Willow Shields has grown up in front of our eyes, from starting out as just a kid in "The Hunger Games" to now becoming a young lady in the ballroom.
At 14, she's the youngest contestant to ever compete on "Dancing with the Stars," and on Wednesday, Willow visited Access Hollywood Live where she chatted about maturing with Jennifer Lawrence by her side.
"She's awesome. We've grown up together," Willow said of her Oscar-winning co-star. "I started when I was 10. Now, I'm 14. We built this fantastic relationship. Each movie we grew closer, so we're like sisters now and she's so supportive of everything I do."
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Jennifer's words of wisdom have helped guide Willow on her rise to stardom.
"She told me to stay who I am. I think she knew that these films were going to just blow up and I didn't yet. I was 10 and I was totally unaware of what was going to happen, so for me I had no idea," Willow continued. "She was like stay who you are. That's the only way you're going to be successful in this industry is to kind of be humble and stay who you are because obviously they cast you for a reason."
Willow told Billy Bush and Kit Hoover that her big screen big sister has remained grounded as the accolades poured in.
READ: Willow Shields' ‘DWTS’ Blog: Tonight Is The Big Night!
"She's an inspiration to me. She's never changed this entire series, which is the most incredible thing you can see. The way she stays so grounded and humble, it's almost impossible for a lot of people to do that so for me it's inspirational," she said. "She's such an inspiration for every young girl out there."
And when it comes to the ballroom and it's sometimes suggestive dancing, Willow – who is also Access Hollywood's exclusive "DWTS" blogger for Season 20 – and pro partner Mark Ballas will be true to her age.
"It's only sexy if you make it that way… we're keeping it very age appropriate," she explained. "Mark and I have put a lot of thought into making sure that it's just fun. Our first dance was just fun and sassy."
WATCH: Willow Shields On Being Youngest ‘DWTS’ Contestant
"Dancing with the Stars" continues Monday at 8/7c and read Willow's "DWTS" blog every week on AccessHollywood.com!
-- Jesse Spero
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