For VIOLET GREY’s photo shoot with the actress Nicola Peltz, the manicured lawns of a private Bel Air residence, studded with modern Les Lalannes sculptures, provided a magical backdrop befitting her demure, sylph-like persona. Barefoot and donned in a diaphanous dressing gown, the 19-year-old actress looked a million miles away from the apocalyptic world inhabited by her Transformers: Age of Extinction character. Peltz, whom critics have deemed both on-the-verge and destined for greatness, is versatile enough to look at home in both settings. Of course, with her bee stung lips and limpid blue eyes, the gorgeous New York native would look at ease wherever she went.

In an effort to become better acquainted with Nicola, VIOLET GREY invited model/actress (and recent cover story star) Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on set to interview her. A fellow Transformers veteran, Rosie could relate to the young actress and was eager to compare notes. Shooting a Transformers film, with the intense physical demands, larger-than-life sets, and mostly male cast, is a unique experience that only an actress who’s been through the process can truly understand.

As the sun began to slip below the horizon, the pair retreated to the porch for an intimate chat that alternated between formal interview and giddy girl talk. Read their conversation — at least the parts that weren’t off the record — below.