America Ferrera Talks Stepping Up & Taking Chances in Hollywood

America Ferrera takes the cover of Redbook magazine’s March 2017 issue, on newsstands February 14.

Here’s what the 32-year-old actress had to share with the mag:

On finding balance: “When I was younger, I felt like everything was make or break. In my career and my relationships, there was a right way or a wrong way�”and I had to fit into the right box. I’ve let go of those narrow definitions and found a balance.”

On stepping up and taking chances in Hollywood: “We talk about a lot of things we want to see more women doing. We want more women producers, more women writers, more women directors– and you can only say that so many times before you say, ‘I’m a woman. What’s stopping me from doing this?’ I’ve had to ask myself: Why not me?”

On how there’s more to a woman’s value than her appearance: “I grew up believing a lot of things about myself that I had to unlearn– things that pertain to being a good woman, things about my weight or height… As women, you’re taught that your value is all about your appearance, not your ideas and your tenacity and your courage and your bravery and your adventurous spirit. Look, I love getting dressed up and looking beautiful. But that’s one tiny piece of me.”

For more from America, visit RedbookMag.com.