‘Jane The Virgin’ Star Gina Rodriguez Urges People To Embrace Their Individuality

“Jane the Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez is proud of her unique mark in Hollywood. She might not fit in to Hollywood’s standards for beauty, but Rodriguez wouldn’t have things any other way.

Rodriguez is also encouraging her fans to do the same — to love themselves just as they are. “Don’t compare yourself to anyone,” she told Women’s Health. “Anyone. Because no one is in your race. Stay in your lane, and do you…We live in a society, a culture, where it says not all of you can make it - only one of you can…that’s a false illusion. There’s space for all of us.”

“People will say you are not attractive. People will say you are not skinny enough, not tall enough, not thick enough, not curvy enough, not white enough, not brown enough, not this enough,” she said.

Rodriguez hopes people won’t feel that way about themselves, because once they do, then “we’re all screwed.”

The Latina strongly believes that happy people have “no opportunity to hate anybody else,” so when people feel better about themselves, they will “know nothing but love.”

This positive attitude is exactly what Rodriguez loves about her character Jane Gloriana Villanueva from “Jane the Virgin.”

“Jane is so honest and patient and kind and always wants to give and is so family-oriented. She is who I ultimately desire to be like. [Showrunner] Jennie [Snyder Urman] has written this girl who is so strong, even in her faults; she’s always trying to work harder,” she told New York Magazine.

But if Jenna Ortega, the actress who portrays the young Jane for the show, were to be asked, it is actually Rodriguez who is more inspiring than the character she portrays.

Ortega told Bustle that she feels privileged to work with the show’s star because she always learns a lot from her. “She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet and I think she’s a great role model for young Latinas like me,” she said.

“Jane the Virgin” Season 3 will premiere on Monday, Oct. 17, at 9 p.m. on The CW.