Emmanuelle Chriqui

(On Judaism) You know I grew up with the same holidays and such, in an Orthodox manner, in a Kosher home, and all of that. And those are strict rules to live by that I think really shape your personality and discipline. I think they definitely, whether I knew it at the time or not, subconsciously it definitely seeped in to just create a good balance.

I have a theory that most people in Hollywood are from Texas.

My career has been successful, but it's been a grind of hard work.

We have this idea of perfection that is so unrealistic. We are our own worst enemy. No one is noticing that little scar.

Never reveal your insecurities to a man, because nine times out of 10 they have no idea they even exist.

I always describe my career as something where nothing ever popped overnight.

For the record: I wear makeup. All. The. Time. But I do it in a way that looks natural.

Acting is not glamorous. It's not. Anybody who wants to get into acting for the glamour is in for a hard time.

The girl next door isn't necessarily blonde and blue-eyed anymore. So I don't feel like I need to morph into that all-American thing.

I look at my father. He is one of my heroes. He is such an incredible, classy man. He was such a great father and such a great husband in so many ways, and we lived through some pretty tough times losing my mom. When I see all that he did, I think, 'Wow, that's a really wonderful man.'

I'm actually very sensitive to energies, and when people are not aligned, I can feel that.

I generally circuit train and do Pilates.

I feel like I want to be known first and foremost for my work.

I don't know why, but in my career and in my life, I often find myself in situations where I am the only girl among boys.

I can celebrate food anytime. I love cheese. When I crave a certain food, I just eat it.

I appreciate humor so much, but I'm actually not a funny girl.

I love what I do, but I never want to OD on celebrity.

I love European films in general. If I were to go to the movie store or something, that's what I like to see.

I love doing voice-over. It's so fun.

I have to be honest, I am a true jeans and t-shirt girl.

I had to deal with death at a really young age.

My elbows are double-jointed, so I can flip them inside out.

Most actors want to sink their teeth into amazing material.

Is it easy to avoid paparazzi? It is, it really is.

I'm this little Canadian Jewish girl, and I'm living my dream.

I tell the most horrible jokes.

When you're starting out, every line in a show or a commercial is like a huge success.

When you have confidence, that's what becomes attractive to other people and makes them want to work with you and spend time with you.

When I look up and see a star, I know my mom is there. She's with me all the time. It's a powerful connection.

Someone once told me that the most dynamic actors are people who have stories. People who have lived life. People with experiences.

Reese Witherspoon is my everywoman. She's managed to have a family and this amazing career. That's the goal.

One tip I like is don't forget your reusable bags when you go to the drug store or to the mall. I think most people think of the bags for the grocery store, but I try to take mine wherever I go.

My mom was an aesthetician and she went to beauty school back in the '60s. I just remember watching her do her makeup all the time. She always had her nails done, makeup on - her face was ready to go when she went out. I loved it.

Generally for red carpet, I love to relax first. I love to work out. I love to eat well, drink tons of water beforehand, so on the night of the red carpet I feel good and ready to go. I also love to get a good body scrub.

As a child I was given the freedom to explore my passion for acting, but I also grew up in a home where there were a lot of rules. I didn't have 'yes' parents.

A great day in New York would be to wake up, get a cup of coffee and head up to Central Park for a nice walk. Then I'd go down to the East Village and stroll around. After that, maybe I'd go check out a museum or catch an indie film at the Angelika.

The beauty of voice-over work is that maybe you come in and record once every two weeks for a couple of hours and do a couple episodes a session. It's awesome! You spend an afternoon playing in the booth, and there you have it. It doesn't interfere with much.