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I've always tried to be conscious of how I represent women in my work. They don't have to be good or strong women, but they have to be complex.

Women somehow get portrayed as one type. You're either a feminist or you're not. You're a working woman or you're not. I'm raising two girls, and I say to them, 'I need you to be strong and soft. You can be smart and beautiful... You can be all of these things.'

I hate the stereotype that women who fight are 'butch' or 'wannabe men.' It's nice to be able to embrace being a beautiful, strong woman.

I think that's the kind of women that people are interested in. They're interested in strong women characters who are stronger than the male characters sometimes, in some ways. That's what's interesting and attractive about women.

I think sometimes women who are supposed to be strong are also written as mean and vindictive.

If I can represent that body type of women that isn't represented so much in media, then I'd be happy to do that.

A woman can be demure, lady-like and the most prim and proper character, and still have a toughness and resiliency as apparent as a superhero-type female character or a warrior or soldier type. It's all about the story, the character, and the course of events in that piece of work and how that character is presented.

What is frustrating is being told that no matter how hard I've worked, it counts less than my appearance. Although if you're not considered conventionally attractive, that also becomes an issue: you know, you're a feminist because you couldn't get a man.

I think if you want to be seen as an intelligent woman, you can't be someone who feels empowered and sexy. I just don't understand who makes these rules, and frankly, I'm not interested in them.

It would be impossible to be a woman in Western culture and not have your own issues about your image and what you look like.