I didn't want to land an audition because I was 'The daughter of...' I never wanted to give anyone the opportunity to say, 'You only got the role because of who you are.'
I don't think actors should ever expect to get a role, because the disappointment is too great. You've got to think of things as an opportunity. An audition's an opportunity to have an audience.
With "The Office," they said, "We don't want anyone we recognize, so give us unknown actors," and I think that was the break that I needed. Because I went in and I got the role.
Because you’re the one. Because I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you. I want a lifetime with you, Abigail. I want a home with you, family with you. I want to make children with you, raise them with you. If you truly don’t want any of that with me, I’ll give you the best I’ve got, and hope you change your mind. I just need you to tell me you don’t want it.
I got into the weights because I didn't want anybody messing with me. I wanted people to say, 'Oh, he's so big, I don't want to mess with him.' And second of all, I wanted to be great at football. I wanted to be the baddest dude around because I knew what it was like to not be.
You can't say you're an actor if you've never acted, and you can't act if no one gives you an opportunity, but they won't give you an opportunity because you've never acted. You're like, 'What in the world? Someone give me a chance!'
I actually like to audition. I prefer to audition for something because I don't want to walk onto a stage or a set and [have someone] say, "You are so far away from what I thought you were going to bring in." I would feel more comfortable to audition and say, "Here's my take on it - take it or leave it".
I don't want anyone to think I took this role in 'Downsizing' because it was the only role available to me. I'm not a passive participant in it.
When I auditioned with Anthony Minghella (The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency), I loved the audition process, although I hated him for it. Because he had me audition six times for that role. Maybe three hours each. He wanted to see how quickly I could vary.
I don't want my dad to say, 'My daughter is an actress on a TV show.' I want him to say, 'My daughter cares about people.' I would love to know that I'm a role model in Hollywood.
Never give up. Just follow your dreams because this business can be so hard sometimes. It doesn't happen overnight where you get an audition or even a callback and get the role. It takes time.
One of the reasons you take a role is because it's something you always wanted to do, from going to the movies as a kid. I always wanted to do a 1950s movie, for example. And I got a chance to be in 'Peggy Sue Got Married.' I would have taken only one line of dialogue to be in that.
I will see 100 or 200 and I will take my time with them and I audition them for the two main roles. If I like what I see, but they're not exactly right for the role, I'll think well I have this other role that might work for them. Sometimes I will write a role for them because I want to work with them because they're so good.
I've decided I am going to start loving my backside because I don't know anyone who does that. And for my daughter, I want to be able to say to her, 'I love this.'
I got a sociology degree and then had an opportunity to go to graduate school. But I said no, because I wanted to give songwriting a shot.
I can't understand why anyone would want to live the life of a politician if you can't say pretty much what you think. You are not in it for the money: there's unremitting pressure on your life, you give up so much of your privacy. It can only be because of the things you want to do and the things you want to say.
I want everybody to think I'm a hard worker as an aunt, a sister, a friend, a daughter, a niece, everything. I want to be great at every role, because every role in my life is as important as being Jessie J.