Ariana Greenblatt on the ‘Stupid’ Movie That Inspires Her

After playing America Ferrera’s defiant daughter in “Barbie,” Ariana Greenblatt has lots of mentor options.  There’s Margot Robbie  (“so cool”). Michael Cera (“I love him so much”). Greta Gerwig (“yeeessss”).

But her go-to vibe check? That remains her older brother, Gavin, who is studying fashion design.

“All my looks are approved by him,” Greenblatt, 16, said in a phone interview from her home in Los Angeles, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs, Luna and Foxy. “He has such great style.”

He also served as the vetter on another important project: “Borderlands,” a film adaptation of the sci-fi video game in which Greenblatt plays the demolitions expert Tiny Tina.

“I called him to fact-check: ‘Is this video game cool?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I play it all the time,’” Greenblatt said. “That was my green light to move forward.”

While she watched her dogs try to catch a squirrel, Greenblatt, who is now filming “Now You See Me 3” in Budapest, discussed the item that’s her must-have on the road, why she thinks everyone should read “The Outsiders” and her dream writing project. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

1

‘The Outsiders’

At first I was mad that I had to read it in school, but I really connected with it. My favorite character is either Darry or Sodapop — he was so cute in the movie! When Dally got shot at the end, it made me sob. Wait, there’s a musical? Now I have to see it!

2

‘Superbad’

It’s a big part of my personality — I have a McLovin fake ID — and has inspired me to write the movie I’m writing right now with Eli Roth [who also directed “Borderlands”]. It’s untitled at the moment —I don’t want to spoil too much, but it is exactly the same kind of stupid movie.

3

‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber

I remember playing it on guitar when I was 3 or 4. To this day, if it ever gets turned on — in the car, at karaoke, when I’m hanging out with my friends — I’ll sing it with my whole heart.

4

My Baby Blanket

I slept with it almost every night from the day I was born. I even brought it to sleepovers. But then I was in Paris for Fashion Week last year, and I left it on the bed at my hotel and came back to find they’d thrown it out. They probably thought it was a disgusting rag. I was devastated. My aunt bought me a new one for Christmas that looks very similar — it’s two layers and white with pink spots — but it’s not disgusting-looking with a bunch of holes like the original was. I’m breaking it in right now!

5

Screenwriting

My dream project would be creating and writing the story of a teenage girl and applying my story to other stories I know from my friends and my mom and my aunt. Seeing my vision come to life would be so cool.

6

Jesse Mockrin

I stumbled across her page. I don’t remember what piece it was, but the beautiful colors caught my eye. It reminded me of the Renaissance paintings I’ve seen in beautiful museums in London and Paris. Eventually I was hunting for a piece of my own. I wanted a women’s portrait — I’d seen this incredible one she’d done of Billie Eilish — and I was lucky and got the exact thing I was looking for. It’s the first piece I bought with my own money. It’s a blue portrait of a woman from the waist up. Her hair is up, and she’s calm and stoic.

7

Barbie Land

I’ll always remember the day before the premiere, when my family and I hopped in a car and took a picture with every Barbie poster we could find. What the movie did for the world, for me, I will always be indebted.

8

Doing My Makeup

Makeup is a therapeutic thing for me. If I have a long day, I’ll spend three hours in my bathroom listening to music, watching something and just doing my makeup. On set, I’ll go into the hair and makeup trailer and they’ll do it, then I’ll go into my trailer and fix it. I’m so specific about how things look on my face. So technically I have done my own makeup for a film, just no one knows!

9

Oversize Clothes

My dad’s and my brother’s clothes look cooler and fit better, so I’m stealing them constantly. Literally yesterday, one of my friends texted me, “The day you wear clothes that fit you is the day I won’t get injured in lacrosse,” or something crazy like that. I constantly feel so uncomfortable and paranoid of how I look in clothes that are tight.

10

Smelling Good

I always have two or three candles lit in my bathroom. I just love being in a room that smells good. Warm vanilla is where it’s at. If anyone says, “I smelled you coming,” my life is made.