Roberts' Namesake Dives Head First Into Movie Career

True, Emma Roberts has the unique benefit in Hollywood of having a recognizable last name: But the teen actress insists that when she dives into projects like "Aquamarine," having famous family that includes dad, Eric, and aunt, Julia, can be more of a burden than a benefit.

"People think that you get parts because of your name, but it's actually easier to for people not like you if you're from an acting family," Roberts told me in a recent @ The Movies interview.

But Roberts proves she can stay afloat and then some in "Aquamarine," new on DVD (Fox Home Entertainment). Roberts and hit singer JoJo star as Claire and Hailey, best friends who will soon be broken up by a family move.

But things start to look up for the duo when then discover Aquamarine (Sara Paxton), a mermaid in nearby pool. If Claire and Hailey help her find true love in a short amount of time, Aquamarine can grant each of them a wish.

Roberts, who previously starred in the Nickelodeon shows "Unfabulous" and "Drake and Josh," said working with Paxton and JoJo was fun on "Aquamarine," but challenging, too, because the three are friends in real life.

"It was a little bit harder to film because of that because we were always cracking up on the set," Roberts enthused. "Especially because we had to be serious sometimes."

Of course, Roberts knows that with a mermaid at the center of proceedings, people are bound to compare "Aquamarine" to that other mermaid movie. But rest assured, she said, things are different.

"I think the writers and the director did a good job of making sure that it wasn't a 'Splash' rip-off," Roberts said. "It's a cute mermaid movie that's good for the family."

Next up for the 15-year-old actress is the title role in "Nancy Drew," the big screen version of the classic book series and equally famous 1970s television series, "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries."

Roberts said the movie will remain faithful to the source material, with some modern twists.

"Nancy Drew's character stays the same -- she's still her old-fashioned self, but it's set in modern-day Los Angeles," Roberts said. "I'm really excited for it to come out."