It is important for me to truly understand the people I am portraying and their struggles, in order to give an honest performance.

It's important to have a fallback and other activities that keep you interested. I started acting when I was about nine or 10 years old. My father was a midtown firefighter so I always wanted to be a firefighter, but then acting came along. I have to have a plan B.

One truth I know for sure is that I am so blessed in my life.

A general message to everyone on the planet would go something along the lines of, Make Love, Not War.

I love my fans unconditionally. They have been supportive of me through everything, and I would not be here, giving this interview to you, without them.

Accepting new challenges makes me come alive.

Nobody can ever be fully prepared to deal with a new, painful situation. Sometimes I react with patience and sometimes I react by doing something impulsive. But I always learn from such experiences.

If you are born into a family with little money but a lot of love, you will find yourself more content than one who is born with a silver spoon and an empty home.

Being receptive to what is happening around me gives me inspiration and feeds my desire to create.