“When I was younger, I didn’t know acting was going to be my career for a hot second — I just knew I had fun doing it.”

“It’s so silly that I get to put on pretty clothes and practice my makeup and get paid for it. I’m like a grown-up child.”

“Even when I’m dressed up like a princess at a party, surrounded by 50 children, I still feel like a star. When little kids think you’re awesome, it makes all the hard work worth it.”

“I’m an emotional person, so instead of having thick skin, I just act like a huge dork about everything. Nobody wants to watch an insecure actor.”

“I feel like all the pieces of my life are finally coming together, now that I’m in love and have a family of my own.”

“Kansas City is a weird oasis in the Midwest, because people here tend not to be judgmental or too stuffy. Sometimes when I visit small towns, I realize that’s not the case everywhere.”

“Growing up, independence was instilled in me because I’m the oldest of five kids. But it wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I learned being independent actually means letting go of selfishness and paying your dues to the community, to the world.”