Chloe is on the cover of Nylon Magazine’s May issue!

Our May issue is all about Young Hollywood–and who better to represent it on our cover than Chloe Grace Moretz? The actress, who goes from fighting crime in Kick-Ass 2 to wreaking havoc in the Carrie remake later this year, talked to writer Alexandra Marshall about saving up for Chanel, getting into character, and working way harder than your average 16-year-old. While you wait for the issue to hit newsstands on April 30, check out our sneak peek and exclusive outtakes below. And because this is our Instagram issue, follow along @nylonmag and @cmoretz!

On the film vs TV debate:
“I always knew I wanted to do movies. The thing with TV is, people almost see you as a family member. You’re in their house every week, and you’re young and innocent. But if you’re 19 or 20, playing 15, and trying to transition into your sexuality, people are going to be like, ‘No, no, you’re my younger sister!’ Whereas for an actor in movies, theres’ a distance. They have to travel to the theater to see you. Plus, TV is more of a job, and it can become kind of monotonous. I love spontaneity, which is why I love playing a different character every few months.”

On playing the potty-mouthed teen Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass:
“We all looked at it and were like, ‘Who knows what people might think?’ They might be totally offended and never want to hear from me again, or people might love it and go, ‘This is the raddest female-empowerment Angelina Jolie-type character for an 11-year-ild girl.’ It was a big risk, a really big risk. People were saying to my mom, ‘What did you do to your child? You ruined her!’ But I was like, ‘It was my choice! I wanted to do it!’”

On going method as Carrie:
“I tried a new style of acting that I’ve never tried before. When I do a crying scene, I’m the type of actor who usually breaks right out of it afterwards, and I’m laughing and being silly. But with Carrie, I wanted to try staying in character and being in that dark space all day. I’m not very serious Method. It’s not like I didn’t talk to my family or go crazy and not eat, but with the director and the actors I was Carrie all the time on set. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, but it was one of the darkest, and I’m terrified to see the movie because it’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever been.”

On why she’s never going to be a bad girl:
“I’m, like, incredibly straight-laced, considering what some 16-year-olds are doing. It’s probably because I’ve gone to nice events with big people there since I was a young girl. Kids my age at school are fighting to get into clubs and be around an open bar, whereas I’ve had the opportunity to drink or do drugs if I wanted to, and I haven’t. I look around me and go, ‘God’s put me here for a reason. Why would I want to go take a drug or do something that can strip away everything I’ve worked for?’ This business is not peaches and cream, and I’ve fought tooth and nail to earn this spot. I’m not a girl who’s ridden on a last name or lucked into it from getting on one project that blows up. I’ve worked for 11 years, and I have to keep working, too, because if I sat back on my haunches right now, I could disappear within a month.”