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When it comes to acting, Sascha Nastasi always keeps her cool. Take, for example, how she describes her favorite scene to film in Black Beauty, the Disney+ remake of the classic horse flick (Psst: It comes out today, Nov. 27). 

"My character Jennifer gets pushed into a giant pile of horse manure, and I had to change my pants between every take," Sascha explains, laughing. "Even though it was fake, it was still very messy. It was just like real manure—except for the smell, of course."

Laughing at repeatedly being pushed into fake horse poo is one thing, but Sascha keeps that cool confidence off set, too. So how does she do it? Here are three rules to live—and chill—by, straight from Sascha.

Rule 1: Don't hide behind your phone.

"My 2021 New Year's resolution is to try to use my phone less. I've noticed that when I'm feeling awkward or uncomfortable, I'll gravitate toward my phone. But I want to get better about being present with that feeling and not just using tech to numb out."

Rule 2: When it comes to social media, just do you.

"I've never really wanted to be like, 'Oh, look at this amazing place where I am and this amazing food that I'm eating.' Instagram is really one-sided, but I think it's cool to tell a story about yourself with what you post. I love spookier stuff. I really like to collage. So I put all of that on my feed. That's the overall vibe that I like." 

Rule 3: You don't owe anyone explanations about who you are.

"When I was 11, I developed OCD symptoms. I used to try to hide it from my friends or pretend it was part of a game. As I got older, I realized that it's just part of who I am. There's no shame in telling your story, but remember that you don't owe an explanation to anyone if you don't feel comfortable."

Hey, girl! Just wanted to let you know that this story originally ran in our December/January 2021 issue. Want more? Read the print mag for free *today* when you click HERE.

Image Credit: Ryan West.

by Kayleigh Roberts; edited for digital by Katherine Hammer | 11/27/2020