I'd only been out for, like, six months before I booked 'Insurgent'. It was my first role in America, and it was a huge movie franchise. All I'd ever hear at the time was how Hollywood treated gay men or queer men, so I was, like, 'Well, I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot before I've even started life here,' you know?

Keiynan Lonsdale

If you truly love something, fight for it every day, as long as it makes you happy.

Keiynan Lonsdale

make-you-happy fighting long

Don't ever deny yourself a chance at your dreams. We're all meant for great things, but not everyone believes that can happen.

Keiynan Lonsdale

chance dream believe

Sometimes I fall into the trap of keeping too much to myself, but I think it's important to preserve certain things, it leaves something to the imagination.

Keiynan Lonsdale

imagination fall thinking

If you're gonna take in the love, you've gotta take in the hate. Or at least recognize it.

Keiynan Lonsdale

hate love-you

You have to go through tough experiences and go through some battles, in order to be stronger.

Keiynan Lonsdale

stronger battle order

I'm living for myself, everything I do is to achieve my goals, so I'd love to stop caring so much about what I want by then and maybe focus on a bigger picture.

Keiynan Lonsdale

focus caring goal

I was the youngest of the house that I grew up in, so I feel like as the youngest you have it pretty good. At the same time, I guess I required a lot of attention, being afraid of so many different things. So I was never seeking attention; I wanted the opposite. I just knew that when I saw Michael Jackson on the television screen once, it was, like, "That's it! That's what I'm doing for the rest of my life." I never questioned that.

Keiynan Lonsdale

different house attention

I don't really know anything about fashion, I just kind of wing it and do what I want at the time.

Keiynan Lonsdale

fashion want wings

Michael Jackson has been my idol since before I could even walk.

Keiynan Lonsdale

has-beens walks idols

I respect anyone who achieves something that countless others have dared to try before and failed.

Keiynan Lonsdale

achieve trying

America was always a huge goal, if not the goal. I always wanted to move to America. I always wanted to come here and see what opportunities were around. I really only got a couple of auditions a year when I was in Australia, for acting work.

Keiynan Lonsdale

couple opportunity moving

Sydney is full of the craziest and most talented artists of all kinds.

Keiynan Lonsdale

craziest kind artist

I love music. I seriously cannot wait until the day comes that I get to perform around the world for people, I've wanted to do that my whole life.

Keiynan Lonsdale

waiting people world

I've had down periods in the past few years where I haven't been writing or working on music, and during that time something always felt like it was missing, but when I bring it back into the equation, everything in my life makes sense again. As corny as that sounds.

Keiynan Lonsdale

writing past years

In terms of being Australian, I think a big part of it is the determination to prove yourself, just like Aussie actors.

Keiynan Lonsdale

actors determination thinking

I didn't grow up with my dad so I don't know much at all about my heritage.

Keiynan Lonsdale

heritage growing-up dad

I live in a one bedroom apartment by myself which is cool. I like to have my stuff exactly where I want it, so living alone is good for me.

Keiynan Lonsdale

bedroom want stuff

I always find time to hang with friends at least once a week or just watch TV and play video games. The combination of Netflix and food is just the best.

Keiynan Lonsdale

netflix games play

Aussie culture is pretty relaxed in general, but at the same time people know how to work really hard to go above and beyond what's expected of them.

Keiynan Lonsdale

above-and-beyond culture people

If you really are passionate about it, you're just going to find a way to make it happen.

Keiynan Lonsdale

find you make-it-happen way