![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/arianacover-ig-68fa4b9e2e3d4.jpg?resize=480:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhen I get to the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, Ariana Greenblatt is already waiting for me. I don\u2019t know why I\u2019m late. I\u2019ve been obsessively preparing for this interview. It\u2019s both of our first-ever Cosmopolitan cover stories<\/a>, I as the writer, she as the star. I\u2019ve interviewed dozens of celebrities (including Ariana herself) for my podcast, Therapuss, and at the age of 18, she has already acted in what feels like countless blockbusters. Yet this feels different somehow\u2014deeper, more permanent. So yes, I\u2019m spiraling a little. Ariana is clearly not. She makes no mention of my tardiness or the fact that she\u2019s just come off a 13-hour flight after wrapping her newest movie, Now You See Me: Now You Don\u2019t<\/a>, out November 14. Instead, she gives me a hug as she tucks away her phone, ready to lock in. It\u2019s the type of focus that\u2019s earned her roles in coveted films like 2023\u2019s Barbie<\/a> (for which she earned a Best Young Actress Critics Choice Award nomination) and in superhero franchises (she played a younger version of Zoe Salda\u00f1a\u2019s character in 2018\u2019s Avengers: Infinity War<\/a>). That\u2019s on top of her early work on the Disney Channel and performances in movies like Borderlands, In the Heights, Love and Monsters, and 65.<\/p>\n Hoodie Ashley Williams<\/strong>, bodysuit Versace<\/strong>, earrings (worn throughout) Ariana\u2019s own and (bottom) Pandora<\/strong>, beauty case Louis Vuitton<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I know I shouldn\u2019t be surprised. I first met Ariana at the 2024 People\u2019s Choice Awards. I was wearing a tragic sweater that didn\u2019t fit, paired with an equally regrettable belt, pants, and loafer combo, and she was in a stunning Balmain dress. I saw her waving, and after a few seconds of looking around in confusion, I realized she was gesturing at me. Since then, we\u2019ve traded countless memes, voice notes, and Instagram DMs, becoming a very online version of close friends.<\/p>\n Maybe that\u2019s where my nerves are coming from\u2014from bringing our virtual friendship into this IRL setting, collaborating on a story for a 60-year-old print magazine. Regardless, getting to document this moment in her life feels like an honor and also like a mirror. Held up to not only myself but to an entire generation that\u2019s been stumbling through what it\u2019s like to grow up and live online. We scroll endlessly, searching for validation in Likes and replies, and feel the sting of silence when a post doesn\u2019t land. Every update feels like a confession and a performance, a way of being seen and hiding at the same time. We can only guess at what this all means for the rest of our lives, but at least all of us\u2014you, me, Ariana\u2014are in it together.<\/p>\n Weirdly enough, my comfortable, happy place is on set, where I can make friends in a day. <\/p>\n T-shirt Kenzo<\/strong>, shorts Relax Lacrosse Brand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Top Dior<\/strong>, shorts Relax Lacrosse Brand<\/strong>, socks American Trench<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The whole cast are my favorite people in the world, especially Justice Smith and Dominic Sessa. Dominic and I were next-door neighbors when we were filming in Budapest. He would usually wrap later than me, so I\u2019d make him mac and cheese and leave it in his house for him. For some reason, I was always making sure he was eating. Justice is like an older brother to me. There were so many times when I was like, \u201cI don\u2019t know what this scene means,\u201d and he\u2019d really sit with me and break it down. Jesse [Eisenberg] has always been one of my favorite actors, and he couldn\u2019t be sweeter. Dave Franco was truly another mentor of mine. I got massive FOMO when filming Now You See Me: Now You Don\u2019t because I was so far away from my friends at home in L.A. I\u2019d just bombard them with, \u201cWhat am I missing? What was fun that I didn\u2019t get to do?\u201d Luckily, I was allowed visitors on set. My best friend Heaven came to Budapest to visit me and I sobbed into her arms. I was in my bed watching YouTube by myself, feeling lonely. Then she walked into my room!<\/p>\n All clothing Balenciaga<\/strong>, shoes Maile<\/strong>, earrings Pandora<\/strong>, necklace Lady Grey<\/strong>, phone case Wildflower<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I miss the few years when I didn\u2019t have social media.1<\/sup> Growing up, it felt natural to want all the apps and to be on top of every trend. When I was on the Disney Channel,2<\/sup> actually, they were like, \u201cYou need social media,\u201d and my dad didn\u2019t let me. <\/p>\n 1. Ariana was born in August 2007, when MySpace was the reigning social media platform and YouTube was quickly becoming the place for video content.<\/sup><\/p>\n 2. She played Daphne Diaz, the youngest of seven siblings on the popular show Stuck in the Middle.<\/sup> <\/p>\n I technically got social media when I was 7, but I didn\u2019t talk to the app. I didn\u2019t control or look at it until I wanted to be perceived as cool, probably when I was 13. But then I eventually hit a point where I thought, I don\u2019t know if this is actually benefiting me. I deleted TikTok off my phone a week ago after having to wean myself off of it. <\/p>\n It\u2019s fully a drug. I deleted TikTok because of its algorithm and because I\u2019ve never really had a healthy relationship with knowing when to turn it off. I\u2019ll see one thing about me, I\u2019ll click the blue comment,3<\/sup> and suddenly I\u2019m scrolling through a feed of posts that are all negative. I\u2019ll go from having a great day to seeing five videos and truly feeling sick to my stomach\u2014the rest of the day is ruined. It\u2019s crazy how one scroll can completely change my mood and even the physical state of my body. 3. A TikTok feature that highlights in blue certain comments that the app turns into clickable links to related content.<\/sup><\/p>\n All clothing Balenciaga<\/strong>, shoes Maile<\/strong>, earrings Pandora<\/strong>, necklace Lady Grey<\/strong>, suitcase Gucci<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I talk to my brother, Gavin. He doesn\u2019t have anyone talking about him, and he really kind of boils it down to \u201cThis is not real.\u201d At first, I deactivated my main account4<\/sup> and just had my private account to see what my friends were posting. But videos of me started sneaking into that, too. <\/p>\n 4. Ariana\u2019s \u201cmain\u201d TikTok account was a verified, public one that millions of people could interact with (for reference, she currently has 4.1 million followers on Instagram).<\/sup><\/p>\n With TikTok, the negative comments go to the top, but I have to work a lot harder to find negative things on Instagram. I love posting on Instagram Stories. Creatively, I like creating stuff like that. I have so much content from Now You See Me: Now You Don\u2019t that everyone\u2019s going to be so sick of it. I\u2019m going to be spamming uncontrollably. <\/p>\n I found myself caring so much about how I look because social media takes scenes I\u2019ve acted in and edits them. That\u2019s the last thing you need in acting, all of the extra opinions. There\u2019s a negative term online for absolutely everything. \u201cInstagram Face\u201d5<\/sup> is the latest I\u2019ve seen.<\/p>\n 5. Coined by New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino, the term refers to a specific, homogenized aesthetic that\u2019s typically the result of Facetune or popular cosmetic procedures.<\/sup><\/p>\n The majority of my friends aren\u2019t connected to this industry. I only have one who\u2019s close to my age, and she\u2019s the kindest soul ever.6 <\/sup>She always tells me: \u201cThat\u2019s the job.\u201d She kind of spells it out. But I\u2019m a big overthinker, so I can easily see something and allow it to take over my body. <\/p>\n 6. Ariana is likely referring to actor India Fowler. The two met while filming the May 2025 movie Fear Street: Prom Queen.<\/sup><\/p>\n Two years ago. I used to just be excited and I never thought of it as a job. I mean, there are moments on set, like at a night shoot where we\u2019re wrapping at 7 a.m. and my body is telling me I might die. But I also love it. And when brands started to notice my existence,7<\/sup> I was like, Whoa. I now have a responsibility to keep this up. There\u2019s a strategy behind it all. <\/p>\n 7. In 2024, Coach chose Ariana to star in its major Coachtopia campaign.<\/sup><\/p>\n I had a meeting with them right around when Barbie came out. I was like, Oh my god, I get to talk about beauty and makeup and how this generation feels about it. It helped me realize that I have a big responsibility to be the right role model for this demographic. It\u2019s not just doing an Instagram post. It matters. These commercials matter. They are what I grew up watching. They are what I have been exposed to my whole life.<\/p>\n All Clothing Ferragamo<\/strong>, tights Falke<\/strong>, shoes Giuseppe Zanotti<\/strong>, hat Emporio Armani<\/strong>, sunglasses Selima Optique<\/strong>, belt Deborah Drattell<\/strong>, bags and suitcase Louis Vuitton<\/strong>, bag (left hand) Herm\u00e8s<\/strong>, suitcases (bottom middle and bottom right) Gucci<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I feel like probably until I\u2019m in my 20s, I\u2019m not going to fully know who I am. I just watched interviews back from even five months ago and I\u2019m like, Wow, I\u2019m a completely different person now. And I was so sure in that interview that that was who I was. Now every video I post becomes a file for other people to use to reinforce another idea of what type of person I am. <\/p>\n My mom or, lowkey, Zendaya. Zendaya is just all around unproblematic and awesome. I look at Zendaya and I\u2019m like, You\u2019ve got your shit together. But I feel like every time I\u2019m in any situation without my mom, I always ask myself, What would she do? And whatever I think she would do ends up being the right thing. That\u2019s always a good little moral compass to have.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t necessarily give advice, but I think just seeing her live her life…how the people around her give her so much joy. She\u2019s definitely, throughout everything, found her bubble. She\u2019s figured out how to differentiate what she truly cares about and then just lets everything else go. And she\u2019s inspiring because after all the years she\u2019s been in public and despite everything that comes with that, she still remains such a light person. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve always been aware of it. But when I\u2019m in environments with other teenagers, I immediately fall into fight or flight. I went to a couple house parties and they all sucked. I had the constant paranoia of phones being out and me looking stupid. I got paralyzed with fear. And also just knowing how other teens treat each other. I\u2019d be in a group and they\u2019d show me their phones, how they made an Instagram account about a person….8<\/sup> <\/p>\n 8. Ariana is talking about \u201cship\u201d or \u201cgossip girl\u201d accounts that feature people without their permission and generally post negative sentiments.<\/sup><\/p>\n Dress Roberto Cavalli<\/strong>, shawl Lucila Safdie<\/strong>, earrings Laura Lombardi<\/strong>, rings Cartier<\/strong> and (left hand) Ray Griffiths<\/strong> Fine Jewelry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Exactly. I never wanted to be near anything that could look bad because I\u2019m not the type of person that indulges, generally. My brain goes: Okay, I could be near a bottle of alcohol, and they could Photoshop the bottle of alcohol into my hand. And then that goes online, and then I let down young girls. So I never had the freedom to enjoy those types of parties. I did go because I wanted to see what it was about. But in the back of my mind, I was always looking at where their phones were. Well, they\u2019d film me in school.<\/p>\n The paranoia of seeing things afterward….You weren\u2019t even aware you were being listened to or watched. That\u2019s what really freaked me out. In response, I\u2019ve tried to be six steps ahead, which then just ruins whatever vibe I\u2019m on. That\u2019s also why I hate social media. It\u2019s like, I don\u2019t want to see what possibly could be put out there. Dress Roberto Cavalli<\/strong>, tights Falke<\/strong>, shawl Lucila Safdie<\/strong>, bag Louis Vuitton<\/strong>, rings Cartier<\/strong> and (left hand) Ray Griffiths Fine Jewelry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Not until I was 14.<\/p>\n Video edits. I was like, What? These people take the videos I put out and they make something with it? And then when people would say, \u201cYou\u2019re cool\u201d or \u201cI like this,\u201d I realized people have an opinion on how I behave. I thought that was interesting. <\/p>\n My friend sent me a TikTok that was a compilation of me wearing these jeans 25 million times. I\u2019m like, \u201cOkay, I\u2019m sorry I wear the clothes I like.\u201d I\u2019d never wear that outfit again now, but those jeans, I love them. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever not wear them, and people make fun of me for it. <\/p>\n Whenever my age gets brought up, I\u2019m like, \u201cThere\u2019s no fucking way I\u2019m 18.\u201d What? I\u2019ve only been here 18 years? I\u2019m not 80? When I think of my actual age and how I view other 18-year-olds, I\u2019m not that.<\/p>\n I think I\u2019ll always be thinking about that. I just love people so much and having conversations with people so much that the last thing I would want is for them to think something negative. But you can\u2019t control that. I need to just alert myself that I can\u2019t control everything and that\u2019s okay. And I don\u2019t want to be so self-indulgent in what people think of me or how I look. I feel like my mental health is getting the slightest bit better not seeing a bunch of stuff all the time.<\/p>\n Dress Schiaparelli<\/strong>, shoes Gianvito Rossi<\/strong>, earrings Pandora<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m trying to think about things in a more adult-ish way. I\u2019m trying to break through my anxiety of socializing. I\u2019m actively trying to not just be a hermit crab in my room, doomscrolling.<\/p>\n I\u2019m trying to give myself more freedom to figure stuff out and try new things. I love my job so much right now and I cherish every ounce of time that I get to do it. I\u2019m in the era of trying to soak in everything and trying to have more fun.<\/p>\n We should talk shit. And then I\u2019ll go home and watch some of my favorite comforting YouTubers. <\/p>\n (Title image) All clothing Miu Miu<\/strong>, earrings Cartier<\/strong>, bag Marc Jacobs<\/strong>. (Cover image) Jacket and top Burberry<\/strong>, bra, garter belt, and underwear Fleur du Mal<\/strong>, stockings Calzedonia<\/strong>, watch Cartier<\/strong>, ring Jade Ruzzo<\/strong>. <\/p>\n Styled by Brandon Tan<\/a>. Hair by Marc Mena<\/a> for Great Lengths<\/a>. Makeup by Stevie Huynh<\/a> for L\u2019Or\u00e9al Paris<\/a>. Manicure by Julie Kandalec<\/a> for Morgan Taylor<\/a>. Production by The <\/a>Morrison Group<\/a>. Shot on location at The Bowery Hotel<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cCosmo Goes Deep\u201d video, director and senior producer: Lucy Dolan-Zalaznick<\/a>. Supervising cinematographer: Derrick Woodard<\/a>. Cinematographer: Alvah Holmes<\/a>. Editor: Ben Townsend. Producer: Ali Buchalter<\/a>. Associate producer: Jessica Lee<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-7-68efc3d49522c.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\n![\"quote](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/pullquote-1-68efdd4db0b88.png?crop=1.00xw:0.730xh;0,0.121xh&resize=980:*\" "\\"quote")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nI want to start with friendship. How, as an always-working actor, do you make friends?<\/h2>\n
![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-9-watermarked-68f8feb3082ae.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\n![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-7-watermark-68f8ff010506b.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\nSo you bonded with your Now You See Me: Now You Don\u2019t costars?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nDoes having all these new people in your life make it harder to keep up with your old friends?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nWas it a surprise visit?<\/h2>\n
![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-8-68f7b6cbd9766.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\nThat\u2019s so special. Because this is Cosmopolitan\u2019s Online Issue, I want to ask what you remember about your life before social media? <\/h2>\n
So Disney was the reason you got social media?<\/h2>\n
Social media is a drug.<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-4-68f7b604bbe33.jpg?resize=980:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\nHow do you cope?<\/h2>\n
What is the difference, to you, between TikTok and Instagram? You have deleted one but still have the other.<\/h2>\n
![\"pullquote\"](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/ariana-greenblatt-pqs-2-68eff3ed2edf6.png?crop=1.00xw:0.723xh;0,0.122xh&resize=980:*\" "\\"pullquote\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow has this all influenced your career? <\/h2>\n
Do you have a lot of close peers who can relate?<\/h2>\n
![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-3-68effb2cc388c.jpg?crop=1.00xw:0.961xh;0,0.0170xh&resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAt what age did you realize that acting was a choice and you had free will over your career?<\/h2>\n
Well, you are L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s youngest ambassador ever. <\/h2>\n
![\"arianna](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-paparazzi-68f7bacf287ba.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"arianna")
<\/p>\nIt\u2019s interesting when you feel like younger people look up to you and you don\u2019t necessarily fully know who you are. I\u2019m 25, and I have no idea who I am.<\/h2>\n
Are there any people you admire for the way they handle all this?<\/h2>\n
![\"quote](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/ariana-greenblatt-pqs-3-68effc1182fef.png?crop=1.00xw:0.767xh;0,0.0867xh&resize=980:*\" "\\"quote")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat about Billie Eilish? Has she given you good advice? I know you\u2019re close from working on Barbie.<\/h2>\n
When did you learn fear?<\/h2>\n
![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-13-watermarked-68f90224c51d6.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\n![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-15-watermarked-68f9026b9912a.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nYou can\u2019t help but think, What\u2019s going to stop you from doing that to me?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nWhat about at school?<\/h2>\n
I\u2019m sorry.<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-17-watermarked-horizontals-68f93607c2ac7.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\nWhen did you understand this concept of being perceived?<\/h2>\n
Do you remember why something shifted?<\/h2>\n
![\"pullquote\"](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/ariana-greenblatt-pqs-4-68f0027166f59.png?crop=1.00xw:0.633xh;0,0.151xh&resize=980:*\" "\\"pullquote\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDo you feel like time moves quickly in your life? <\/h2>\n
You\u2019re probably also thinking about how you\u2019re perceived because that\u2019s what you\u2019re used to.<\/h2>\n
![\"ariana](\"https:\/\/hips.hearstapps.com\/hmg-prod\/images\/cos120125-arianagreenblatt-10-68f10362068d8.jpg?resize=2048:*\" "\\"ariana")
<\/p>\nWhat era of your life would you say that you\u2019re in right now? <\/h2>\n
I couldn\u2019t relate more. What should we do after we finish our lunch? <\/h2>\n
\n