Teenagers have a legitimate voice. We deserve to have a seat at the table and a place in the conversation. We're not exempt from politics and social movements; we're affected by them.

I started acting when I was 5, and it was always a part of my life. My life and acting weren't separate things; they were always one.

I've loved movies since I could remember. They were literally the most significant thing in my life as a kid. I'm really lucky that I've felt so inspired by them; they're such a good format to tell a story.

I think teenagers just want a place to feel safe and understood and heard, while also understanding that it's really scary right now in the world. We don't want to be told, "It's all going to be okay." We want to talk honestly about what's happening and what we can do.

It's really scary, when you're on the verge of becoming a teenager, and you don't know if people like you for you or if they like you for the show you're on. So I started finding friends who were not that way, who are accepting and see you who you are.

I genuinely love to be by myself, but at the same time, it's such a relief to know that I have another person's head who I can go into and whose life I can live. It's kind of an escape route, almost like therapy. It's refreshing to know that I can go back to a place where I don't have to be myself.

In my work, I'm passionate about trying different things and being okay if I mess up. Now I'm trying to bring that into my own life.