I was a salsa dancer for the majority of my life, from, like, 7 to 17, and did the World Salsa Congresses. I realized that I wanted to continue obviously to be a performer. But in my household, being an actor and jumping into acting is not really accepted.

Gina Rodriguez

I've been very lucky; God has done amazing things for me.

Gina Rodriguez

I think when you work really hard and you help others, God helps you get what you want.

Gina Rodriguez

With each dream accomplished, bigger ones are put in their place.

Gina Rodriguez

I try to keep in mind that it's a long journey. It's not a race. It's about staying focused, continuing to do good work, make my family and community proud; that's all I really want to do... and pay my bills.

Gina Rodriguez

Being half Jewish, we grew up with Christmas trees but had Jewish ornaments.

Gina Rodriguez

I started performing very young as a salsa dancer, and every time I was on that stage dancing, all I knew was that I wanted to speak. I wanted the music to stop, and I wanted to speak.

Gina Rodriguez

Every morning, my dad would have me looking in the mirror and repeat, 'Today is going to be a great day; I can, and I will.'

Gina Rodriguez

What makes characters real are details, and if you're crafting a person from scratch, you're probably not going to pay as much attention to a question like, 'Does this person bite their nails?'

Gina Rodriguez

I can live in L.A. as a struggling artist. I cannot live in New York as a struggling artist.

Gina Rodriguez

This industry is all about work, and just because Sundance exposed me to the world, it is my job to stay deserving in that world. The work never ends; the hustle just get harder, and you get stronger!

Gina Rodriguez

I've specifically decided to say no to projects that weren't advancing Latinos, that weren't showing us in a positive light, roles that were gratuitous and spreading untruths.

Gina Rodriguez

I started salsa dancing with a few different companies and started touring the country. It was fantastic, but I realized that I really wanted to talk every time we were performing. That's a problem because when you're dancing, if you stop to talk, that's not really cool to the other dancers.

Gina Rodriguez

I like to peel it and share it with friends. You can spread the love with an orange.

Gina Rodriguez

I think all Latino actors want to be storytellers first. I want to be an actor first, and then I want to be Latina.

Gina Rodriguez

Being an actress wasn't realistic. I knew that I was going to have to do it in a way that would speak to my parents. So I went to NYU Tisch School of the Arts for theater, and I studied at the conservatory.

Gina Rodriguez

I do not devalue the role of a maid or nanny, or the stereotypical roles that some members of our family have actually done to feed our families in real life.

Gina Rodriguez

'Filly Brown' gave me the wings to fly, but red carpets are still very uncomfortable.

Gina Rodriguez

I love relatable stories.

Gina Rodriguez

I went to college at NYU for acting, since acting was my dream from very young. I did a lot of hip-hop courses while I was there. I helped co-write a hip-hop production for the main stage of NYU, but I never touched rap.

Gina Rodriguez

I felt very vulnerable after 'Sleeping with the Fishes'; I gained weight for the role. I felt a bit out of my skin in the movie, and it was hard to watch.

Gina Rodriguez