Tina Majorino

Tina Majorino: Let me just say that taking the five years off [from acting] was the smartest thing I've ever done for myself. Every single thing that I did during that time ended up transferring into a better acting career. I've worked with a lot of people--some of them my age--who had no idea who they were as people. It's so important to have a good sense of self, especially in the business. There's a lot of rejection and BS that goes on in Hollywood, and you have to have a good head on your shoulders, to know what you can take and what you can't. That's why I wanted to take the time off, to toughen my skin a little bit. Plus, I knew I'd regret it someday if I didn't. You're only a kid once. My main priority is to have a good quality of life and not screw myself up.

Tina Majorino: Acting is something I'm so passionate about. I can't describe it. It's a different sense of accomplishment for me. I've always said that there are a lot of people out there that feel really invisible in the world, like lost and alone, and I think that acting can be a good tool, if used correctly, to point those people out and say, "I see you, you're not alone and everybody's going through that at some point." Just by portraying somebody that's similar to them, or a character that's going through something similar to what they're going through--I think it that it gives them a sense of comfort. I like knowing that the roles that I've played have helped people. That's an honor to me to be a part of and that's why I'm always careful about the shows that I choose to be a part of. It's a humongous responsibility. The media can be a monster, and I definitely don't want to be a part of the negativity of it. I want to give people joy and comfort, and that's why I do what I do.

Tina Majorino: I was one of those kids that had a really strong sense of self, so I never really cared what everybody else thought. So there was that, and there was the whole acting thing. People had this preconceived idea of how I was going to be, and they thought, "Oh, this is all she's going to want to talk about. She'll be a bitch because she was in movies." I'm so not like that. I don't even talk about [my acting life], really. Middle school was not an easy time.