and would you ever live anywhere else?

PJC: Right now, definitely not. I think New York is the place to be at all times and I like that about it. I think it's such an interesting mix. Having gone to a boarding school for college, we would always come to New York for the weekends. So when I moved here, I started to become friends with a lot of different types of people -- that's the greatest thing that New York has to offer. Every neighborhood is so different and there are so many different kinds of people here. I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. When I have my dream of having the big family, I'll hopefully be living in the English countryside by then. I'll always keep an apartment in New York.

Catch more of the real life drama on High Society, which airs Wednesday nights at 9:30/8:30c on the CW network. Previous episodes are available to view at the CW website and at hulu.com.

Watch this scene from High Society featuring Paul Johnson Calderon and Tommy DiDario working out.