About Lizzy Greene
“To anyone out there who is hoping to become an actor, or has any other dreams, every great dream begins with a dreamer,” is Lizzy Greene’s advice. The 16-year-old actress is currently starring as “Sophie Dixon,” in ABC’s A Million Little Things.
“I can’t spoil the storylines, but I can say you really get to see a different side of her,” Greene tells INLOVE about her character in season 2. “Something is going to happen that really shakes her mentality and changes her relationships with some of the other characters. I love a challenge, and Sophie’s gonna have a few this next season.”
Greene grew up on television. Before her ABC hit, she was a familiar face on Nickelodeon. However, it was her role as “Dawn Harper” in Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, that won the admiration of fans.
In getting to know her, we discovered that there are easily a million little things to love about Lizzy Greene.
Sari: How do you balance school, your acting career, and your personal life?
Lizzy Greene: It’s definitely a challenge. I get asked a lot if I even go to school, but spoiler alert: the answer is yes. School is the first thing on my list of priorities. I always try to finish it as early as I possibly can; that way, I can focus on my career and job at hand without stress and distractions. I also try my best to keep up with my friends back home. I will say, it isn’t easy being in a different country filming while your friends are back home, but a good thing is a lot of my friends are also in the business, so we understand each other’s demanding schedules. When we do meet up, I always have the best time. Being an actor means a lot of juggling, but I wouldn’t change a thing.
Sari: You play Sophie Dixon on “A Million Little Things.” Tell me more about your character and what your experience on that show has been like?
LG: It’s been one of the best experiences of my life. I have the most incredible castmates and the most wonderful crew. I have been able to jump into a whole different genre of acting, and I think it’s been a super healthy transition. Not to mention, I get to live in Vancouver, which is the coolest city ever. Since the show deals with such a heavy topic [suicide], I have also been able to do my own personal research and learn about the issue. My character, Sophie, is the daughter of Jon, the character who loses his life to suicide. You get to see how her character develops over the first season with the death of her father and see her question what else is going on with her mom. She’s definitely the strongest character I have ever played.
Sari: This series centers on friendship. What is the biggest real-life lesson you’ve learned from working on the show?
LG: I love the quote from Alison’s character, Maggie, when she says, “Don’t lose sight of the horizon.” In the show, is was a quote about depression, but in real life, I take it as a lesson to not lose sight of what’s important and to stay grounded and grateful — to not change because you get opportunities and to remember where you came from.
I LOVE THE QUOTE FROM ALISON’S CHARACTER, MAGGIE, WHEN SHE SAYS, “DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THE HORIZON.”
Sari: Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn was such a huge success. How did that show change your life?
LG: Thank you! It definitely changed my life in a lot of ways. I was 10 years old with barely any film experience, jumping head first into this new “lifestyle.” I had to begin homeschooling, say goodbye to my elementary school friends, and move to Los Angeles. I learned a lot of things as I grew up in the spotlight that really changed my outlook on things. It’s a blessing and a curse because you get to do a lot of amazing things, but you have to make a lot of sacrifices. When you work nine-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week, you can kind of lose your social life and become unable to participate in certain things. But, with that said, I love what I do so much, and wouldn’t change a thing.
Sari: Do you see a reunion with your Nickelodeon family happening in some form?
LG: I think it would be pretty cool to get the crew back together. There is so much history there because I legitimately grew up with these people. It was really like a family.
Sari: You also have a very popular YouTube channel. What made you want to create a YouTube Channel and what has been your favorite video you’ve posted there?
LG: Thank you! I think I just wanted to show people what I’m really like. They see the characters I play on TV, but I also want them to feel like they know the real me. I love posting what my supporters want to see. They really motivate me to post more. My favorite video was probably my first “Draw My Life” because my drawings were so bad [laughs].
Sari: Who are some of your favorite YouTubers to watch?
LG: I don’t really have any favorites, but I do watch a lot of videos on self-care, drawing, cooking, and I listen to a lot of lo-fi music.
“I CAN’T SPOIL THE STORYLINES, BUT I CAN SAY YOU REALLY GET TO SEE A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HER,” GREENE TELLS INLOVE ABOUT HER CHARACTER IN SEASON 2.
Sari: Since you have such a huge social media presence, what advice would you give to other teenagers about what to share, and what not share on social media?
LG: This is such a great question. As someone who has experienced cyberbullying and people spreading rumors, I would definitely say take a deep breath and don’t blast your anger on social media. In the past, when people have said hateful things, I immediately wanted to jump on Instagram and set them straight, but my mom always stopped me. When you act out of anger instead of kindness, what you say could hurt you later. Everything put on social media is permanent, even if you delete it seconds after. People can still screenshot. Also remember, everyone is dealing with things that you don’t even know about, so think before you act.
Sari: I’d like to hear about some of the organizations you’re drawn to. I saw, in May, you were at the Directing Change Awards. Can you tell me more about that experience and why it’s important to you?
LG: I love to help out in any way. My audience is mostly teens, so I think it’s super important to use my position for good. Directing Change was super cool because it’s an organization that encourages kids to create short films about the stigma around mental health. I was able to give a speech about suicide and how to have that conversation with someone and then give out awards. I met a ton of awesome and inspiring teens. It was amazing. I’m also super passionate about animals and the ending of animal abuse. Overall, I love charity work so much because it makes you feel like you’re making a difference.
Sari: You’ve accomplished so much at just 16. Do you see yourself branching out into other areas of the arts in the future such as singing, fashion, or writing?
LG: I would love to start a singing career. Singing is a huge passion of mine, and it’s actually where I started out. I also love fashion and writing, too. Creating a fashion line or starting a blog would be so cool.
Sari: Since we are INLOVE Magazine, tell me what you are most INLOVE with about life.
LG: I’m in love with living in the moment and finding happiness in little things. Whether it’s working, being with friends, or just hanging out with my pets; taking a minute to appreciate what you have is so important. I’m so appreciative for what I have and the people in my life, and I think when you just take a step back and really internalize it all, you can see just how blessed you are. Never take anything for granted. I really learned more about this from working on “A Million Little Things.”
Sari Cohen
Stylist: Elena Vasilevsky
Photographer: Ryan Jerome
Production: INLOVE Media & Production
Makeup: UZO (using NARS Cosmetics)
Hair: Rena Calhoun / Starworks Artists B
Assistant: Fernando Menezes
