Joey King Has 1 Simple Secret To Maintaining Her Celeb Friendships

Joey King has had an eventful 2023. Not only did the 24-year-old Bullet Train star say “I do” to husband Steven Piet in a stunning Mediterranean destination wedding in September, but over the summer, she starred alongside Taylor Lautner in Taylor Swift’s “I Can See You” music video. While she’s definitely kept herself busy, King tells Elite Daily the key to balancing her many close friendships with her schedule is to make time for the people who matter.

“I’m very lucky that I’ve grown up in an age where FaceTime is such a big thing, because if I’m away from my friends for a long time, it’s always nice to just pick up the phone and see their faces.” King, who chats via Zoom while at the Bideawee pet adoption center in NYC, says she even FaceTimes her furry friend back home — her rescue pup, Fable — when she misses her. “You have to make time and make things a priority even if it takes some work,” she adds — and King definitely makes time for her many celeb besties, like Sabrina Carpenter.

King is working with Hill’s Pet Nutrition to advocate for shelter pets needing their forever home, and says that what she looks for in a BFF (both dog and human) is someone she can spend quality time with. For the Kissing Booth star, that could even mean acting in a movie with her bestie. In 2018, Carpenter expressed interest in working with King on a project, saying, “We could totally do a Tina Fey, Amy Poehler style comedy.”

Below, King shares her thoughts on working with the Emails I Can’t Send singer, if she’s planning on going to see Carpenter open up for Swift at the Eras Tour, and how she felt reuniting with the 1989 singer this past year.

Elite Daily: Sabrina Carpenter once said she would love to work on a project with you. Is that something that you would like as well?

Joey King: Yes. We’ve been friends for so long, and we’ve always, always wanted to work together. We need to find the right thing and make it happen because we only get to see each other in person every so often with how busy we both are. Finding something that we can spend a designated amount of time on together would be a dream come true.

ED: She’s opening right now for Taylor Swift. Are you planning to see any of the international Eras Tour dates?

JK: I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it work, but I would absolutely love to. I always love seeing Sabrina’s shows. I love watching her perform, and seeing her perform in front of that many people would just be so mind-blowing and special. I don’t know if my heart could handle it. I’d be so proud and excited. I’d probably cry, honestly.

ED: You’ve had a pretty big Swiftie-related year as well: You starred in Taylor’s “I Can See You” music video, out in July. What was it like working with her again?

JK: I’ve known Taylor forever, so it was really special to be part of that video and to be part of the unveiling of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). I absolutely loved doing it. It was so exciting to have it be a full-circle moment from when I did [the music video for] “Mean,” and it was really, really, really fun to do that.

ED: You were actually there when she premiered the video at the Eras Tour. What were you thinking in that moment on stage?

JK: It’s hard to explain. It was so joyfully overwhelming to be hit in the face with that much energy coming from that many people. I’ve never felt anything like it. It almost took my breath away. It was such a beautiful thing to see, and I’m so grateful I got to be there for the day she unveiled the music video.

ED: You also worked with Taylor’s BFF Selena Gomez on Ramona and Beezus in 2010, around the same time you were in the “Mean” music video. Would you be interested in reuniting with Selena for another project?

JK: Of course. The best thing about our industry is that it’s super small, and we always run into the people we knew growing up. I have worked with so many people multiple times throughout my life and my career. The best part is you get to run into tons of friends, old and new, and just keep seeing all the friendly faces that you love.

ED: You’re so busy all the time. How do you maintain these friendships in the industry?

JK: I’m lucky that I can keep in touch with my friends on the phone, but also it’s just about making time for those you love. There’s no perfect time for anything in life, so you have to find it.

ED: What are some things you like to do when you find time to hang with your friends?

JK: I love playing games. I recently learned how to play mahjong, so I play that with some of my friends and my husband. And then, I also like Rummikub and Monopoly. I like to host game nights and dinner parties, and I try to do that whenever I can.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.