Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App

" 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. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Good

Want

Race

Related Quotes:

" You learn a lot about yourself just by writing it down. "

" There's injustices within our system that we inherited from this time, from slavery, and until we confront our past, we're not going to be able to heal the wounds for our future. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" I like the idea of matchmaking; I'm just not very good at it. It's too much pressure! "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Too Much

Pressure

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

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Entire

Something

" The AIDS epidemic began before I was born - I've never known a world without it. And yet, despite its omnipresence in our lives, there remains a pervasive silence around AIDS among young people, particularly young women. "

" I started shooting 'The Defenders' two days after I wrapped' Friday Night Lights.' I was doing research for 'The Defenders' throughout - interviewing lawyers and sitting in courtrooms just to watch - but there's something fun about throwing yourself in the water and learning by doing. "

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

" 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. "

" 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. "

" I wouldn't be able to tackle a character like Rosalee on 'Underground' without having tackled the many characters I've played before. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Without

Having

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

" 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. "

" After being a mom, we are now in a different chapter in our womanhood, and instead of trying to be our old selves or get our old body back, we should embrace who we are now. "

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

" My dream role is actually behind the camera. I want to direct. "

" Marriage is a work in progress, but it's beautiful. "

" I walk in a space of gratitude. I'm so grateful to God for blessing me with an amazing family and the opportunity to do what I love. "

" There's something about driving through Texas, and it's hot, your skin is sticking to you. The environment affects your attitude and your swagger. "

" I'm a research queen. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Research

Queen

" We used to play touch football, where you put the little rag in your pocket. I was good because I was fast. I wasn't the greatest at catching. Sometimes the ball would come so hard and fast that it'd knock the wind out of me. "

" 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

You

Love Me

" 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. "

" '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. "

" Before being a mom, I remember going on a Twitter rant during the whole George Zimmerman trial in Florida about my younger brothers and how one day I'll be the mom of a black son. "

" I can get a little scattered and want to be everywhere and want to do everything for everyone. "

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

" With 'Underground,' we see that the wounds that we all, as a nation, inflicted upon our brothers and sisters during slavery have not been healed. "

" I'm very grateful to have been able to work with so many talented filmmakers and actors during my career. I've learned so much from them. It's been my college, in a way. "