Singer, actress Becky G talks with Long Island kids

We met singer and actress Becky G when she was in Manhattan recently. We had such a good time talking to her. Becky G is truly a self-made star! She made her own music videos of herself singing and posted them on YouTube, where she was discovered. Some of her biggest songs are “Becky From the Block” and “Play It Again.” We loved her in the latest “Power Rangers” movie.

What was the hardest thing about being in a movie instead of being on tour?

The hardest thing for me was being away from my family. I have gone on tours, but I always bring my cousins along with me and stuff. For the first time, I was living by myself in a whole different place far from my family. It was only a two-hour flight away, but it felt like forever to get to them. But I ended up making a new little family [with the “Power Rangers” cast].

Do you have a special hidden talent that others don’t know about?

I don’t know if I have a special talent, but I like to talk like a little baby sometimes [speaking in a little baby voice]. I know, it is a little freaky.

If you could have a real super power, what would it be?

I would say I would like to have the ability to read minds. You know when someone starts to tell you a story, and you know they are lying? I would like to know that they are lying, and I could call them out on it.

Do you Google yourself?

I don’t Google myself. I do look up things on Twitter, but that is different. With Google everything comes up. Sometimes fans find way cuter pictures of you on Instagram, and I like to look at them.

Were you ever bullied in real life?

Yes. My bullying experiences in school were different, probably because of my sense of style. I was the type of girl who liked wearing outfits. I liked putting on tutus and wearing leggings. I was basically a Harajuku girl [a frilly counterculture in Japan] from like second grade to sixth grade, and a lot of girls would look at me like I was crazy. I just wanted to be my own little fashionista. I guess the tutus scared people away, and nobody would sit with me at school or at lunchtime. There were times when I did eat my lunch in the girls bathroom.

What did you learn from dealing with bullies?

Those kinds of moments build you as a person. If you channel them the right way, they only make you stronger and make you better. It also helped me learn perspective and how to understand other people. Sometimes you learn that bullies are going to learn from their mistakes and in their own way. Sometimes when they say what they say or act the way they do, it is coming from a sense of insecurity from inside them. It doesn’t mean that there is actually anything wrong with you. If you are being bullied, as hard as it is, try to put yourself in the bully’s shoes and find out if everything is OK at home or maybe they are just a little lost.

Sometimes the people you love the most or live with can even unintentionally bully you. It might be just because they are having a bad day.

Is it more difficult to act in front of a large crowd or to sing in front of large crowd?

Good question. To be honest, because I am still really new to acting, I would have to say acting. I know that I have so much more to learn and so much more to grow into. As far as learning the switch — I am this person right now — I am not going to let anything break my character.

How did you learn to be a better actor?

We did a lot of team-building games. We did a lot of improv. I was always the last one to enter the game because I wanted to see them [her co-stars] and then be comfortable enough to do this, and then I would just jump into it. I was able to step out of my comfort zone and do something, and I was proud when I did it.

Where do you picture yourself in 10 years?

I love you guys! You should be on my team representing me, but to be honest, I don’t know where I will be in 10 years, but I think that is the most exciting thing about life. I think you should have standards and you should have dreams and know that there are no limits. Who is to say that in two years I decide that I want to be a veterinarian like I wanted to be when I was 5 years old. I do hope that I can continue to travel the world and make movies and be a singer, but I really don’t know if it will happen, and that is really the coolest thing about life. Life is mystery.

Was the color of your Rangers outfit the one that you wanted?

Growing up, I wanted to be the Yellow Power Ranger. All my friends growing up wanted to be the pink one, but yellow was my favorite color, so it didn’t get any better than this, because no one else could be me.

Was it hard fighting actress Elizabeth Banks on set?

Yes. As an actress, she is just amazing. When she would walk on set, I felt like I was really dealing with Rita Repulsa. Her makeup, her outfits, her hair. That staff she carried, it was so heavy. She would just walk around the set, strutting with her crazy colored eyes. I was really scared.

When you were in the Power Rangers movie, did you have a special diet?

Yes, in order to prepare for the movie, Naomi [Scott, her co-star] and I ate lots of veggies. We did lots of training. We did stunt training. We trained in Los Angeles. It was like an adult jungle gym — they had trampolines and foam pits.

When you were a kid, were you a Power Rangers fan?

Of course!