Actor and activist Amandla Stenberg may be young in years, but her legacy is already overflowing. 

With a breakthrough performance as the young tribute Rue in the Jennifer Lawrence-led flick The Hunger Games back in 2012, Stenberg's ascension as a Hollywood fixture has been lined with film roles in The Hate U Give and Where Hands Touch, TV stints on Drunk History and The Eddy, and even an appearance in Beyonce's epic Lemonade music video back in 2016. 

Now at the age of 23, it's not just shiny Hollywood appearances that has ricocheted Stenberg from young up-and-comer to industry powerhouse; Stenberg also gives voice and strength to a variety of cultural, political and social justice issues, named in 2015 as the Ms. Foundation for Women's "Feminist Celebrity of the Year", while also going viral that same year for her playful yet though-provoking cultural appropriation video project titled Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows. 

Balancing a burgeoning career alongside public scrutiny for her stances on racial and gender equality, Stenberg also has yet another string to her very powerful creative bow, playing violin and singing, making her official music debut in 2015 with the folk rock duo Honeywater. And her music chops are on full display in 2021, with the impending release of her brand new film: an adaptation of the Broadway smash-hit musical Dear Evan Hansen.

Featuring a stacked cast including Stenberg, Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Nik Dodani, Julianne Moore and Amy Adams, Dear Evan Hansen follows the titular anxious and isolated high schooler Evan Hansen as he struggles to belong in high school and the social media age, with an array of Grammy winning songs including You Will Be Found, Waving Through a Window and For Forever. Stenberg joins the cast in the role of Alana Beck, an empathetic overachiever with a pivotal role in the film and musical, with Alana's role also expanded for the film to include a brand new song for the character, penned by Stenberg herself alongside writers Ben Pasek and Justin Paul. And to unpack the Dear Evan Hansen experience and also gift a brief insight into her other music endeavours, Amandla Stenberg joins The Green Room for today's episode.

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