The 22-year-old actress took time away from the spotlight after appearing in 2007 movie “Juno” to deal with her newfound fame, and found completing manual tasks helped her relax.
She said: “I went to Oregon to study permaculture and lived in an eco-village for a month outside Eugene. It's called Lost Valley. It was amazing and exactly what I needed.
“You're learning how to live in a holistic way with the cycles of the Earth. At one point I was digging goat manure and putting it into a wheelbarrow, and while shoveling it, I just went, 'Oh, my God, this is exactly what I want to be doing right now.’ ”
Ellen is determined not to change now she is famous, adding her life is so normal she hopes people won’t be interested in hearing about it.
She said: “I'm not a fancy person. I love small spaces. I like tiny cars. I don't buy things, aside from music and books. I don’t get loads of attention and maybe it's because I'm kind of boring. I don't think I'm boring, but I have different interests. I don't go out much, not because I'm hiding but because I'm not a big drinker. I go out and have a good time, I go to concerts and stuff.”
The “Whip It” star added she gives herself a stern talking to if she is ever moody because she does not want to appear spoilt.
She added to the USA Today newspaper: “I woke up the other day and I was noticing that I was cranky. That's ridiculous. The only times I get conflicted with my job is that I feel so lucky.”
