INTERVIEW: Ashley Greene

Ashley Greene

Ashley Greene has it all! The brunette beauty has a starring role in one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, gorgeous co-stars (RPattz and Taylor Lautner anyone?) and millions of devoted fans. Discover the real Ashley and what she feels about life in the public eye, her acting future and of course, the famous "Team Edward vs. Team Jacob" battle.

Full Name: Ashley Michelle Greene
Birthday: February 21st 1987
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Height: 5'5
Favorite TV Show: 'Entourage'
Favorite Movie: 'Breakfast at Tiffanys'
Favorite Actress: Audrey Hepburn
Favorite Singer: Lady Gaga
Favorite Color: Pink

What was your favorite Alice scene in the 'Twilight' saga?
Ashley: Favorite Alice moment? Hmm.... there are a few but a moment that always makes me smile is the whole yellow Porsche bit.... it shows a playful warm connection between Edward and Alice.

Would you want to have Alice's power in real life?
Ashley: I think it'd be a little bit of a burden. I'd feel so much pressure if anything [bad] would happen, and I don't think I would have time to just live, because everything can change, once you know the future and if you try and change it — nothing would play out the way it was supposed to. I think it's better that life is kind of like a mystery, I think that's what drives us. So it would be cool for a minute, and then it would drive me crazy probably, like reading people's minds. That would drive me nuts! You really don't want to hear what people are thinking. I'm okay with just smiling and saying hello!

Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Ashley: Even though I adore Taylor Lautner (Jacob), I'm the type of girl who wants what she can't have. And Edward is mysterious and almost unreachable and supernatural. And he's this tortured soul who actually really loves this Bella character, but he can't be with her, but he doesn't care, and he's willing to give up everything. And vampires are just cool. So yeah, I would go with him.

Which 'Twilight' book was your favorite?
Ashley: I love the first one (Twilight); it's the one that got me hooked, and I couldn't put it down, and that's the one I remember the most. The second (New Moon) and third (Eclipse) are cool because my character kind of gets to grow a little bit, but the first one was really cool because I read it and it left all this up to the imagination so I got to create my own little world, so that was really fun.

What was your first impression of Robert Pattinson?
Ashley: When I met Rob, he literally didn't make any impression on me. He's quiet, he's not very outgoing, he wasn't like, 'Hey! What's up? I'm Rob!' So with Catherine (the director of 'Twilight'), she was basically like, 'So, that's Rob.' And I was like, 'Oh, cool.' And it's just so funny now looking at it, because every girl swoons over him.

What does the 'Twilight' cast do when you hang out?
Ashley: We do a lot of game nights. Taboo and Apples to Apples are our favorites. We just kind of chill out. We're very comfortable, so it's nice, especially in this craziness. Just hiking, working out, stuff like that.

What jobs did you have before you made it as an actress?
Ashley: I've had a lot of jobs. I've been working since I was 14. My first job was at a dry cleaners. I worked as a waitress. I worked at Lucky Strike. Even from a young age, I was super independent and wanted to make my own money. My parents were like, 'OK, go ahead then.

Were you nervous about moving out to Los Angeles at seventeen to pursue your dream?
Ashley: It was more frightening for my mother and father than it was for me. I have a certain way of thinking where I see something, and I know that I want it and I make up my mind—and that's pretty much all there is to it. It was like, This is what I want to do, and I'm going, and everything's going to work out. I'm going to be an actress. There was no way around it. My parents, on the other hand . . . Obviously, they had a lot of long talks and sleepless nights. I was always a good kid, so they went out on a limb. But they did say, "If you go out to L.A. and start becoming this wild child, then you have to come back home and go to college.

How difficult is it being in the public eye?
Ashley: There was a moment in time where I was kind of having this mini-breakdown because it was all very new, and it was all being thrown at me really quickly, and I was going, "Why are people reporting on this? Why do people care what I'm wearing or what I'm eating, and why are people looking down on me because I'm not wearing high heels?" That's the downside to being in the public eye. When girls come up and say, "You're my role model," it's really flattering, but it's also really scary because I'm not perfect and I'm going to make mistakes. I've just decided that I have to continue to live my life and do what I do. Hopefully, people love me because of who I am, not who I pretend to be.

How would you describe your style?
Ashley: Ever-changing and evolving. It really depends on the day and how I feel. Red carpets are fun, I mean it's always nice to be glamorous but I'm a big jeans and t-shirt girl, too. My favorite thing to do is dress things up with accessories, scarves, necklaces, a great bag. That's a great way to personalize a look.

Who are your role models?
Ashley: Of course, my parents are a huge influence in my life. They've been there from the get-go and will always be there. But as far as people in this industry, I think that a lot of people already know that Audrey Hepburn is someone that I really look up to. She's beautiful inside and out. But more than that, she's got an amazing style sense but she really used her position to help out in the world.

What is your dream role?
Ashley: I would really love to do a piece like Julia Roberts or Charlize Theron in 'Erin Brockovich' or 'North Country'. They were both so amazing and so inspiring. I would love to touch someone in the way they're performances touched me.

What do you see yourself doing in ten years?
Ashley: What would I like to be doing in 10 years? I'll be 32, Maybe having a baby. No, I think something along the lines of doing a really incredible, inspiring film with a strong female character. I think when I'm around 32, I'll be up for things like that.