How did you get into acting?
I started acting when I was three years old. I was sitting in front of the TV and I saw this commercial with a girl brushing Barbie's hair and I thought, I can brush Barbie's hair. I think that's when I had my first tantrum. I went up to my mother saying, "I want to be on TV, I want to be on TV." My mom is awesomely supportive, so she found me an agent in New York and I was eventually in a Whisk detergent commercial.
How did you prepare for your part in the movie, "Ice Princess"?
For my role in "Ice Princess," I trained for 8 months on the ice--4 months of which was on the set. I took ballet. I was working 6-7 days a week. I was on the set all the time.
See the trailer from the movie "Ice Princess."
How do you prepare for a part?
In general, I try to make the character real. I try to erase everything that's written on the page and think about what the character's personality is like, and imagine how she would conquer the scene.
Who are your role models?
My mom is truly one of role models. She dedicated her life to letting me follow my passions. As far as actresses go, I look up to people like Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, people of that caliber. I respect younger actresses, but I think a lot of them forget that they have a lot to learn. You know, you have to watch Audrey Hepburn over and over again. There's a reason these actresses are legendary.
If you could do anything else, what would it be?
Steal Anna Wintour's job. I'm a fashion junkie...
Do you have any advice for other teens who are interested in becoming an actress?
You have to be prepared to sacrifice a lot and to hit a lot of hard walls. In the beginning a casting director may not take you because you have the wrong color hair, for instance if the script says blonde hair blue eyes, and you're a brunette. You have to believe in yourself and want to be an actress. Being famous is not something to achieve, it's something that might happen along the way. It takes hard work and discipline.
We heard that you chat online with your fans, do you still do that?
I used to when I was less busy. I liked seeing what people said about me. I got on some message boards and there would be really positive things and I'd be like, great. And then there would be really mean things. I would look in the mirror and think, they said I have a long giraffe-like neck. I'd say to my mom, do I have a really long, giraffe-like neck? ... Yeah, you have to take it with a grain of salt.
