I was pretty lucky, I went to a really great school. I went to a Steiner School, which is very small and nurturing and creative, so I felt like I was in an environment where I could mature. There was less of the clique-y stuff, which can really make high school a living hell for a lot of people, going on, so I was very similar then to who I am now. I'm still a dork.

I feel like most creative people are total freaks.

Fame has become this obsession for people, which kind of creeps me out.

People love teen movies because everyone can relate.

I think it's important to represent black women and our natural hair. Not wearing a weave is totally beautiful and acceptable.

When you're making an independent film and you care about it so much you do all the prep work beforehand.

I'm lucky having parents that have been in show business for a while and they don't care about the shiny stuff so much. They raised me in that way - to stay grounded, not to chase the shiny pretty things. I stay in the moment, because when you do that the hype goes away.