Actress Emma Roberts on Friends, Books, and Well-Being

In your new movie, Wild Child, you play a spoiled Malibu princess whose father sends her to a strict all-girls English boarding school. A lot of today's young Hollywood stars find themselves getting into trouble. How do you avoid these pressures?

I always feel bad when I read magazines and see girls going down a bad path, whether it's because of problems with their body image or alcohol. This is just something that me and my group of friends avoid. My advice is to get with a good group of friends that aren't going to pressure you and just know you can say no.

Lots of today's teens feel pressured to take up cigarettes. Do you?

I just think that it's gross. It smells bad, so it's not very appealing to me.

I think that it's weird that [teens] are peer pressured into smoking. It's your decision when it comes down to it. I have been in a situation where I have been asked and I just say "No, no thank you."

In your Nickelodeon TV show Unfabulous, your character, Addie Singer, uses music and creativity to cope with the turbulent teen years. What helps you?

Good friends that I can talk to and exchange stories with who I can also ask for advice. I like writing and love listening to music. I am into [British singer] Leona Lewis right now. I usually try to preoccupy myself by reading, going on the computer, or watching a TV show when I am down.

Many young stars have copped to getting plastic surgery. How do you feel about that?

I am not against plastic surgery. It is difficult for young girls because of the pressure on how they look, but it's not the real world. A lot of actresses may get plastic surgery, but if you ask the person next to you they probably did not. Try to be happy with yourself instead.

Did you ever have an awkward stage?

When I was 7, 8, or 9 and losing my teeth, I was missing all four of my front and bottom teeth so there was a huge gaping hole in my mouth and I was embarrassed. When I look back on my first season of Unfabulous [in 2004] I feel it was a really awkward stage of my life -- and it's captured on film.

What is your favorite type of exercise?

I like riding my bike and working on my abs by doing sit-ups. I sometimes work out with trainer who makes exercising really fun. We play games and jump on the trampoline.

What is your guilty-pleasure food?

Pizza. I would eat it every day, but it's not that great for you, so I try to have it just once in a while. I love sweets, anything chocolatey. I try to not eat too many though, which is hard when I am on location, because there are so many really good, unhealthy snacks and sweets around.