Agoura Hills is home to many prominent players in the entertainment industry, and now former Agoura High alum Adrianna Costa can be rightfully added to that exclusive list. 

While she certainly has the looks to pass as a glamorous actress or model, Costa has instead made her mark as an entertainment news host and correspondent,  interviewing A-list celebrities and reporting on all the latest developments in Hollywood.

In between doing a voiceover for her current job at NBC’s Extra! and darting off to another assignment, Costa spoke with Patch about what it took to make it to the big leagues and fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a television fixture.

While it may not have always been easy, Costa, who is a former Lamppost Pizza employee and Agoura High Prom Princess, reflected on her path toward stardom, her awe of Johnny Depp and, of course, her affection for the 91301.

Agoura Hills Patch: As a celebrity reporter, you spend most of your time in Los Angeles and traveling. Do you make it back to your hometown much?

Adrianna Costa: Yes! I like going home to see my family and my dogs, and I try to go at least once a week, because I’m really close with my family.

Patch: What are some of your favorite local amenities within Agoura Hills?

Costa: I like Italia Deli, and I also like Agoura’s Famous Deli and Agoura Sushi. There’s this little store that I go to to get cheap stuff. [Editor’s note: I believe she meant Look Good.]

Patch: Because you’re a broadcaster, were you involved in the arts at Agoura High School?

Costa: I was just the opposite in high school. I was not involved at all. I was a cheerleader during freshman and sophomore year, and then I sort of checked out and didn’t subscribe to the whole high school thing. I was good in English classes, but hated math.

Patch: So your love for entertainment journalism came about more organically?

Costa: I just naturally am insanely inquisitive to the point where it annoys people, because I ask a million questions about everything. I’m just so curious. I’ll go into an interview and [producers] say, “OK, ask these five questions,” and it’s like, “No no no! I want to know about this, and this, and this.”  

I love performance, but I’m not an actress. I never wanted to take on roles as different characters. I wanted to just be myself. So when I saw that there was a job where you could be a presenter and be bubbly and fun and ask people questions as a journalist, I was all in.

Patch: After honing your skills throughout college at the University of Colorado at Boulder, what was your first job in the industry?

Costa: My first job was in Palm Springs, where I started as an intern at a local affiliate CBS station. I have to give this woman so much credit, Erin Gilhuly. She was my first news director and gave me a shot on air. She was a tough cookie but said, “Yeah, OK, go for it.” From there, I was making no money, like $19,000 a year, but I was a feature reporter. I was 21 years old and I was writing, producing, editing and appearing in all my own pieces.

Patch: Who is your favorite celebrity to interview?

Costa: I interviewed Johnny Depp in Paris recently. Extra! sent me to Paris, France two months ago for The Tourist, so it’s me, in one of the most famous hotels in Paris, in a hotel room, [interviewing] Johnny Depp, for 15 minutes.

I almost died. He is not only drop-dead gorgeous, but he walks in, and you’re like, “Oh My God! I feel that you’re a star!” He is just so cool and gracious and kind and down-to-earth with zero pretenses. We were talking about how he’s such a huge fan of Jay-Z, and the reason he wants his girlfriend Vanessa Paradis to keep her last name, because it sounds so much sexier than Vanessa Depp. He is just so awesome. That was a highlight of my career.

Patch: What piece of advice can you offer Agoura Hills residents who are leaning toward a career in broadcast journalism? 

Costa: Don’t do it unless you’re freaking in love [with it]}, because it is hard and there is heartache attached to it, big time. This is not an easy career, but with that said, if you’re in love with your job, you’ll never work another day in your life. It took me 10 years to get to the gig I really wanted, which is Extra!. I had been doing other jobs which were good, but this is where I wanted to be. 

Catch Adrianna Costa by watching her on "Extra!" when it airs weekdays at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday at 4:30 p.m., and Sunday at 12:35 a.m.