Elle Fanning: I'm a normal kid, really. I just love to act.

I'm a big fish eater. Salmon - I love salmon. My sister loves Chinese food and sushi and all that. I'm not as big of a fan, but she likes it so we eat it a lot. So I'm beginning to like it more. I don't like the raw sushi. I liked the cooked crab and lobster and everything.

Elle Fanning

sister-love big-fish chinese

Everyone should love themselves, should think that they're beautiful.

Elle Fanning

beautiful thinking

If people say "no" to you and it's something you really want to do, keep going and you'll succeed.

Elle Fanning

succeed want people

My generation, we're more accepting of narcissism. But we're looking at images that are dead, that are on your phone. My friends have apps to make you look skinny, to make your skin look perfect. And we look at these images and we're like, "That's beauty. That's perfect." But when you see a real person, you're like, "Wait, that's not perfect."

Elle Fanning

real waiting perfect

Beauty is a complex theme, for sure. We all have a different concept and opinion regarding it, but we all like to look at things that are aesthetically pleasing. I had the typical high school experience, where you question what is beauty, and you're comparing yourself to others, it was just part of growing up.

Elle Fanning

typical growing-up school

I get very emotional about time periods I never lived in, but I have a weird connection to them. The mystery of it becomes about hearing the stories of those eras, and creating nostalgia from those stories.

Elle Fanning

creating connections emotional

There is also an awakening to beauty, because when you're really young you don't have that concept or opinion in place, so you make your own discoveries. It's different now with technology, and the constant bombardment of images.

Elle Fanning

technology different discovery

If I asked you, "Do you think you're beautiful?" everyone should say yes.

Elle Fanning

should beautiful thinking

That's the main thing you have to have... trust.

Elle Fanning

We're constantly taking pictures of ourselves. It's a bit scary, because images are essentially dead, so we judge beauty on something that isn't alive.

Elle Fanning

alive scary judging

Acting is different from dance. The black-and-whiteness of dancing is mostly about the technical form - like, this is how people have been doing it for millions of years. You can't let down those ballerinas who died a long time ago. My teacher will say, "This person would be ashamed!" And it's like, oh God. But with acting, it's different because people like something fresh. You can mix it up and create your own thing and it's not necessarily wrong.

Elle Fanning

teacher long people

One boy made fun of me because one day, I had really curly hair, and I wear glasses normally, and I also bite my nails. I feel like everyone is different in their own way, so, people shouldn't try to make them feel bad because of that.

Elle Fanning

hair fun boys

It's fun because you can escape and learn about what other people's minds have created. It inspires you to think maybe you could come up with a creature yourself. I like that.

Elle Fanning

fun people thinking

I'm pretty good with not being afraid to just go up to people and introduce myself.

Elle Fanning

being-afraid introducing people

I don't think you should try to be anything you're not. If you're not smiling all the time or always happy - I don't think it matters. If you're having bad day, show you're having a bad day. Don't try to put up something that's fake.

Elle Fanning

bad-day fake thinking

I feel like with every character, you try to put yourself in that person's position and just completely use your imagination. That's what I do, at least. Everything is just pretend.

Elle Fanning

imagination trying character

I don't have a Facebook, I never have. I don't have Twitter, I never have. I think my parents are very protective, so they didn't want us to have any more exposure. But Instagram is a photo that you control. And you can talk to your fans, or talk about the movies you do - slices of your life. It is what you make it.

Elle Fanning

want-u parent thinking

I mean, it's amazing that I get to meet all these people. I've learned so much from all of them. I just worked with Sofia Coppola and that was amazing. I learned so much from her. I can't even describe how much fun I had.

Elle Fanning

fun mean people

Some people do piano lessons after school; I do movies.

Elle Fanning

piano people school

I liked that you have to sometimes get into a situation that might not be a comfortable one - so, overcome your fear and good things will happen - if you want someone to know something, or you have to really take charge and do it yourself and go for it. With the Boxtrolls, they want people to know they're not mean guys, but they're too scared to show anyone. They have to eventually work up the courage to show that and gain the confidence.

Elle Fanning

guy mean people