Janel Parrish Wants Women to Embrace Who They Are

Janel Parrish, Mona on PLL, talked to SheKnows about women embracing themselves and not trying to fit into a mold.

Janel knows that women struggle with image and wanting to be thinner and more beautiful.  Janel admires Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss in The Hunger Games) who has spoken up about being herself and women embracing natural sexiness.

Janel has learned to embrace her own flaws.  She hated her cheeks for the longest time because she thinks they are “chubby little chipmunk cheeks”.  She avoided smiling in photos because her two flaws would show (her cheeks and her crooked teeth).  However, now she embraces those flaws because they add character.

Janel also talked about the difficulties of being a mixed race actress in Hollywood.  (Janel’s ethnicity is half Chinese and half Caucasian).  It is easier for Janel to get cast in shows now that she is older and she doesn’t have to fit in a family role.  She didn’t fit into the blonde hair, blue eyed girl next door look. 

Janel thinks Hollywood has now become more colorblind.  She thinks it is wonderful that actresses like Maggie Q (Nikita, Stalker)  “are getting lead roles as a beautiful Asian American actress”.  Janel doesn’t think that would have happened ten years ago.