Quotes About Representation

I think Hollywood makes the mistake of mixing all these identities and cultures, mostly from the Middle East.

I don't really want to just play the girlfriend or the love interest. I get so many scripts like that, and - not to moan, because I'm really fortunate - but I just look at those scripts, and my heart sinks a little bit because I think there's so much more to us than that.

I just started to write because I was fed up of not seeing the stories that I wanted, so I was like 'Stop moaning and write something.'

I would love to be at a place where a girl character can also be a role model for young boys.

With L'Oreal, I get to be Aimee Mullins, model. No qualifier. And that means everything to me.

There's definitely been times when I've been on sets and I was the bigger model in the room, where they're casting girls.

People - especially white people - they want me to be a role model just because of the life I lead. The things I say in my songs, they expect it of me.

I understand that I'm a role model.

I found through my fan mail that women... really wanted a role model.

I'd like to be the first model who becomes a woman.

As a model you do play a certain role and you know as an actor you play another role.

When you're acting, you're a person. When you're modeling, you're a hanger.

By no means am I trying to change the modeling industry.

I would love to do more modeling. I would love to do anything really, mainstream, and help to create, I guess, a feeling of acceptance for people who are different and not look at them like they're freaks or whatever.

When I first started in modeling, I went back to England, and it was really hard, because I would go around to the agencies and they would be like, 'We already have one mixed-race black girl.'

When I started modeling, there were very few places people could turn to for self-love and a positive community.

I didn't see a lot of role models or women who looked like me on screen when I was growing up. For me, one thing that changed all of that was seeing Keke Palmer in 'Akeelah and The Bee.' That film made me realize that I wasn't an alien.

I was used to being the only woman in everything... I didn't even think about it. Men were my role models - there's nothing wrong with that.

Role models really matter. It's hard to imagine yourself as something you don't see.

I feel very responsible for young models of colour. They come to me and tell me they're not getting jobs, and I do what I can to speak up for them.

Our children need to see and hear about more black role models in many fields so they can make better choices.

I just feel like people need role models, you know, that are dressed.

Where I grew up, we had light-skinned models but not dark. Every time I would talk about being a model with my friends, they would start laughing out loud.

Models are what they are... people who model clothing, that's all.