I get comments all the time on Twitter, and fan mail about how amazing it is to see me play Iris West: a strong woman. It's not really about her being black; she just happens to be black.
My favorite part of my working day is hanging with my hair and makeup team. They keep me energized and motivated.
I was never once told to consider anything but my dreams. It's probably one of the greatest gifts my parents gave me, because it never occurred to me to do something other than what I loved.
I'm quite a loner. I realized that I'm very introverted, and I get energy by being alone instead of being with other people.
Luckily, I didn't have many 'day jobs' while trying to find success in Los Angeles. When I first moved to L.A., I worked at Bubba Gump Restaurant for about two days. I didn't even make it through training before I quit. I just didn't care to memorize all the different types of shrimp.
I didn't have an acting job when I moved to L.A. I was just naive enough to think that moving to L.A. was the next step after college. My parents were really supportive.
As far as someone who I would like to work with - this is super out of the box, and I have put this on my Twitter - Pam Grier. I love her. I just love her fierceness, and she's kind of, for me, one of the first black superheroes. I would love to have a chance to work with her.
I have my insecurities, and some days you don't want to be photographed. You notice all of your flaws even if others don't notice them. Photo shoots also feel very vain because it's all about you and your looks and your face. I feel I work better on camera.
It's not enough to be diverse in your casting. You have to service those characters; you have to make them fully well rounded because people are watching.
