Laura Harrier

“Viola Davis is incredible - she's kind of the biggest career-wise inspiration for me. Brilliant actor, so intelligent, so strong. The path that she's made is incredible.”

“If you really want something, it's nerve-racking, but at the same time, I try not to stress myself out about it too much because there are also so many arbitrary things that go into being cast for something - you know, like the color of your eyes, all these things that are kind of out of my control.”

“Growing up, there were no families on TV that looked like mine.”

“In high school, my mom's friend was a location scout, and there was a shoot at our house. I came home from school, and the photographer said, 'You should call my friend at this agency.'”

“For me, it's all about smaller character-driven pieces, about finding a person that I connect with and that I'm interested in bringing to life.”

“I think, living in the city, it's so easy to forget that you're attached to the earth.”

“People just can't wrap their heads around two young black women in a major production.”

“I am a black woman, and of course, that's who I'm going to be playing, but I'm also biracial, and that's a different side of the experience.”

“I listen to a lot of Solange. I love old-school as well.”

“My dad works in insurance; my mom is a speech pathologist. Very Midwestern, adorable childhood.”

“We all know what it's like to go through growing pains and have awkward moments talking to someone you have a crush on.”

“It's hard to connect to these superheroes that are completely out of this world. But Spider-Man is first and foremost Peter Parker, who we can all relate to.”

“The media is controlled.”

“I stopped modeling so I could go to drama school at the William Esper Studio. It's Meisner.”

“I kind of just want to look like a cool French girl in the Sixties most of the time. Or TLC.”

“Even though 'Spider-Man' is a huge blockbuster, it really didn't feel like that. It felt like we were making this weird, funny high school movie. Like just hanging out with a group of friends.”

“I was a dramatic kid. I was always like, 'Watch me put on my play, Mom and Dad! You have to watch me put on all these outfits and do this play!' But my family is very academic and straightforward and normal Midwestern people, so the idea that I could act as an actual job wasn't really there.”

“I'm learning every day.”

“People are like, 'Was it hard growing up mixed?' 'Did you not fit in?' and I'm like, 'No? What? That's the dumbest question ever.'”

“I come from a family of strong women, who have been positive role models for me.”