I was in a commercial when I was three. My godfather was a director and a producer of commercials. He took me in along with his kids and I couldn't remember my lines. I giggled my way through the commercial and they kept it.

I didn't want to be a cheerleader, and when you're young and you're blonde that's kind of thrust upon you whether you like it or not.

Do you remember A Wrinkle in Time? It's a good one example. I think the character's name is Meg. I just remember she was a very logical, intelligent, advanced girl. I wouldn't say that I felt like that was who I was, but I wanted to be around her; I wanted to be like her. She had an understanding of science and was incredibly curious - an interesting, complex young girl.

All of my scenes were with Jason Isaacs. I could definitely see myself going on an adventure with him, and learning as an actor from him.

I think I had a lot of fear, even when I was really young, that I was going to be seen as something that I didn't want to be. I didn't really know how to be myself well enough to be comfortable being someone else. Now, as an adult, I have a grounded enough awareness of who I am as a human being and what I'm comfortable exploring and what I'm not interested in exploring.

I wasn't a very outgoing child. I read a lot of books and the characters in each of the books became like imaginary friends - I immersed myself in the different worlds. I always hated finishing books that I really loved for that reason.

I do consider myself an actress now. I think Dig and Transparent have given me the confidence. I've been working as an actress, it's something that I have to continue to earn, but I do feel like it's a part of me. It's something that I love, and to not acknowledge it would be false.