Carly Pope has the face of a glamour girl, so it's ironic that instead of playing, say, a debutante or a crimson-lipsticked siren, she's taken on Popular's unpopular Sam McPherson -- and nailed the character's awkward uncertainty. She landed the part just six months after graduating from her Vancouver high school. But if you think Carly was an instant hit, think again: Upon arriving in L.A., she was passed over for a lead role in Roswell, which would have reunited her with old pal Brendan Fehr. Still, missed opportunities don't faze her. "This is a process of learning and growing and never actually getting to a [certain] point," Carly says. "Because if that's what you're looking for -- a conclusion or an answer -- then you've stopped growing."