1. Ever wonder what you’d be doing now if you hadn’t been on your Lower East Side stoop that day in 1995 when Larry Clark walked by and asked you—even though you’d never acted before—if you wanted to be in his movie, Kids?

Oh, yeah. You know, I feel lucky. But I was very disciplined about making things happen. I didn’t even go to college. The thing that I wanted to do at that age was marine biology—I was a real math and science girl—but I think had I gone to college I would have discovered acting there.

2. Incidentally, I hear you don’t date people who aren’t eco-conscious.

[Laughs] I am in my hybrid car right now. I received a gift yesterday packed in Styrofoam and I swear I’m going to write to the company. How the fuck are you using Styrofoam to pack your box? That just seems, like, so ten years ago.

3. Speaking of cars, Miss Lower East Sider, you’ve relocated to L.A. Guess you had to learn to drive…

I did! It’s one of the things I really like out here. I never liked walking around on the phone in New York because people are nosy and listen to you. And I hated being that crazy person with the earpiece who looks like she’s talking to herself on the street. I’d rather be that person in a car [Laughs]. I get back to New York, though. The Lower East Side has changed so much. It’s so weird to me that a place where they’d barely allow cabs to come to—back in the day—is now worth so much money. I appreciate that there’s more safety. But I really miss block parties and long-term neighbors.

Dawson stars in Descent, opening Fri 10.