Allison Williams: My whole background is character acting: weird costu...

She watched the first episode and she was like, 'This is feminism?' And then by the end of the season, she was like, 'This is feminism.' The tone changed completely. She was really psyched about it.

Allison Williams

feminism empowering inspirational

I think I've always had that bird's-eye view of myself. I think it's an actor trait... Sometimes it's best just to get lost out there, but other times you have to be aware of where the light's hitting you.

Allison Williams

light eye thinking

I operate with this sense of needing to live up to what I am asking of people. I am, by far, my own worst critic.

Allison Williams

worst asking people

I'm so happy that I finished college. Going into this crazy vortex of scrutiny is tough. If I was younger than I was now and I was going to fashion shows, I might have this distorted sense of self. I might rely on those cameras. Because when I was 18, I was half-baked.

Allison Williams

fashion crazy college

I was only allowed only to watch public television until I was 12 years old. I would come home from friends's houses with a list of demands. 'OK, We have all the wrong cereals. You guys are asleep on the job.

Allison Williams

cereal home jobs

When I graduated from college in early 2010, I decided that I needed to create a calling card, some kind of business card that people can link to my name and face. So I did this 'Mad Men Theme Song...With a Twist' music video. I released it just as I moved to L.A.

Allison Williams

college song men

We live in the Facebook era. I think everyone, not just celebrities, have an unprecedented level of self-awareness, of presenting yourself to the world. The truth is, it starts with how you look, and that goes into how you dress.

Allison Williams

self dresses thinking

I love making people uncomfortable, and when people say, 'I cringed watching [that] scene,' that's the biggest compliment you can give me.

Allison Williams

compliments-you love people

In real life, we do things out of character, constantly. A couple of days ago, my shoes were hurting, so I walked barefoot through New York. Someone who has known me my whole life would think that was so out of character. But I did it because of the circumstances.

Allison Williams

couple hurt new-york

I've wanted to act since I was little, but my parents told me I couldn't pursue it until after college. The understanding was that I was lucky enough to be able to go to college and that it's important to being successful in life.

Allison Williams

parent successful college

I'm a big Aqua fan. "Barbie Girl" was a big deal growing up.

Allison Williams

aqua growing-up girl

Sometimes fake laughing is hard once you’ve done a scene 18 times. I don’t want to brag, but I have a reputation for being very, very good at that. It’s funny finding what’s challenging about acting as you go.

Allison Williams

fake challenges laughing

I've done so many funny jobs. I worked at a farmer's market through high school. I worked in the stock room of Ralph Lauren. I graduated to salesperson at Ralph Lauren, which was a big deal to me. I've been a P.A. I've been a stand-in. I've been an assistant's assistant.

Allison Williams

done jobs school

I just have always been so interested in the way actors and actresses present themselves to the world because I think it is very important and it affects the way people see you as an actor.

Allison Williams

important people thinking

I started out really into musical theater. So you can imagine I was super popular. I wasn't awkward looking at all.

Allison Williams

awkward imagine musical

I would prefer to keep my clothes on. Unless there's a brisk breeze or something, I tend to keep them on.

Allison Williams

breeze clothes

It's very weird waking around a corner and being nose to nose with myself on the side of a bus. And Times Square - that's the craziest one.

Allison Williams

waking squares noses

My dad keeps joking about sneaking into my grandparents' house and switching out their HBO for PBS so they think I'm on 'Downton Abbey.

Allison Williams

hbo dad thinking

I don't understand how some of these young actresses are wearing such provocative, editorial items, when they haven't even established a career yet. It's hard to see past that. I'm not so sure that's smart in the long run.

Allison Williams

smart running past

I was only allowed only to watch public television until I was 12 years old.

Allison Williams

watches television years

My whole background is character acting: weird costumes, fat suits, playing men, playing animals - I've never played anyone with whom there's any overlapping Venn diagram.