Lena Waithe never wanted to be an actress.
Lena Waithe
The 33-year-old producer and screenwriter has written and starred in a number of TV series including 'Master of None' but recently landed a role in Steven Spielberg's latest sci-fi romp 'Ready Player One', but admitted being an actress was never part of her master plan.
In an interview with Collider, Waithe said: "I think that's what's so cool about it. It was not a part of my master plan, at all.
"I wish it had been. I wish I could say that I had this great idea like, 'Yeah, I'll do the acting thing, which will then help the writing thing'.
"It just happened, around the same time. For me, it's been a wonderful journey to just stand at different places on set, as an actor and understanding that role.
"I feel like I'm the least stressed, when I'm acting on a set, because I just gotta hit my mark and have fun with the lines, listen to the director and go home.
"When I'm a writer on set, I'm not stressed, but my brain doesn't shut off because I'm like, 'I could improve that line', or, 'I could punch that joke up more', or, 'This scene isn't working the way I had intended it'.
"My brain is just constantly going, and I actually have fun doing that because I'm a writer first."
Waithe believes being a producer, writer and actress it allows her to be a "pretty well-rounded performer" and a "sympathetic actor".
She said: "I just love being able to shape-shift and do all of those things. I think it makes me a pretty well-round performer.
"I think it makes me a sympathetic actor. If the crew is running late, or I'm coming behind, or the script supervisor isn't there, I'm a little bit more sensitive to that versus someone who has only been an actor.
"I think there's an element where they tend to maybe have an attitude about this or that thing.
"No shade to my actor friends, but I think because they haven't done the job of a producer, or they haven't written a script, they don't always understand what goes on with that."
Tagged in Stephen Spielberg