“If I can’t flaunt it at 20, come on!,” says the 19-year-old Panettiere. “I mean I might as well show it now.”
In Cooper, Panettiere plays Beth Cooper, a cheerleader and the most popular girls in high school.
“It didn’t bother me much,” Panettiere says of shooting the scene in which she drops her towel in the school locker room.
“I think when the person who’s doing it gets all uncomfortable and shy, then it’s other people around who get more uncomfortable because they’re uncomfortable. I mean I was fine – everyone was really professional.”
While she bears all on set and was in fact naked for the scene, fans unfortunately will only see her bare back as Cooper is a PG-13 comedy…
“I was really naked,” Panettiere admits. “I had these little sticky petals on my boobs, but that was about it. My dad calls me such an exhibitionist. He always says, ‘God, even when you were little, you were such an exhibitionist!'”
So does this mean we can expect some Panettiere full frontal anytime soon? “I’m cool with my body, and I’m cool running around undressed and all that stuff, but there are just certain things that not everyone needs to know, that you need to keep somehow private and personal to you.”
“But you never know, you never know. I could be 30 years old and just be like, ‘Screw it — I want to take it all off. I better take a picture of this baby before it all goes.'”
‘I Love You Beth Cooper’ hits theaters July 10, 2009 and co-stars newcomer Paul Rust. Directed by Chris Columbus.