Gilmore Girls' actress Arielle Kebbel brags about being able to drink guys under the table, admits she loves to make her older sister uncomfortable by asking inappropriate sex questions, and recalls a note she wrote to a close girlfriend's fiancé the night before their wedding: "I am so glad you make my friend happy. If you hurt her, I will kill you."

But when it comes to her own relationships, the newly single Kebbel's preferences in men are shifting. Previously drawn to the life of the party, Kebbel's gaze now seeks the edges of the room. "If I meet two guys at the same time, and one of them is coming on really strong and talking a lot, and the other is more quiet and reserved, I'm going to like the second one," she says. "I want someone who isn't going to give it away in the first meeting."

Arielle's Tips:

• Be Something New:. "I want someone who can respectfully challenge me. There's no point in having a relationship with someone who thinks like me or laughs at what I laugh at. I enjoy being with someone who can offer me the opposite."
• Don't Be Needy: "I am very independent, and I need a man who's independent. I love to do cute, thoughtful things for my boyfriend. But I enjoy caretaking only when I don't think he's going to start being dependent."
• Let the Little Things Slide: "Don't pay too much attention to every little screwup she makes. If you really want to fight about things on that level, then I can't be bothered with it."