The daughter of pop royalty sat down for a rare interview with Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday’s show. Michael Jackson’s daughter recalled fond memories of her late father and shared her passion for acting. The 13-year-old will make her Hollywood debut in the movie Lundon’s Bridge and the Three Keys.

On how her father inspired her acting: “When I was really little my dad was in the movie Moonwalker and I knew he could sing really well but I didn’t know he could act. I saw that and I said, ‘Wow, I want to be just like him.’”

On attending a regular school: “I love it. It’s definitely a different experience. … I do have like a regular childhood. I mean, I’m treated the same. When I came to Buckley [her school] they didn’t know who I was. I was like, ‘Yes, I have a chance to be normal.’”

On wearing a mask as a child: “Yeah, I’m like, ‘This is stupid; why am I wearing a mask?’ But I kind of realized the older I got, like, he only tried to protect us and he’d explain that to us, too.”

On her father’s enduring words: “He said, ‘If I die tomorrow always remember what I told you.’ I took his advice and I remembered everything he told me.”

Watch the King of Pop’s daughter step into the spotlight.