'The masks were stupid,' admits Paris as she discusses father Michael Jackson's attempts to protect his children on Ellen

By Nadia Mendoza
Last updated at 9:31 PM on 14th December 2011

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The weird and wacky world of showbiz wouldn't be the same without the frequent eccentricities.
But even Paris Jackson has confessed she initially thought wearing masks in public was 'stupid'.
Her father Michael Jackson would frequently cover his children's faces, in a bid to keep Prince Michael, 14, Paris, 13, and nine-year-old Prince Michael II out of the prying eye of the paparazzi lens.

Growing up fast: Paris Jackson discussed her late father Michael's decision to make her siblings wear masks on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Embracing fame: The teenager wants to become an actress

Despite ridiculing the myriad of disguises on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the teenager revealed she understood why the King Of Pop had concealed his brood.

 

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Speaking of her early years, Paris said: 'I'm like, "This is stupid, why am I wearing a mask?" But I kind of realised the older I got, he only tried to protect us and he'd explain that to us too.'
It seems protecting their identity from the public had the desired effect though, and when Paris arrived at The Buckley School - no one knew who she was.

'Normal': Paris said she had a chance to be ordinary when she joined The Buckley School

She said: 'I do have a regular childhood. I mean, I'm treated the same. When I came to (my new school) they didn't know who I was. I was like, "Yes, I have a chance to be normal."'
Yet now the rising star is chasing fame and recognition by landing her debut role in a film series.
Jackson will play the heroine in fantasy picture Lundon's Bridge And The Three Keys, based on the  young adult series by novelist Dennis H. Christen.

Protecting their identity: Michael Jackson would frequently cover his children's faces, as seen here during a trip to London's Madame Tussauds in 2005

'Stupid': Paris on a shopping trip with her father and two siblings in 2009

She added: 'My dad was in the movie Moonwalker and I knew he could sing really well but I didn't know he could act.
'I saw that and I said, "Wow, I want to be just like him." I was little. I was younger than Blanket (their nickname for sibling Prince Michael II).'
Paris added: 'We would do improvisation together. He would give us little scenarios. He would say, "OK, in this scene, you're going to cry," and I would cry on the spot.'
Giving her seal of approval on the interview, Paris later tweeted: 'Had a great time on @TheEllenShow today! :D It'll air on tv on Thursday for those who want to watch <3'

VIPs: The Jackson children were invited to watch The X Factor USA and later posed with judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul