Elle Fanning stars in and produces Hulu’s TV series The Great. It is a satirical spin on Catherine the Great’s rise to become the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia’s history. “The Great is about fulfilling your destiny and your fate. And I think in my life I have fulfilled a lot of what my dreams and what I’ve wanted to do,” she told HFPA journalist Margaret Gardiner.

Fanning started acting before she was three years old. There were moments when she thought that she could be a singer, a fashion designer, and dreamed of having a cooking show. “Growing up I had a lot of different ideas for myself but acting just rose to the top completely and is my true love. I think watching young videos of myself growing up I can see that I’m a complete ham in front of the camera and always loved dressing up. Acting is just so in my blood. But I also like a new challenge.”

One of her new challenges is producing. She produced the romantic drama All the Bright Places and is now executive producer of The Great. “When you’re a producer you get to be on phone calls that you don’t get to usually be on and you get to have an input and I would find myself sometimes being scared to speak up on those phone calls. I would apologize for myself. And I had to learn to find my voice much like Catherine does on the show, that she’s learning her power and learning how to lead and figuring all that out, much like I am as well.”

Listen to the podcast and hear what she thinks about nude scenes; has she ever felt that people try to put her in a box; how was her first kiss; why Instagram is her choice of social media; whether she has a career plan; what is her definition of beauty; how was her experience being a jury member in Cannes Film Festival; how was her experience working with directors like Sofia Coppola and Sally Potter; why she is excited to work with her sister, Dakota Fanning, in the upcoming movie The NightingaleAngelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman