I'm a California girl, right? I grew up with that farm-to-table dining before it was sweeping the nation.

I went to an all-girls' Catholic school for, like, six years during the time when kids actually had handwriting class. I've always had a propensity for getting the cursive down pretty well.

There couldn't possibly be a more label-driven industry than acting, seeing as every audition comes with a character breakdown: 'Beautiful, sassy, Latina, 20s'; 'African American, urban, pretty, early 30s'; 'Caucasian, blonde, modern girl next door'. Every role has a label; every casting is for something specific.

I'm deeply and passionately involved in the design process. I'm a brash American, and if my name is going to be on something, I'm going to have my say.

People don't need to feel scared about a leather pant. Think of it as a jean alternative: it's the same thing. It's almost like they're your yoga pants, but they look chic.

Be kind to yourself.

Definitely working on 'Deal or No Deal' was a learning experience, and it helped me to understand what I would rather be doing.

I think so much of what we learn when we get older is being comfortable in our own skin and learning what looks good, and not being so trend-centric.

I always want off-the-beaten-path, Anthony Bourdain-inspired travel.

I dream pretty big, but truly had no idea my life could be this awesome. I am the luckiest girl in the world, without question!

Tatcha Face Moisture Mask and a facial by Nicola Joss, who literally massages your face from inside your mouth! Insane, right?

Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world. I love it there. I love Big Sur. It's stunning and you get a therapeutic experience there. The drive up the coast is one of the most beautiful I've ever done. Also, Hong Kong. I could easily live there!

My dad is Caucasian, and my mom is African American. I'm half black and half white. Being biracial paints a blurred line that is equal parts staggering and illuminating.

It was the late '70s when my parents met. My dad was a lighting director for a soap opera, and my mom was a temp at the studio. They moved into a house in The Valley in L.A., to a neighborhood that was leafy and affordable.

To describe something as being black and white means it is clearly defined. Yet when your ethnicity is black and white, the dichotomy is not that clear. In fact, it creates a grey area.

I have always loved watermelon and relish any opportunity to eat it, whether plain or diced up with feta and mint and tossed with a little olive oil. It makes me think of summertime. On set and at home, I try to always have a container of watermelon sprinkled with cinnamon because it elevates the flavor just a notch and makes it feel special.

Kindness is the No. 1 quality I look for in a man. You can see in how he treats anyone - from a CEO to a housekeeper - and it's a reflection of how nice a guy is. Funniness and confidence come after that... When a guy approaches me, it's fantastic if he can make me laugh.

I had always been the theater nerd at Northwestern University. I knew I wanted to do acting, but I hated the idea of being this cliche - a girl from L.A. who decides to be an actress.

I don't tend to go totally bare, but on non-filming days, I will only wear tinted moisturiser, mascara, blusher, and a ChapStick for my lips.

I'm an actress, a writer, the editor-in-chief of my lifestyle brand 'The Tig', a pretty good cook, and a firm believer in handwritten notes.

It's really attractive if a man has a skill that you want to improve in yourself. If you can learn from someone, then that's sexy.

The one thing that I cannot live without when I'm traveling is a small container of tea tree oil. It's not the most glamorous thing, but if you get a cut, a mosquito bite, a small breakout, no matter what it is, it's my little cure-all. It's inexpensive, it's small enough to carry on, and I bring it with me all the time.

There is a myth that those who do humanitarian work have a saviour mentality, but the relationship is reciprocal.

Just as black and white, when mixed, make grey, in many ways that's what it did to my self-identity: it created a murky area of who I was, a haze around how people connected with me. I was grey. And who wants to be this indifferent colour, devoid of depth and stuck in the middle? I certainly didn't.