ELLE FANNING
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten better with learning how to push the boundaries of my mind, and also to not apologize for my weird thoughts.” Vanity Fair
Category: Being Different
Jamie Lee Curtis
JAMIE LEE CURTIS
“I’ve always tried to be my authentic self. I was a little quirky growing up. I was a bit of a smart aleck, quick to joke. I never thought I was particularly pretty. I certainly have no discernible talents. It’s not like I can sing. I can dance a little bit. But I am very much my own creation. I’ve always felt that my individuality was important.” People Magazine
Normani Kordei
NORMANI KORDEI
“I did get bullied a lot. Not feeling like I had that representation at school was very hard. I’ve always felt like the underdog in anything that I’ve ever done.” Allure Magazine
Lili Reinhart
LILI REINHART
“I went through a semester when I didn’t have any friends in my lunch period, and I didn’t want to sit in a huge cafeteria by myself, so I would find classrooms to go sit in alone, or spend time in the bathroom, just chilling.” People Magazine
Joshua Vacanti
JOSHUA VACANTI
“Growing up I never felt that I fit in. I was bullied a lot at school. But now, as an adult, I realize that the things that make me different are the best parts about me and they’re the things that I should celebrate.” The Voice
Beverly D’Angelo
BEVERLY D’ANGELO
“Looking for validation based on others’ approval will take you off your path and away from your authentic self. When you really are centered in yourself and you’re singing your song within, you’ll be with the people that you’re meant to be with, and you’ll be in the right place.” People Magazine
Tyler Perry
TYLER PERRY
In reference to sexual abuse, Tyler Perry stated, “It was rape, I didn’t know what was going on or the far-reaching effects of it. I just moved through it. ‘Boys don’t cry, shut up and move on.’ Holding on to all of that, not knowing what to do with it, there was a lot of anger in my teenage years, in my 20s. If any of it had worked, my attempts to kill myself…. I wouldn’t have gotten to the other side of all the horror. I believe that to everything there is an opposite. So for all of that pain and hell I was going through as a child, there has to be beauty. I tell anyone who is in pain, ‘Just keep going. One little step is a step.'” People Magazine
Stacey Ervin Jr.
STACEY ERVIN JR.
“The strongest people I’ve met have not been given an easier life. They’ve learned to create strength and happiness from dark places.” People Magazine
Venus Williams
VENUS WILLIAMS
“Growing up, I was taught that if I saw something that wasn’t right, I had to do something, say something, and not censor myself.” Glamour
Luke Kleintank
LUKE KLEINTANK
“I grew up really poor. There was a point when we lived in a tent for a year. Then we lived in motels. I went to school from motels. I spent the most time in a small trailer with my six brothers and sisters. I always looked at acting as therapy, but I was also driven by wanting more for myself and my family. I just bought my parents a beautiful home.” Cosmopolitan Magazine