Quotes from Jessica Henwick

It's tough, because I come to Singapore, and people say I'm not Singaporean, and I go to England, and people say I'm not English. It's really hard to find your place, not just in the entertainment industry, but in life.

When I'm traveling, I like extremes. It's nice for me to go to Canada in the mountains where it's snowing or to Cambodia where it's stifling.

The state of the industry is much like the state of politics. It's too middle-aged, white, and male.

I've been extremely lucky in that I've been able to play roles that are not defined by their ethnicity. But that's not a common thing for people of ethnic minorities.

I turned down a lot of parts, and I ate a lot of canned tuna for dinner because I was just like, 'No, I don't want to do that; no, that's awful.' But sticking to my guns paid off, and I can look back now and be proud that I refused to take any stereotypical Asian parts.

It's very hard as an Asian actress to get seen for anything which isn't specifically Asian in England.

I'm Asian, and I'm an actress, and I've been doing this since I was a teenager, so if anyone understands the conversation about misrepresentation and underrepresentation, it's me. I live and breathe it; this is my life.

I don't want to perpetuate a stereotype. I don't want to take Asian representation backwards two steps. I don't want to be part of the problem.

One stereotype I get a lot as an Asian actress is that you're playing the model minority - that Asians are the best, that they're perfect and positively moral all the time.

My agent and I are very clear on what kind of roles I'm interested in, and I don't want to perpetuate any stereotypes.

As soon as you start looking into roles which are specifically Asian, Black, or Latina, you start looking at stereotypes. That's the issue minority actors face - it's not that we don't want to play our ethnicities; it's that, often, the role that's written for our ethnicity is a stereotype.

I think I was just constantly seeking mental stimulation from anything I could get.

I have a T-shirt that says Game of Stones, which has the Flintstones dressed as 'Game of Thrones' characters on it.

I'm not a good katana user, bo staff user.

I was a real overachiever.

I've always made a point to play roles that aren't specified by their ethnicity.

It's always fun playing a villain, I do have to say.