INTERVIEW: Emily Alyn Lind on Gossip Girl, Keanu Reeves, and her start on soap operas

With both a leading role on HBO's Gossip Girl reboot and a new album on the way, now is the perfect time for soap opera fans to get reacquainted with Emily Alyn Lind -- the super talented actress who got her start as All My Children's Emma Lavery.

It's been a decade since Emily Alyn Lind stepped into Pine Valley as Emma Lavery, the daughter of All My Children characters Ryan Lavery (Cameron Mathison) and Annie Novak (Melissa Claire Egan), and so much has changed since then.

The actress, who tells Soap Central that she was "such a baby" when she starred on the ABC soap opera, has gone on to act alongside major stars like Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar, Keanu Reeves in Replicas, and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Won't Back Down. She's also set to play a leading role in the upcoming HBO Max Gossip Girl reboot, having already been nicknamed "the new Serena van der Woodsen" after Blake Lively's iconic character.

But that's not all. Lind is also about to release her first EP, which she's been working on with tizhimself and KoOoLkOjAk, known for writing and producing with big stars like Kayne West and Sean Paul. She dropped her first single, "Spotless Mind," today (to listen, check out Lind's Spotify artist page), and her forthcoming EP, titled Here and Elsewhere, is set to debut on Tuesday, June 16.

Needless to say, there's a lot going on in Lind's life! But lucky for soap fans, she still fondly remembers her time as AMC's Emma and was more than happy to speak with Soap Central about her Pine Valley past, her explosive career, working with big stars like Keanu Reeves, and learning from her sister, Alyvia Alyn Lind, who plays Faith Newman on The Young and the Restless.

Soap Central: Congratulations on the upcoming release of your new music! You've been acting for a long time, so what made you want to explore a career in music?

Emily Alyn Lind: Thank you. Honestly, music was never something I set out to do professionally, and I still don't, really. I just want to release art that makes people feel less alone, and personally, I don't have any expectations from doing so. Acting is my job that I love, and music is my passion that I love.

Soap Central: Where do you find inspiration for your songs, which you often co-write?

Lind: For me, it's never sit down and write a song. I get inspired at the weirdest times, and my phone is full of voice memos of me in my car singing melodies I come up with out of nowhere. Sometimes I co-write music in the studio, but most of my acoustic stuff that I'll be releasing on the upcoming EP are songs I've written over the years.

Soap Central: It's so exciting that you landed the role of Audrey in the new Gossip Girl! How do you feel about getting the job?

Lind: Yes, I'm stoked! We're going to have fun, and I hope the fans enjoy it.

Soap Central: What kind of research are you doing for the role? I assume watching the original Gossip Girl might be part of that?!

Lind: After everything for the EP is done, next on my quarantine to-do list is to re-watch the original.

Soap Central: Soap opera fans loved you as Emma Lavery on All My Children. What do you remember most about your experience there?

Lind: I was such a baby, but I have nothing but warm, happy memories. I had already been acting for a couple years when I started AMC, but it was still early on in the game, so mostly I'm grateful for the positive introduction to this industry, which I know not all always experience.

Soap Central: You got to work with some very popular daytime stars, like Cameron Mathison, Melissa Claire Egan, etc. Who did you enjoy working with the most and why?

Lind: I was very close with Cameron and Melissa. They made me feel at ease 24/7. They welcomed me into their world, and made me feel right at home.

Soap Central: Did you learn anything from starring on a soap opera, either at AMC or your short stint as Days of our Lives' Grace?

Lind: It was a long time ago now, but I still feel that those years played a pivotal part in my growth as an actor -- and human in general. Just learning to be a part of something, and learning that every part of that something has an equal amount of importance in creating something bigger. I take that lesson with me when I am working today.

Soap Central: Your sister Alyvia sometimes appears on The Young and the Restless. Have you two traded any soap opera acting notes or on-set stories?

Lind: If anyone should be giving advice, it's my little sister. She is naturally brilliant at every single thing she puts her little mind to. I wanna be her when I grow up!

Soap Central: You've worked with some MAJOR movie stars in your career. Which one surprised you the most, in terms of how they were in real-life?

Lind: Growing up in the industry, I learned to base my appreciation for people off of who they are stripped of the labels they've been given. I've gotten lucky and haven't had to deal with a lot of people who exist solely on a pedestal. But I also have a no tolerance role for inequality. All that aside, yes, Keanu is as rad as people say!

Soap Central: What kind of characters excite you the most and why?

Lind: Any character that plays a part in desensitizing current subject matter. Mental health is real, gender inequality is real, racial discrimination is real, sexual harassment is real. It's all real and it all needs to be talked about. Like really talked about.

Soap Central: What is something you have always wanted to do but haven't had the courage to follow through with?

Lind: Throw away my phone, pick up an old Ford-150, move to the woods, and never look back. Well, that and start a nonprofit. But, luckily, I've got some time!

What do you think about our interview with Emily Alyn Lind? Do you remember her time on AMC? What are your thoughts on her new music and her upcoming role in the Gossip Girl reboot? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.