SUDDENLY NEXT SUMMER

Spotlight

Britt Robertson knows her life is about to change dramatically. "I go to the grocery store in my sweatpants now," she says with premature nostalgia. "No one really knows who I am." This May, Disney's Tomorrowland—directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles)—'will kick off summer-blockbuster season. The film's two leads? Arguably the most famous actor in the world, George Clooney... and the 24-year-old Robertson.

Since she began acting, at the age of 10, Robertson has starred in two CW series— Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle—as well as the CBS science-fiction hit Under the Dome. But Tomorrowland promises to shift her career into a completely different gear. "When I got the role, it was the best feeling I'll ever have in my life," she says.

Robertson lights up as she recounts how Clooney introduced himself, the day before they started filming: "He was so not intimidating. We had some really funny banter." She recalls one night in Spain at the end of the shoot when Clooney called her over to his table at a hotel restaurant. "He gave me some great advice," Robertson says. "He said, 'Keep going. Don't just ride on this movie and hope that it does something good for you; get some momentum.'"

While she awaits Tomorrowland's release, Robertson—who will also star in April's The Longest Ride, adapted from the Nicholas Sparks novel—is trying to stay calm amid a maelstrom of emotions. "When it comes out, it could be the biggest embarrassment of my life, or it could be the craziest thing that ever happened."

JOSH DUBOFF

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