When an actor is part of a multi-star TV show such as Gossip Girl, 90210, One Tree Hill, The Big Bang Theory, the pressure of making it a roaring success is split evenly among the cast.

And Rachel Bilson was über-fortunate to get the chance to do just that when she landed the role of Summer Roberts in The O.C. circa 2003.

With previous cameos in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 8 Simple Rules, she understood that, with the popularity scale tipped in her favour, it was crucial for her to make the most of her new platform.

While a hugely-successful TV series, The O.C. lasted four seasons. With an all-good-things-must-come-to-an-end outlook, Bilson flexed her acting muscles on the big screen with The Last Kiss, Jumper, New York, I Love You, Waiting for Forever, L!fe Happens and, in the pipeline, The To Do List.

Blessed with youthful looks that belie her age, she is a long way from attaining the same measure of success as the likes of Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus or Vanessa Hudgens. But, make no mistake, she is an adept actress and surpassing expectations won’t be a big ask as she continues to hone her skills and, as such, do her writer-director-producer father Danny proud.

Getting back to Hart of Dixie, which funnily enough has at its co-executive producer The O.C.’s Josh Schwartz, Bilson has been cast as Dr Zoe Hart.

Zoe is determined to follow in the footsteps of her father, a respected cardiothoracic surgeon. Unfortunately, her plan goes a tad pear-shaped when, after a four-year residency at a New York Hospital, she doesn’t get a fellowship.

And her back-up plan?

Well, that involves working for Dr Haley Wilkes at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. When she arrives she learns that he has passed away and has left half of his medical practice to her in his will.

On taking the lead this time around, Bilson says: “I think there are so many different relationships going on, and the characters are awesome. I don’t feel any pressure because I really feel like it’s a group effort and everyone is so fantastic.”

Demystifying her character, the 30-year-old actress explains, “What I really like about Dr Zoe Hart is the fact that she’s a very smart, intelligent, independent woman. But she’s also motivated and she doesn’t stop at anything to get what she wants.

“She doesn’t have the best tact… she’s not very, you know, polite; no bedside manner. But she is strong and confident in everything she does, even when she’s thrown into this situation like a fish out of water.

“She’s definitely New York City, through and through. And that comes through in her clothes, her shoes…”

Touching on her career graph’s gradual soar, Bilson shares: “I was focusing on film for a little while, which was fun. But I was always open to television. And, I thought about it for a long time and I knew, if I came back, it would be with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.

“When I met Leila (Gerstein) and Len (Goldstein) and I read this script, everything felt right. So it was the perfect scenario – the combination of Josh, Stephanie, Leila and Len – and the characters and the story. It was a no-brainer.”

And the blossoming relationships between Hart and Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams), mayor of Bluebell; Wade Kinsella (Wilson Bethel), her bartender neighbour and George Tucker (Scott Parker), a lawyer who is marrying Lemon Breeland, the daughter of the town doctor, become the catalyst in much of the drama and comic confusion.

Bilson teases: “There’s lots of love triangles going on.”

With Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, House, Nurse Jackie and Hawthorne at the forefront in the genre, it will be interesting to see whether Hart of Dixie manages to infiltrate it.

And that mammoth task rests with Bilson… and it’s one that she is cognisant of.

Bottom line: if she can get to the Hart of the audience, this TV series could pulse its way into another season.

• Hart of Dixie is on M-Net Series (DStv Channel 110) on Fridays at 8.30pm.

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