Danai Gurira Quotes

There’s a saying in Africa, if you give a woman empowerment, you empower a community, you empower men, you empower man. When women become empowered and live in their strength it’s beneficiary to others, and I think as young women today we sometimes forget that we are standing on the struggle of other women. Those women had to stand up to make a change, and they were not popular, and now we’re making them unpopular again.

I got an M.F.A. in acting from NYU, and part of our training is to learn how to use swords in combat situations in a performance and Shakespeare plays where you have to fight.

If you're a fighter, you recognize a fighter.

People with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so.

The best characters are always wretchedly flawed

I write about African women, that's really my topic. I have no shame or qualm in it because it's a very underrepresented topic, which is part of the reason I started to write.

I love writing for other actors, women of African descent and people who are generally underrepresented.

My assumption is I'm not going to be recognized. But when I am, I'm like, "Dang, you know who I am?" I always think I look so different.

I always used to say hybrids would rule the world - people who have an understanding of many cultures and can relate to them with ease. And then along came Obama.

A zombie apocalypse isn't the most jovial situation.

All the struggles that were fought for here in the United States for African Americans, you now enjoy the privileges of. You now come here and can enjoy privileges that were fought for by African Americans over several generations.

I've always been extremely physically active.

Zimbabweans are so smart and witty and able to weave together tons of situations and experiences into terminologies that are just utterly original.

My favorite TV shows are Orange Is the New Black, House of Cards, Modern Family, and Veep.

You Americans, you have no idea how much your stuff infiltrates the rest of the world!

I create fictional narratives, but it's based on literal people.

My artistic spirit is not nurtured by blogospheres.

You look at women like Lena Dunham, you look at how women are kind of crafting their own space on the screen. I want to add to that.

I just feel like it's fascinating to me just watching my own family, seeing my cousins have children here, seeing the generations go on, and seeing how people are still very connected to their home, but are actually, of course, Americans too. That sort of a hybrided sense of self is something that I yearn to see more of expressed.

Back in the day, I used to read 'Archie,' but I haven't been a comic book aficionado.

I've always been attracted to action stuff.

I don't care about the quality of the film as a whole, but I loved 'Salt.' I loved it!

I hate horror movies! I avoid them like the plague. I don't like getting scared.