Gabourey Sidibe won audiences over in her breakout role as an illiterate 16-year-old in the 2009 film "Precious." Over the past four years Sidibe has acted in numerous films and TV shows, including "Yelling to the Sky," "The Big C," and most recently, she joined the cast of "American Horror Story" for its third season.


During an interview with Parade about her role in "American Horror Story: Coven," Sidibe opened up about not "fitting in" -- and why that's not necessarily such a bad thing. When asked how she's changed personally and as an actor during her four-year career, Sidibe responded rather eloquently:


Personally, I’m much more introverted than I used to be. I’m less likely to talk to strangers or have loud or emotional conversations in public. I don’t make friends as willingly as I did before, so I hold on to my actual friends very dearly. I’m a very careful person now.

As an actor, I’m much more willing to embarrass myself if it will serve the story. I hunger for strange and daring stories. I’m less and less afraid of dark material and that’s really saying something, as my first role was an illiterate sexual-abuse victim with HIV. I’m also less and less concerned with fitting in. I was born to stand out. I don’t care whether or not people will find me attractive on screen. That’s not why I became an actor. I know that more and more with each new role.



While we love her for her boundary-breaking work, Sidibe is no stranger to criticism. In a 2012 interview on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live," Sidibe revealed that fellow actress Joan Cusack actually advised her to stop before she had even started, stating, "Oh honey, you should really quit the business, it's so image-conscious."


We are seriously glad Sidibe didn't listen.


Related on HuffPost: