GINA RODRIGUEZ

Being half Jewish, we grew up with Christmas trees but had Jewish ornaments.

Acting is how I'll be able to change how Latinos are viewed in media and change how little girls see and talk about themselves.

What makes characters real are details, and if you're crafting a person from scratch, you're probably not going to pay as much attention to a question like, 'Does this person bite their nails?'

When I got out of college, I booked a movie called 'Go for It!' with Lionsgate, came out here, and I've been acting ever since - or trying, constantly trying.

I do not devalue the role of a maid or nanny, or the stereotypical roles that some members of our family have actually done to feed our families in real life.

'Filly Brown' gave me the wings to fly, but red carpets are still very uncomfortable.

Being an actress wasn't realistic. I knew that I was going to have to do it in a way that would speak to my parents. So I went to NYU Tisch School of the Arts for theater, and I studied at the conservatory.

I dream big, baby. I want to do thrillers, I want to do smart David Lynch-type mysteries.

I like to peel it and share it with friends. You can spread the love with an orange.

Every morning, my dad would have me looking in the mirror and repeat, 'Today is going to be a great day; I can, and I will.'

I started small with commercials and print.

I'm not messing with skiing. You can't get this Puerto Rican on the slope. Uh-uh.

I grew up in Chicago, so hip-hop has always been a part of my life.

I will play the characters with last names like Sanchez and Gonzalez until the day I die, but I also want to play the 'Michelle Smiths.'

With each dream accomplished, bigger ones are put in their place.

I am not going to take a role because there's money. It might extend my checkbook, but not my integrity.

I've specifically decided to say no to projects that weren't advancing Latinos, that weren't showing us in a positive light, roles that were gratuitous and spreading untruths.

I can live in L.A. as a struggling artist. I cannot live in New York as a struggling artist.

I love relatable stories.

I think all Latino actors want to be storytellers first. I want to be an actor first, and then I want to be Latina.

I think when you work really hard and you help others, God helps you get what you want.

This industry is all about work, and just because Sundance exposed me to the world, it is my job to stay deserving in that world. The work never ends; the hustle just get harder, and you get stronger!

I felt very vulnerable after 'Sleeping with the Fishes'; I gained weight for the role. I felt a bit out of my skin in the movie, and it was hard to watch.

I started performing very young as a salsa dancer, and every time I was on that stage dancing, all I knew was that I wanted to speak. I wanted the music to stop, and I wanted to speak.

I've learned a lot about what kind of actor I want or do not want to be while being on set. I sit back and observe how other actors treat the totem pole of set politics.