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" I read so many scripts, and it's not really exciting to just be the girlfriend. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

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" There's still a really divisive residue in our nation that's called racism and prejudice and oppression and sexism. "

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" Until we really heal the wounds that we dealt with during slavery, I don't think we'll be a fully realized country. "

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" There's a lot of progress happening in TV. You have amazing shows like 'How to Get Away With Murder.' You have people like Shonda Rhimes, Lee Daniels with 'Empire,' and Jason Katims with 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Parenthood.' You have people behind the scenes writing complex women. "

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" We never get fashion shows in L.A.! Ever! "

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" When I was 12 years old, I got involved with an organization called Artists for a New South Africa. One of its missions is to help with HIV/AIDS awareness. "

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" I want to tell human stories not solely based on race. There are so many great actresses and actors that are out there, and I just want to see them do good work. "

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" I love to get in the library and just spend days researching characters. "

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" We all try to pretend we're the person we want to be when we're really not, and you've just gotta be willing to say, 'Here are all my flaws; here's who I am - take it or leave it. If you love me still, then let's do this.' "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I always told my representatives, 'Look, I come from the 'School of Janet' - that's my mom - she raised me to know that I'm more than just set dressing. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I wouldn't even call myself a former child star. I was a child actor; there's a difference. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I'm so proud of 'Underground' because it's this thriller; it's this action- adventure. It's unexpected. People think it's gonna one be one thing - they think it's gonna be very depressing and downtrodden - and it's empowering. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I would be ignorant to say colorism doesn't exist; it's gross and disgusting. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" The slave narratives, there is a wealth of research there, because you are hearing stories from the first person account, and that's a whole different thing than reading about it in the history books. You're able to really personalize it. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" It's such a transition and it's so empowering to become a mom, but there are also many challenges. Just remind yourself, every minute, every day, to be kind to yourself. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" We got spoiled with 'Friday Night Lights.' Not every show is like that, and on other shows, if you try to bring that same truth or that same approach, the system of television doesn't always allow for that level of collaboration, which is unfortunate because the work would be richer. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I'm very picky about the kind of work that I do, and I'm fortunate to have been able to work with great directors and great actors who've helped me grow as an artist. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I'm such a huge fan of Gap! My mom used to dress me in Gap overalls that I would wear all the time, and now the idea of bringing my son into that tradition is so ironic and full-circle for me. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" That's something I've struggled with my entire life - people underestimating me. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" If I have a jump rope and a resistance band, I can work out anywhere. Even without a jump rope. If you do 200 jumping jacks, then drop and do some crunches, and then do some squats, you're good. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" 'Full House' was the first time I had ever been in front of a live audience. I said a line I had rehearsed with my mom, and they laughed. It was wild. To have that energy of the live audience was like, Whaaat? Feeding off that live audience was, to a 4 or 5 year old, a high. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" Injustice is either very blatant - you walk down the street and someone calls you a name; you don't get a job because of your gender or your skin color or your sexual preference - but injustice is also very subliminal. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" How often do you see young actors playing scholars? Or striving to be intellectuals, you know? It's not that often. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" My siblings are so talented. My sister's a producer, and my brothers and I all write. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I'm very opinionated and passionate when it comes to my characters. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" There's something about Jason Katims' writing that just feels like home to me. He gives you so much liberty to play, which you don't find on most TV shows. You just don't. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" I don't know if I would be doing what I do without 'Eve's Bayou,' and I don't know if I would have the career that I have without working on 'Eve's Bayou.' The love for what I do, I found it in that project. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" My mom is African-American, Native-American, Irish, and Creole, and my father is of Jewish, Russian, and Polish descent. It's made me who I am. Because of my diverse background, I think I can relate to many different people, different stories, and different communities. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" Marian Wright Edelman is a mentor and hero of mine. "

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" The Underground Railroad, which was the first integrated civil rights movement, is a part of our history that not a lot of us know about. And it's actually a very empowering side of our history. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

" My mom bought me an 'Anne of Green Gables' journal. And I just remember thinking it was so cool, and I could write anything in it. "

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