Mae talked to IML about the struggles of growing up, girl friends versus guy friends, and the art of being Grace.

IML: Hi Mae! How are you?

Mae: Great!

IML: How has your summer been?

Mae: Pretty good. I haven't done very much. (Laughs) I'm going to go to Oklahoma for my school's nation debate competition next week and that's about it. It's great to have the summer to hang out with my friends. When I'm working, I work every day and I don't get to see them very much in school.

IML: What do you think of your character, Grace?

Mae: She's really a great character and really fun to play. She's so interesting and unique.

IML: Are you as energetic as Grace in real life, or are you more like her friend, Hannah?

Mae: I'm actually more of a combination of both. I'm like Grace because I'm outgoing and kind of crazy and I don't care what people think. I'm also like Hannah because my family is so supportive.

IML: Do you have any brothers or sisters?

Mae: I don't. I'm a single child. I wanted a little brother or a little sister growing up, but when I think about it, I'm happy I'm an only child.

IML: We talked to your co-star, Alia Shawkat, who plays Hannah, and she told us that you two are friends in real life.

Mae: Yes, we are!

IML: What is Alia like?

Mae: She is awesome. During the first couple of months I did the show, she was very shy and didn't talk very much. Then you start to notice this unbelievable sense of humor that comes through. She's just absolutely hilarious once you get to know her. She's really smart and a really, really loyal and sweet friend.

IML: How do you like the 1960's clothes that you wear for the show?

Mae: One of the most fun things about the show is that I get to wear all these different types of clothes. It's so crazy whenever we go to the wardrobe fittings. Alia doesn't get to wear clothes that are as funky. She always wears one of the more drab ones, but still. It's really fun to get to go back in time and wear something that my parents wore back when they were my age.

IML: How does Grace's relationship with her mother, Tattie, compare to your relationship with your own parents?

Mae: Grace's mother is never around, although she tries to be a good mother. She really doesn't have what it takes, but she's really trying and she's learning. The whole thing for her is a learning experience, being a mother. I have both my father and my mother and they're always there for me whenever I need them.

IML: Do you think that Grace has changed since the show began?

Mae: I think she's started to settle down little bit. Now she has a best friend, which is very important because she has someone she can talk to and trust and be with. She's starting to go through more complicated issues of the '60s like racism and the war.

IML: What issues have you had to face growing up?

Mae: There have been a lot of events that have made me really look at the real world, like September 11th. There are so many things that just make you realize that you're not going to live forever and that you have to enjoy every day. It's kind of a mind-blowing experience.

IML: What's the hardest part about being a teenager?

Mae: Oh, there are so many hard things! First of all, you just have all these different feelings inside that you don't know how to express and you don't know what they mean. Then there are all the issues of peer pressure and drinking and drugs that you have to overcome. Then popularity and things like that. It's very difficult being a teenager. It's all about finding your place in the world and developing your independence.

IML: Do you have a best friend?

Mae: Alia. And then I also have my friend Ilana. I have a couple best friends. Ilana and Alia are my two main ones.

IML: Do you ever get in fights?

Mae: Sometimes. It's hard growing up, especially when you're a girl. Girls have to deal with liking the same guy and stuff like that. It's very difficult. I think that everybody gets in fights. With Alia, we get into smaller fights and with Ilana, we tend to get into fewer, but bigger fights.

IML: How do you work through arguments?

Mae: I think we just end up coming to a compromise. Usually, it's over something really stupid. With Alia, we usually back off from each other and let each other have five minutes and then we apologize. Then I also have best friends that are guys, which is a totally different thing because they are so different from girls. They don't get their feelings hurt easily. They don't have as much of a passion as girls do. It's a very different relationship with guys.

Check out IML's section on how to handle it When Friends Fight.

IML: Speaking of guys, do you think Grace and Hannah will have boyfriends soon?

Mae: Well, there's definitely going to be more dating. There's going to be some boys on the show. I think the girls are going to turn more into their mothers and that's going to start to split them apart a little bit. They have to make sure they stay true to each other, but also stay true to their families.

IML: We look forward to seeing it! Thank you so much and good luck with the show.

Mae: Thank you!

Read more about young celebrities in Celebs Say....