Paris Jackson wanted to embrace fame to help "the masses".
The 19-year-old actress – the daughter of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson – revealed that while she harboured dreams of being a psychiatric nurse or psychologist, she decided she should work in the entertainment business so she could use her profile to push the beliefs and issues that are important to her.
Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, she said: "I originally wanted to just kind of stay out of the spotlight and become a psychologist or a nurse at a psychiatric ward. I realised it would be a shame to waste the platform I was given. Having the ability to go into the acting and fashion world, I just figured why not use that to make my platform bigger. That way, instead of helping the world one by one with patients, I could help the masses."
Paris accepts that a byproduct of fame is a loss of privacy but she is confident that she can navigate any potential pitfalls by following her personal mantra.
She said: "The best advice I’ve been given is to be strategic in the mind, young at heart, and wise in the soul. If you have those three things you can navigate pretty easily any path that you’re on."
Paris’ older brother, 20-year-old brother Prince, wants to make a career as a music video producer and has also launched the Heal Los Angeles charity – which is inspired by Michael 1992’s song and life-long aim to improve the lives of disadvantaged children – with the goal to help kids from impoverished backgrounds or who have been victims of abuse in the American city.
Paris younger brother Blanket, meanwhile, has been tipped for pop success like dad Michael by his uncles Tito and Jermaine.
Michael died in June 2009 aged 50.