Laverne Cox gave a great answer about what inspired her to get into acting
When doing a Q&A, the question most actors are usually faced with is "what made you want to become an actor?" They probably get asked it enough that they have something prepared in case it comes up.
While doing a Twitter Q&A for "Orange is the New Black" (under the hashtag #AskOrange), Laverne Cox, who plays Sophia Burset, was asked this: "What inspired you to start your acting career?"
She gave a great answer:
"Pretending to be other people got me through my childhood and the difficult times in my life," Cox answered. "Acting is what I love."
Cox is transgender, and didn't transition until she was older. During her childhood she was bullied "because [she] didn't act the way someone assigned male at birth was supposed to act," she once told ABC News. At a young age, she attempted suicide.
Now, she has found herself, and she gets to use both acting and her newfound fame to help others get through similar experiences.