Picture Jason Clarke Photography[/caption]Being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age has had negative effects on many in the public eye, but this wasn’t the case for Lynch. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It offered a chance to prove herself, but also to grow into acting. “It was a boost of confidence,” she says. “Obviously it’s unusual, it’s not like you go into school, the way they say, ‘here’s how to be a teacher’, ‘here’s how to be a doctor’ – they don’t say ‘here’s how to be an actor’. So I needed that, and I think getting the role so young, it showed me that path and it gave me confidence in my dreams.”The role was a defining one for Lynch, and getting to develop and grow into the role of Luna Lovegood was an invaluable experience. She is still in touch with much of the cast, and Rowling herself. “We keep in touch,” she says of Rowling. “Not all the time, because it doesn’t take more than a Google search to see how busy that lady is! But yeah, we do write letters every now and then.”Much of Lynch’s youth has been highly publicised as a result of her time on the set of Harry Potter. Among this is her experience with anorexia. When we move onto the topic, however, she makes it clear how unhappy she is at the Irish media’s handling of the topic in recent weeks. “I don’t like that it’s being used as a clickbait topic, because it is very personal,” she says. “It is something that I’m happy to write about, and I’ve only spoken about it because I think it needs awareness, but I’m a bit unhappy with how it’s been handled.”In most interviews, her experience with anorexia has been the focus, whereas her acting – and most particularly, her performance in My Name is Emily, has been overlooked. “It’s annoying because it’s not like I rock up to these interviews for a therapy session, which is what it looks like,” she explains. “The only reason I talk about it is because I want to help people feel like it’s not just you, everyone deals with this. But they do, they use it – they abuse it, rather, to get people to click on it, to show something shocking, and it’s not that, it’s very delicate, and it should be treated that way.”On what’s next for Lynch, the answer isn’t entirely clear. She’s always auditioning for roles, but her outlook has changed since My Name is Emily. “Ever since I took My Name is Emily, I have been a lot more picky, because that project changed me, and that reminded me why I’m doing it. It’s not about making it, or outdoing yourself, it’s just about finding the things that move you. So after that I was like, ‘I’m going to write until something amazing pulls me away from my desk.’”Becoming quite as recognisable and prominent in the film industry at such a young age is a difficult accomplishment for any young actor. For those who want to follow in her footsteps and break into the industry, Lynch says that you need to stay rooted in your love for what you do.“Stay connected to the love, why you love it,” she says. “There is an industry side to it, and that side can weigh you down. But when you take all that away there’s a very pure, innocent, beautiful reason why you do it in the first place. And I think the way to stay connected to that is just be surrounded by people who inspire you – who light you up.”My Name is Emily is in cinemas now.