I think women should inspire. It is our duty to inspire young girls to play a sport, whether it's just for enjoyment and keeping fit or to actually go on and try and make a career out of it.
I was going to college for broadcast journalism because I knew whatever career path I would take, I knew I wanted to be talking to as many people as possible and inspiring as many people as possible, particularly girls. When I was in college, I was like, 'I know I'm going to be on camera a lot when I'm older if I fall into my dream job.'
Dancing on 'Dancing With The Stars' really broadened my fan base. I jumped off the stage backwards one week, and so many women come up to me now and say, 'You're so brave. I can't believe you put yourself out there like that'. If that inspires some girl out there, then great, because boys aren't the only ones who get to have fun. We get to have fun too.
Set a good example as parents, since the most convincing argument that a girl can become a computer coder is that her mother is one.
One of the things that I'm trying to do is use the position that I'm in... to encourage the next generation of girls to think about the Internet as a career opportunity.
I want to inspire people to tear down their walls, especially for teenage girls.
Inspiring girls to write their stories and play their own instruments is something I'm passionate about, as it's not championed.
I once gave a talk at a girls' school and, once I'd finished, 29 out of the 30 girls wanted to be film directors. I think that's where we need to get girls interested in making films. We need to give them the idea that they can, that it's one of the things on their horizon.
I'm always touched when I go to events and stuff, to meet fathers who come up to me and thank me and say, "because of you my young daughter knows that she can do anything she sets out to do." And the way young girls are raised now, I don't think there's any doubt that they know they can do anything. And if what goes by the by is that they don't feel they have to be in solidarity with all other women, that's O.K. as long as they know that that strength has been there in the past and can be there in the future for them.
My goal is that a girl will watch 'The Martian' or 'Interstellar' and think, 'I want to be an astronaut or a quantum physicist.' It's important to show powerful women who are good at their jobs because young girls need those examples.
I feel that I've got the opportunity to set a great role model for girls to look up to a strong, active, compassionate, loving, positive woman, and I think it's so important.
There is nothing more I want to do than impact girls.
Growing up my whole life, my mom was telling me how incredible and special I was and that I was going to change the world. I think it's important for girls to know that they can change the world, that they do have an impact.
When you're a little girl, and you're watching the Olympics, and you see this very diverse group of gymnasts out there, and - I think this team, the Final 5, will inspire so many little girls to go out there and do what they love.
As an actor, I believe that theatre is the one of the most immediate and exciting mediums to inspire young girls to succeed.
