In 2009, I traveled to South Sudan with my organization PSI. While there, I visited a local school and met with a group of children who had formed a water club. The group learned about how to treat their drinking water and use proper hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before eating or after going to the bathroom.

It depends on the scripts and the character and just everybody involved, the other actors and directors. It's just a gut feeling when you find something, you're like, 'Yes, I want to sink my teeth into that.'

We live in a cynical world now, and it's nice to be part of entertainment that is hopeful and heartfelt and wears its heart on its sleeve, but isn't saccharine. It's real. It's grounded.

When I started out in the industry I was 14 and a beanpole, but over the last few years I've grown. For the most part I feel pretty OK with how I look. I know I'm different from the typical Hollywood ideal of what is beautiful. But quite frankly I don't think that's attainable, and I'm happy to represent something different.

Music is my passion. It's my priority. I love it.

As terrifying as sharks are, I find it far more terrifying, the idea of being trapped on the bottom of the ocean with a ticking clock and running out of air.

I do find it bizarre that people find it bizarre that I've grown up.