AnnaSophia Robb wears [CALLE DEL MAR](https://www.calledelmar.us) top, [BIG BUD PRESS](https://bigbudpress.com) pants, and [CELINE](https://www.celine.com) earrings.
Like many of us, [AnnaSophia Robb](https://www.instagram.com/annasophiarobb) has confined herself to her LA home as she does her part to flatten the curve. However, Robb has done far from limit herself as she creates unique ways to spend her hours indoors and to prove that her relationships are only strengthening with the distance. The NY based actress shares that her friends had a virtual prom that included everything from big dresses to even chaperones all via Zoom. To keep their high school theme consistent, they were also required to give a five-minute presentation on a subject of their choice to make sure they were all using this as a period of enlightenment. She built her presentation surrounding her grandmother’s famous martinis, which we deem is the perfect pairing to quarantine. As we all dream about the day for the government sanctioned lockdown to be lifted, Robb has lifted her own spirits with many hours of hula hooping, puzzle placing, and hopefully embroidering (if her package ever comes.)
Known to most of us the girl who was in every movie we watched as a child growing up in the early 2000s, AnnaSophia Robb has created a plethora of beloved characters spanning from Leslie in _The Bridge to Terabithia_ to the teenaged Carrie Bradshaw in _The Carrie Diaries._ Her latest role in Hulu’s _Little Fires Everywhere_ is young Elena (Reese Witherspoon) – playing a young mother with four children under four struggling to reassert control over her life. Her latest episode releases today on Hulu.
Flaunt connected with AnnaSophia Robb about her role in _Little Fires Everywhere_ and how she is staying sane during her time perpetually indoors.
AnnaSophia Robb wears [CALLE DEL MAR](https://www.calledelmar.us/) top, [BIG BUD PRESS](https://bigbudpress.com/) pants, [JACQUEMUS](https://www.jacquemus.com/) shoes, and [CELINE](https://www.celine.com/) earrings.
**This is currently a time of unwavering confusion, how are you able to actively remain creative during this period? What has been your go-to work from home activities that give you a peace of mind?**
I guess it’s only the third week, but it feels like it has been a month. In some ways it also feels like it has gone by quickly. I have been trying to stick to a schedule. I try to work out every morning. I know that sounds stupid but doing yoga or Ryan Hefffington’s Sweat Spot. You dance with him and then you see the other 6,000 people dancing with you too. It is a really special thing to feel connected right in the morning because everyone is there and doing a silly dance move in their living room. It starts my day off with joy, which is very important right now. I also ordered a hula hoop. I have roller skates and have been trying to find a steady enough surface. Most importantly I have been trying to stay productive during this time. I have been reading and staying in touch with family. Both of my surviving grandparents are in retirement homes right now and they are locked. So, I have been making sure to call them and check in and see how they are doing.
Luckily I am with my boyfriend and our roommate. It’s been really fun. We did a virtual Prom, which was so fun because prom is cancelled. We all got dressed up and one of my friends made a playlist and his mom zoomed in, who was the quote on quote chaperone. We all danced for three hours! The same friend organized a presentation where we all had to zoom in and give a five-minute speech. I gave my presentation on my grandmother’s martinis. I think doing activities like this is really important, because it feels like you’re connecting. It is something to look forward to and something that is set.
AnnaSophia Robb wears [CALLE DEL MAR](https://www.calledelmar.us/) dress and [BARE & GOLDEN](https://bareandgolden.com) earrings.
**It kind of feels like the people who grew up watching you have also simultaneously grown with you and are now going to be watching _Little Fires Everywhere_ and _The Expecting_. What do you know now as you take on roles like young Elena in Little Fires Everywhere that you wish you could tell yourself when you were finding your foot in the acting world?**
I think I would have just told myself to be present and enjoy everything. I think that I am still telling myself that now. I don’t know if I would change anything. Maybe to just get in my head a little less, to be more present in all the situations, and to not weigh the pros and cons as much. Instead I say, “Okay, this is what I am doing. I’m here and I am in it.” With my current self, I think I am learning that your actions speak more towards the future and change than thinking about it. Just being able to enjoy where you are at and absorbing the most you can have created the most hopeful times for me. I think that is when I have been the happiest and why I love acting because it forces you to be present. In my life I am always been a bit all over the place. It made me think that maybe what I enjoy about my work could be applied to other areas of my life and in turn would also bring me joy.
H**ow did you find your academic experience at NYU shaped how you approach acting? Did you receive any wise words of advice from professors that have stuck with you?**
It is interesting, when I was growing up I had a lot of people tell me not to go to acting school because I was already working. I really took that to heart, so I studied liberal arts. I went to Gallatin. When I was there I found myself being drawn to Greek tragedy, dramatic text, and Shakespeare. I also studied other theatre programs in Europe. Through these avenues, I entered back into narrative and drama through a more philosophical and ancient text perspective, which I didn’t really expect. The further along I progressed at school the more interested I got into acting and studying texts. That surprised me, but it also reassured me that this was the right thing to do with my life. Storytelling and the stories we tell about ourselves and our community is what really shapes our world and our perspective. I think most people would agree with that, but before I went to school I would have been wondering if I should have done something else. Yes, it validated my path but it also did what college does. College gives us depth and context. It gives you professors, resources, and other students with different ideas. It immensely shaped my life. I eventually want to go back to school, I am not sure if I will or not. I haven’t found my next entry point, but I love school. My heart breaks for all the kids who are in their senior year or even their freshmen year. All that effort is just ripped away from them. I wonder how people are doing?
AnnaSophia Robb wears [CALLE DEL MAR](https://www.calledelmar.us/) top, [BIG BUD PRESS](https://bigbudpress.com/) pants, and [CELINE](https://www.celine.com/) earrings.
**You are very politically invested in equality (as we all should be), both in the racial justice and gender equality. You have utilized your platform to address the holes in injustice, I was wondering what ways do you think people around your age group should become politically involved and readily informed, so they too can see their impact and change the world?**
I don’t feel as nearly involved or as aware as I should be. I would look at the people you follow on social media and where you are getting your information. First I would make sure your feed is filled up with a balance of information and credible sources, just so that even if you are just on your phone the information will benefit you and help you raise awareness. Are you expanding your bubble or are you condensing it? As a young white woman, am I following Black Lives Matters, Trans, and LBGTQ? If you are in a place of privilege you can reach out and be like “hey, how can I help you?” I keep thinking what is the most beneficial to everybody else?
**_Little Fires Everywhere_ is based on a novel of the same name by Celeste Ng, I noticed a lot of your acting performances have a literary tie. I was wondering how are you able to actively get into a literary character’s head and smoothly transition them to the screen?**
I really feel fortunate that a lot of the projects I have done have been based on books and also are really good books. There is so much information as an actor that I have been able to draw from like source material. You have the script and on top of that you have the books which is fantastic. With _Little Fires_, we dive very deeply into the lives of the characters. I spoke a lot with Reese (Witherspoon) about what she had done to prepare and the perspective she had of the character. I shadowed her a lot on set, watching what she made choices as the character and asking questions. She was literally an open book and beyond helpful. She is the most collaborative, kind, and generous actor truly. It was a combination of looking at her and what she was doing with the role, reading the scripts, seeing what she was building towards and using the source material as the foundation. That project is the total dream team. I am only in a couple episodes, but I loved every minute being on set and watching everybody work together, collaborate and have difficult conversations. They just cared so much about the story that they were telling.
AnnaSophia Robb wears [CALLE DEL MAR](https://www.calledelmar.us/) dress, [LEVI'S](https://www.levi.com/US/en_US) jeans, and [BARE & GOLDEN](https://bareandgolden.com/) earrings.
**Nowadays, how do you tether yourself to certain projects? For example, the horror odyssey that is _The Expecting_, is something unlike from what other roles you have done before. What about that spoke to you?**
I auditioned for it. I went in and I was like, “I don’t know if I’ll be right for it.” I really loved the director and the story was totally wild. And then I got it and that was exciting! But with _The Expecting_, she is a very tough character. It is a different role for me for sure: _Rosemary's Baby_ meets _Stranger Things_. This character is very isolated and I end up shaving my head and getting pregnant. What drew me towards the role was how stir crazy it becomes. I really wanted to enter into that territory and stretch myself. Quibi is also a really cool new platform. It is an interesting way to play with the media with the ten-minute period intervals. I haven’t seen it myself so I am curious to see what it feels like to watch shows and storytelling in this ten minute sort of episode.
**If you were to have a coming of age film about yourself, what song selection would you include for that cliched vital scene when a character is looking out the window of their car?**
I think I would be “Shake It Off” by Florence and the Machine. I love that song. I just remember leaving the SAT. I would always play this song leaving a standardized test. Every time I hear that song I feel the sweet relief of a horrible test being over.
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Photographed by [Tyler Ferguson](https://www.instagram.com/tyferg/).
Styled by [Sydney Englehart](https://www.instagram.com/sydenglehart/).
Hair: [Cristin Armstrong](https://www.instagram.com/cristinarmstrong/).
Makeup [Alexa Hernandez](https://www.instagram.com/alexanhernandez/).
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