Emma Roberts Worked Out Middle School Science Trauma With 'Space Cadet'

Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video

’ new movie Space Cadet finds her training to be an astronaut, but science was not the actress’ “strong suit” in middle school.

“I remember having to do extra credit to pass seventh-grade science because cutting open the frog traumatized me,” Roberts, 33, told Us Weekly exclusively at the New York City Space Cadet premiere on Thursday, June 17. “I did not do well in that portion, and it counted for most of your grade.”

Roberts noted that she is “street smart” enough for a trip to space, but would be wary of the “science stuff.”

The actress plays the role of Tiffany “Rex” Simpson in the Amazon MGM Studios film, a Florida girl who has always had her eyes on the sky. After Simpson turns in an embellished (read: made-up) application, she gets accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program and “relies on her quick wits, moxie and determination to get to the top of her class,” per the movie’s official logline.

Related: 2000s Nickelodeon Leading Ladies: Where Are They Now?Nickelodeon has been home to childhood hits for decades — and kids growing up in the 2000s will never forget the network’s leading ladies. From Amanda Bynes, Emma Roberts and Keke Palmer to Jamie Lynn Spears and Miranda Cosgrove, women had a major presence on Nick from 2000 to the mid-2010s. Bynes’ comedic legacy stretched from […]

Roberts did undergo some real NASA training while preparing for the movie.

Courtesy of Prime

“I loved going in like the anti-gravity spinny thing. I don’t know what it’s called,” she recalled to Us. “My character had to be bummed out in that scene and I couldn’t stop laughing.”

While Roberts was a huge fan of the NASA aspect of the movie, her costar (Dr. Stacy Kellogg) was not, telling Us that she would never go to space.

“It terrifies me. I don’t like being in elevators. I don’t like roller coasters. I’m not a thrill-seeking person,” she admitted. “I have so much admiration for anyone who would want to do that and especially the women who are entering into this field because it’s such a male-dominated space.”

Eric Liebowitz//Prime Video

In the movie, Roberts’ character focuses on making her big dreams into a reality — something she related to.

Related: Emma Roberts' Cutest Family MomentsExes Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund kept a relatively low profile while they were dating, especially after the arrival of their son, Rhodes. The couple were first linked in March 2019, nearly one year before Us Weekly confirmed that they were expecting their first baby. Rhodes was born in December 2020. “It’s not something you’ll […]

“I feel like my mom was always the one who was like, you can do whatever you want. No dream is too big, and I’m super grateful for that,” she said. “Now that I’m in my 30s and have my own son, you just have more of a sense of the reality of the world.”

Roberts explained that her mom, , raised her “to believe that I was the best and could do anything,” which she wants to pass down to 3-year-old son, Rhodes. (Roberts shares Rhodes with ex-boyfriend .)

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Subscribe to newsletters Subscribe

By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly

Deal of the DayEnjoy 55% off This Best-Selling Flowy Summer Dress!View Deal

Check our latest news in Google News

Follow Us

Check our latest news in Apple News

Follow UsjQuery( document ).ready( function( $ ) { let randomNumber = Math.floor( Math.random() * 100 ), is_spanish = false; if ( randomNumber < 96 && $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).length ) { $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).show(); $( '#news-block .news-widget, #news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); } else { if( $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).length ) { $( '#news-block .shop-with-us__container' ).remove(); } if ( is_spanish ) { // 99% should be newsletter signup if ( randomNumber < 99 ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } } else { // 50/50 if( 0 === parseInt( $.now() ) % 2 ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .newsletter-form' ).remove(); $( '#news-block .news-widget' ).show(); } } if ( navigator.userAgent.match( /(iPod|iPhone|iPad)/ ) ) { $( '#news-block .news-widget .google-news' ).remove(); } else { $( '#news-block .news-widget .apple-news' ).remove(); } } } );

“You don’t realize how rare that is until you get older,” she said.

Space Cadet premieres via Prime Video on Thursday, July 4.

With reporting by Andrew Nodell

In this articleEmma Roberts

Emma Roberts Worked Out Middle School Science Trauma With 'Space Cadet'

Emma Roberts Worked Out Middle School Science Trauma With 'Space Cadet'

Emma Roberts Worked Out Middle School Science Trauma With 'Space Cadet'

Emma Roberts Worked Out Middle School Science Trauma With 'Space Cadet'

Emma Roberts Worked Out Middle School Science Trauma With 'Space Cadet'