KZ: Hi Rosalie! At the beginning of the movie, Mei talks about how the number one rule in her family is honouring your parents, and mentions that they work hard to put food on your plate – ‘an epic amount of food’. We also see amazing shots with lots of food, or food being prepared. What is your personal favourite food, and is there a food that you really dislike?

R: My favourite food is sushi, any sort of sushi or sashimi raw fish. That has been my favourite food since the second I tried it when I was seven. For almost over a decade sushi has been my favourite food and I don't see it changing any time soon. My least favourite foods are like blue cheese, all those really stinky cheeses.

KZ: Is there a number one rule in your family?

R: There are no real rules, it's just to treat everyone with respect, whether you're older or younger. I think in my house, there's like a mutual level of respect. My parents respect me. I respect them. That's kind of an unspoken rule in our house. Also, no shoes in the house!

KZ: Mei is a very enthusiastic fan of the boy band 4*Town and is a dedicated 4*Townee. Are you a big fan of anything?

R: I'm a big K-pop fan, everything K-pop related. I don't collect merchandise from K-pop, but I do collect rocks, like gemstones – specifically agates. It all started when I had to do a geology presentation and I chose agates. I started collecting them from like gem shows.

KZ: Which K-pop groups do you like?

R: Oh, I mean so many, I can go on and on – Red Velvet, Twice, Blackpink, BTS, Seventeen, Dreamcatcher, so you see, I mean, seriously, the list can go on and on and on.

KZ: What was the hardest line or scene to film? Do you have a favourite line in the movie?

R: The hardest parts were definitely any time Mei was at her lowest point, and she hates herself and starts crying. I think really bringing the authentic emotions and actually crying in the recording studio is always hard because it takes me a little while to get there, but when I do it's great. My favourite line actually made it into the trailer, which I was really happy about – it's when Mei says, ‘All about that hustle, am I right?’

KZ: We see that Mei tries to calm herself down with a few different methods after she transforms, including brushing her fur. Do you have any methods to deal with stress or nerves?

R: Well, usually I'm stressed when I'm angry. My instinct is to ball my hands into fists, but I don't want to act out on it. I take a few deep breaths and I just walk away. If my brother's annoying me, instead of yelling back at him, I just take a breath, walk away, calm down, and it’s fine. Or I drink a sip of water just to take my mind off it a little.

KZ: What were your favourite animated films from Disney and Pixar before Turning Red?

R: Monsters Inc., and The Incredibles as a close second. I love Monsters Inc. because it’s a really innovative concept, it was a cute film and heartfelt, and hilarious as well with Billy Crystal and John Goodman. I really like The Incredibles – it’s also like Turning Red where there’s a strong sense of family and familial love, and the whole family works together.

Turning Red is streaming now on Disney+!

Want to read more of our interview with Rosalie? Grab the April 2022 ‘Good To Be Bad’ issue of K-Zone, out now!