Actress

Agriculture is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Cars? Planes? Trains? Nope. Cow farts.

One day, I'd like to tackle a biopic. I grew up very influenced by Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone.

In the United States, if you're African-American, it can be assumed that your family has been here for generations. In Europe, colonialism is much more alive, and it's assumed you're from Nigeria or Senegal.

I always thought my alternative life, if I wasn't acting, would be to become a midwife. I love women. I want to help them exist.

Growing up I definitely, definitely had a bunch of things of, 'Um, am I black enough?' - and I guess specifically, 'Am I German enough?' Why are we measuring blackness?

Despite my career, so much of my life has been dictated by what I'm afraid of: fear that I am not talented. Fear that people will finally realize that I am a boring individual who doesn't have many ambitions beyond starting a family 'at a good time' in life.

I think what happens with a lot of writing and art is that specificity ends up being relatable while universality becomes vague.

I was an only child until I was 15, so I was able to reap the benefit of that.

I used to work at Cafe Mogador in the East Village. I love Mogador, but I feel like working almost anywhere will kind of ruin it for you. There was a lot of panicking while being a waitress there. I don't like to think about that. But I love the food.

I like representing different kinds of black people - showing they exist.

When the Berlin Wall came down, my dad left to visit the U.S. He met my mom at this summer camp where they were both working, so I grew up between Washington Heights and Germany speaking two languages.

I used to cry on planes. I don't anymore. It probably took almost a hundred agonizing flights to get there. Now, when I take off, a smile quivers on the corner of my lips.

My father is German; my mother is African-American. Growing up, I visited my grandparents in Berlin a lot. I would not see any other person of color for three weeks. People would stare. They would say things like, 'Oh, you look like chocolate - I want to eat you up!'

Growing up, my aunts would always put in hair ties and bows and all kinds of stuff, and I always hated it.

I've had acting teachers say, 'If you want to do anything else but act, that means you're not an actor,' which I think is stupid!

I love babies. I also have this very deep desire to become a mother. I always thought that motherhood was my highest calling.

Some people feel like women should dress in a way that doesn't promote attention-seeking. But this is just my body. My body in itself isn't only sexual.

I don't know how people say exercising is addictive.

Walking in the street, particularly in a city like New York, every single day, I am reminded of how objectified women can be. Being catcalled every day, multiple times a day, all the time... it just constantly happens.

I've begun feeling that my responsibility is to the Earth. Our generation's war is climate change, so I've really been modifying how I eat and what I eat.