It makes sense that she’d look for continuity as an adult—growing up, she moved 12 times before she turned 18. But it’s more than that. She got a tattoo of the words “To build a home” on her ribcage following her traumatic freshman year:
“I had a very, very bad experience; I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me,” she told the magazine. From then on, Mendes vowed to make sure that everything in her life made her feel safe and comfortable. The tattoo is a reminder to strengthen herself and her environment. “Whenever I feel like I’m going through something difficult, I think about what I can do physically for myself,” she says.“I danced for seven years, from age 4 to 11. Then I did musicals as a kid, then so much of acting school is movement classes and connecting your breath to your body,” she says. “Activity has always been an important part of my life.”