By the time I was seventeen, I was on my way to Hollywood and didn't look back. My family is supportive now, but like any adult guardian of a seventeen-year-old daughter, they were not thrilled with my plan to run off to the LA to make it as an actress. Even a somewhat functioning parent would think that was a bad, bad idea. Lucky for me, I didn't listen to them.

Amber Heard

Categorized in : Thinking Running Daughter

I would love to see women be able to be powerful, complex, smart, opinionated and taken seriously, even if they are beautiful. Even more, I would love to see women held to different standards, other than the superficial ones that we're held to.

Amber Heard

women powerful beautiful

You can't respect yourself if you're afraid to be who you are.

Amber Heard

respect-yourself be-who-you-are ifs

The sad thing about our society is that women are put in one of two categories. You're either in the beautiful category and you're seen as sexy and beautiful, or some version of that, or you're put into another category... The latter category affords women the opportunity to be smart, funny, independent, mean, strong, intelligent and opinionated. We take them seriously as politicians, if they fit into that latter category. We respect their opinions more and give them higher expectations. That latter category is what allows female actors to be characters.

Amber Heard

sexy strong beautiful

I've always lived my life the way I wanted and been honest with myself and everyone around me.

Amber Heard

honest wanted way

It requires bravery to do something no one else around you is doing.

Amber Heard

amber heard bravery

Strength and independence are always something that I'm drawn to in all my characters, no matter how different they are from one another.

Amber Heard

independence different character

I'm strong. I'm smart. I'm not a victim,' to my detriment.

Amber Heard

smart victim strong

I have always been very rebellious and gone against the grain. I've always challenged the standards set before me.

Amber Heard

standards-set amber gone

I don't label myself one way or another. I love who I love; it's the person that matters.

Amber Heard

labels matter way

School was a waste of time for me. I was bored and left at 16. I started taking correspondence courses at college instead. I did incredibly well. I won an award for my grades.

Amber Heard

awards college school

There is a common, puritanical way that we look at things where, if it involves sexuality, somehow the women must be compromised. It's just chauvinistic to deny women their sexuality. It's about empowering. It comes down to choices. If the choices are available and they're making that choice, they're not being exploited.

Amber Heard

empowering choices looks

All I've ever needed is myself.

Amber Heard

needed

I love fast cars, loud guns and classic rock 'n' roll, but I'd never do any of it in

Amber Heard

nice gun hair

If you want to do something, you find a way.

Amber Heard

ifs want way

I'm doing what I love. I'm enjoying the perks of the job-the travel. I am having a great time being a shape shifter and I'm really getting a kick out of it. I love my job.

Amber Heard

perks shapes jobs

My very best friend died in a car accident when I was 16 years old. That was the hardest blow emotionally that I have ever had to endure. Suddenly, you realize tomorrow might not come. Now I live by the motto, 'Today is what I have.'

Amber Heard

blow best-friend friendship

You feel better when you're eating food that retains nutritional value.

Amber Heard

amber feel-better eating

It's my job in Hollywood to find roles where I get to be a character not a bathing suit.

Amber Heard

hollywood jobs character

Some of my best friends in LA are devoutly religious people. I'm completely supportive and interested in people doing their own thing. That's a motto that I try to live by, and I hope that's how other people treat me. Live and let live.

Amber Heard

my-best-friend religious people

I personally think that if you deny something or if you hide something you're inadvertently admitting it's wrong.

Amber Heard

admitting deny thinking