Photograph by GREG WILLIAMS

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The Now You See Me: Now You Don’t starand L’Oréal ambassador tells Hollywood Authentic about manifestation, matches and mom’s cooking.

How important is a little bit of nonsense now and then to you?
It’s pretty important; nonsense is fun and allows me to take myself a little less seriously. If you ask the people closest to me they would definitely say I enjoy taking part in a bit of nonsense.

What, if anything, makes you believe in magic?
If we are talking about abracadabra magic then I think the magic lives in the audience’s hope and curiosity about the trick. If we are talking about universal magic – the magic of manifestation and the stars is truly what I live by. Divine timing, paths crossing and figurative signs are all examples of magic to me. 

What was your last act of true cowardice?
Although I’ve gotten very close to lacking bravery, I always do it, I always go for it. I guess my last act of true cowardice was when I almost gave up on doing this big stunt. It was a battle with my own brain; I was yelling at myself in my head and did it!

What single thing do you miss most when you’re away from home?
I get really homesick a lot. There are loads of things I miss but if I were to pick one I’d say my room. My bed and when my dogs hang with me, knowing my family is just a few feet away.

Do you have any odd habits or rituals?
A ton. I’m very superstitious and a huge believer in manifesting. I won’t share my rituals because I feel like it would mess with their power.

What is your party trick?
I don’t go to parties to show this trick, but I can put a lit match in my mouth and close my mouth over the flame then pull it out and blow the smoke. It’s fucking cool if you ask me.

What is your mantra?
I have a few. ‘Everything happens for a reason’; ‘Treat people the way you want to be treated’; ‘Don’t listen to the noise.’ There’s one more but I keep that one to myself; it’s something my dad taught me.

What is your favourite smell?
I love the smell of my parents’ room, my mom’s cooking, vanilla perfume (my signature scent), and my friends. Also gasoline, a Cold Stone shop right when you walk in, the small room in my house with cleaning supplies, and a campfire.

What do you always carry with you?
Headphones. I need a new pair. The left side is blown out.  

What is your guilty pleasure?
I’m not really guilty that I like these things but I guess YouTube videos and sugar. 

What would be your least favourite way to die?
I’m scared of plane crashes, getting shot without seeing it coming, drowning, or if the world literally implodes. But I’m not putting any of that into the universe. No.

What’s your idea of heaven?
Ever since I learned what heaven was, I pictured a soft golden abyss with flying animals and pretty angels, everyone is happy and they take turns creating the sunsets and sunrises for people still alive. That fantasy always made me feel a little more at ease about the concept of death.

New York-born Ariana Greenblatt started her career as a pre-teen in the Disney Channel comedy series Stuck in the Middle and moved to feature films with A Bad Moms Christmas, Avengers: Infinity War, In the Heights and playing America Ferrera’s unimpressed daughter in Barbie – all before turning 16. She’s played the young Ahsoka in the Disney TV show of the same name, appeared alongside Cate Blanchett in Eli Roth’s Borderlands and has completed shooting on two films set for release this year: Fear Street: Prom Queen and Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (out 14 November). She lives in LA and is a L’Oréal ambassador.