I was thrust into a really lofty, enviable, but isolated position with 'Princess Diaries' in that I could carry a film before I really knew if I could act.

The best part about working is that you never know what you're going to learn when you start out.

I'm pretty good at remaining calm during an emergency. My house burned down when I was 12, which made me really pragmatic about what needed to be done. But I can be bad in that I compartmentalize a lot of emotions and push them away to deal with them at a later date.

I'm a pretty boring person. I have a dog that I love, and friends that I love, and a family that I love. I'm just trying to spend as much time with them as I can.

I'm not attempting to be a role model but I accept that roles I've played put me in that position. I don't feel a huge responsibility as an actress to put my young fan base first.

My mom (Kate McCauley) is an actress, so I guess she's the one that taught me it was a possibility. For as long as I can remember, I've always played make-believe ... It's something that I've always done, that I've always been comfortable doing.

I can think of few things more painful than naming four good things about yourself in front of a room of journalists!