

Everyone who has had the pleasure of meeting, talking to, or—you know—just *watching* Gina Rodriguez knows that the 32-year-old Chicago native is basically an open book. But she still has some secrets. Or did. Until she told us this:
1. Her favorite TV show is Six Feet Under.
2. She performed as a salsa dancer at age 7 with a youth dance company. At 13, she taught swimming lessons to children with disabilities.
3. Her favorite TED Talk is Elizabeth Gilbert's "Your Elusive Creative Genius."
4. Her parents wanted her to become a lawyer. (Which, quite obviously, did not happen.)
5. When applying to NYU, she told the interviewer, "I'm going to make it. So either NYU can claim me, or another college can." (She says now: "Such an asshole. What was I thinking? It was this confidence that my mother and father gave me. Claim your life. Claim what you want.")
A post shared by Gina Rodriguez-LoCicero (@hereisgina)
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Be sure to check out the cover star in Marie Claire's January issue, on newsstands now.
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I'm Sam, the senior editor at MarieClaire.com. I love shining a light on awesome people doing things that matter, cool products and hacks for everyday life, and advice you'll actually use. I'm pretty much always looking for the perfect GIF for any situation. When I'm not trolling the internet, I can be found dancing like a weirdo or napping like it's my job. Right now, I'm probably eating or drinking something filled with sugar or booze. (Sorry, mom.)
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