Ashley Greene's Savvy interview scans

Chatting with Ashley Greene, it's hard not to let the conversation drift to a certain topic -- vampire superpowers. Ashley's take? "Being
invisible would be kind of cool. You could be a fly on the wall and
really see what makes people tick. Understanding people and their
motives is important."

Spoken like a true actor. After all, when much of the Twilight Saga phenomenon is stripped away, Ashley
Greene is nothing if she's not one thing -- an artist committed to her
craft. Moving to Hollywood at only 17 from her home in Jacksonville,
Florida, her rise to fame is somewhat serendipitous. "I was still
working at a restaurant and then I got Twilight. To get a big break --
and to have it something like Twilight -- is just really incredible."

But as much as she credits Twilight and New Moon for skyrocketing her
stardom, Ashley has more on her plate than merely waiting for the
Eclipse release. She's the female lead in the independent film
Skateland, which premiered on January 25 at the Sundance Film Festival
-- one of only 16 feature-length movies selected in the U.S Dramatic
competition. In this coming-of-age story set in the early 80's, Ashley
stars as Michelle Burkham, the best friend of a 19-year-old
rollerskating rink manager (Shiloh Fernandes). "This is a project I
really care about and worked hard on," she says. "When I found out
Skateland was going to Sundance I was so excited. You feel a sense of
legitimacy as an actor hearing news like this."

It that weren't enough, Ashley recently landed the starring role in the Warner
Bros. thriller The Apparition, being produced by Joel Silver (The
Matrix). "It's a big stepping stone," she reflects. "To actually be the lead of a studio film and to have input on it is just really cool." The movie begins shooting early this year in Berlin.

When she isn't busy filming -- a rare occurrence of late -- Ashley keeps a
full docket of philanthropy. She is the spokesperson for
DonateMyDress.org, a national organization that provides gently-used,
donated formal wear to those who can't afford a brand new prom or
special occasion dress. She also recently participated in a PSA for The
One Campaign, confounded by U2's Bono, to combat HIC/Aids and extreme
poverty in the third world countries. "Hopefully I'll be going over to Africa this summer to see firsthand the work that we're doing."

It's no wonder then that Ashley draws inspiration from legendary actress and UNICEF ambassador Audrey Hepburn. "She was a great humanitarian. She did really great things with her fame,
and that's where I'm looking to go. I mean, acting is incredible and I
love it. But it's just a smaller piece of the bigger picture." It's
clear that even in the midst of her sudden fame, the young actress
seems to known an important, albeit mysterious, truth -- a rising star
rises higher when grounded.

Personal Style
"It's pretty classic and chic. I like to wear things that are simple and have accent
pieces as opposed to wearing something completely overwhelming."

Acting Idols
"Kate Winslet would be incredible to work with. She's an amazing actress.
Also Meryl Streep, although that would be a little intimidating! And
Johnny Depp, he really is a true artist."

Twilight Hours
"Everyone is always joking around and the mood is usually light and fun on set.
Jackson (Rathbone) always has the ukulele and it cheers people
up...reminds me of Hawaii!"

Simple Pleasures
"I'm in love with the soft serve vanilla ice cream cones from McDonald's! And I'm also a big fan of Cheez-Its, unfortunately."

Eternal Optimist
"I try to be pretty upbeat and optimistic like Alice. Of course, she takes it to a whole new level..."