Rutina Wesley

Rutina: (on where she would like to take her career) I would love to do some rom coms, some action flicks. I don't have expectations because you have to have patience and know that what is yours is yours and it will come when it's time, and you have to hold onto that so you don't get defeated. Each year I look forward to what's ahead for me and I can't predict the future, but I know that there's a lot of things out there that I want and I know that if I'm patient, hopefully they will come.

Rutina: (on becoming an actress) I always loved being on stage. Both of my parents were dancers, so I grew up in the business. When I got to high school, I got to major in both theater and dance. I love playing characters and telling stories and moving audiences. I decided to go to college and focus on acting because you sort of can't do both. My dad was like, "Well don't forget about your feet!" 'cause he's a tap dancer … but I was really excited about acting. It was that performing arts high school that made me into the actor that I am.

Rutina: (on her True Blood character's "death") Well I mean half my head is missing. I'm just gonna keep saying that. You know, it's True Blood. I feel like anything is possible. If anything, it is the golden hour though. If she is able to be saved, it's like she's got 20 seconds. It's not a lot of time. I'm curious to see what they're going to do with all of it. I hope I'm back. But again half my head is missing.

Rutina: (referring to Dame Judi Dench, who Rutina met at Juilliard) She is such an inspiration to me, and just by talking with her, I felt like I could do anything that I put my mind to. She made me believe that being an African-American actress shouldn't limit me from doing all sorts of roles in the theater. For example, in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra has often been played by African-American actresses-but, as Dame Judi said to me, "I could play Cleopatra too."

Rutina: (commenting on moving from Las Vegas to attend college) Indiana doesn't have a lot of minorities, so I was kind of nervous about going there. But the thing about that was that all I could do was focus on my craft. I had no outside distractions.

Rutina: (commenting on her love of performing) I was born to be onstage. I loved storytelling. I was always making up stuff. I feel like that was my path.

Rutina: (on not letting celebrity go to her head) When you're young, it's so easy to get burnt out. I keep reminding myself why I do this: because I love it. I'm here for the work and the stories, not the money and the fame.

Rutina: (when asked about talents) I came out of the womb dancing.