Everyone has something that defines them, whether they're wildly intelligent or whether they have really big feet.

I read the books and I really, really wanted to play the part. I started kundalini yoga, kickboxing and running, and completely changed my diet. I felt I wanted to undergo what was necessary for the part. I love a challenge. And I love defying limitation, gender stereotypes and people’s expectations of me as an actress.

Everyone has something that defines them, whether they're wildly intelligent or whether they have really big feet.

As a woman, we all want to feel attractive. We all want to feel that we're making the very best of ourselves so we can accept ourselves.

I had done lots of theater and I really wanted to do screen work. I said to my agent, "Look, I really want to do screen work and I want to concentrate on that now" and he said, "Well, it's going to be tough for you."

I don't really have any interest in playing the same part again and again. Let's just keep everything crossed that doesn't happen.

They told me I would find it difficult to find work because of the way that I look and they weren't wrong. [laughs] I thought, "Well, I'll prove you wrong" because I genuinely believed that the world was a more diverse place than they perhaps viewed it to be.