“In every profile written about me, there is, ‘She’s so sexual and she’s such a sex symbol,’ paired with, ‘But, wow, she knows about politics.’ And that in itself is sexist. Why does it have to be one or the other?”

“Maybe I’m outdated in thinking this, but because I’m a young black woman and don’t see very many being the lead in a film, I have this fear, Will I be working? When I first started in this industry, my goal was to be some best friend. The sidekick. I thought that would be an accomplishment. But seeing people like Viola and Tracee Ellis Ross and Gabrielle Union and Lupita [Nyong’o]—who was two classes behind me at Yale—I can hope for more.”

“Don’t let your flaws define you. Become who you are. Be the best version of yourself.”

“Being poor helped me be more creative. It was my superpower. I had to get comfortable in my own skin—you know when somebody walks in a room and they have such a confidence that they dare you to say something about them.”

“Everybody has something—kids bullying you, not doing well in school, some offhanded negative comment you hold your whole life—we all are sort of walking around with the wounds of our adolescence. I’ve been lucky to be able to act, because it has helped me deal with some of my own pain.”