On moving from New York City to the Dominican Republic at age 9:
“We went from this urban life to running around barefoot in the countryside and being taught how to gut fish. We were learning how to climb coconut trees – let me tell you, they are fucking dangerous!... I would do my homework in guava and mango trees.”
On learning dance as a child:
“That was the beginning of a beautiful fucking romance. That was my Xanax, let me tell you… it put all my demons in order.”
On Hollywood casting:
“When they say ‘We want to go white,’ they have a very smooth way of saying it, and the recent one is the word traditional. [I’ve heard] ‘Oh, you know, you’re just not what we were looking for, your skin is a little darker.’ Compared to what?! My skin is just my skin. It’s dark if you compare it to someone who’s lighter.”
On meeting James Cameron:
“I’m thinking he probably imagined some Amazonian girl [for Neytiri] – I had really long hair at the time – wearing really little shit with like, a bow and arrow. I had no idea she was blue and nine feet tall. But for some reason, he was like, ‘You look so much like her!’”
Rest of the interview at the source.
