LAUREN CONRAD

Lauren Conrad became one of the year's biggest stars simply by playing herself, sometimes in more than one take. Four million fans are addicted to The Hills, the MTV soap about her life as a single girl in L.A., transforming the 21-year-old into a living, breathing reality TV brand. ''I'm just trying to enjoy everything I've gotten,'' says Conrad, who is so used to living on camera that even when the show isn't in production, she frisks herself for a microphone before telling a friend a secret. ''But it's obviously going to go away pretty soon.'' A reality star with perspective? Maybe she should wear a mic at all times. —Lindsay Soll

More? See our full Q&A with Lauren Conrad