How did you get started playing video games?

"I grew up in a family with four older brothers. I never really had any gender cues in my life — I did ballet, jazz, tap; I did basketball and soccer; and I played video games. Video games were a part of my life since I was 3 or 4 years old, watching my brothers play and me wanting to play. What I liked about it above a physical sport was that I could fully take down my foot-and-a-half-taller older brother by just being a better gamer than him. It was a good way to even the playing field between us."

How so?

"When you're in the game, you’re the player, and it doesn't matter if you’re an 800-pound man or 95-pound girl — it’s just whether or not you’re a good gamer. Gaming is fun, and it’s a fun way for guys and girls to have some friendly competition and even the playing field. It’s not a wrestling match — they can’t overpower you. It’s a fun way girls can exercise their strength."

Have you ever had any negative experiences once other players realized you were a girl?

"My voice is kind of noticeable, so my brother and I would actually play pranks on people. We’d go on Call Of Duty Online, and you hear the voices of a bunch of young men. I would go in there and put on a really high-pitched voice and really get in there with that bad-mouthing and do it in a very obvious feminine tone. It’s funny to see the reaction you get from a lot of the young men, for sure. It’s a funny part of gaming, the bad-mouthing, especially coming from a young woman. They don’t expect it."

What role has gaming had on your acting career?

"Video games in general really are role-playing. From a young age, I was able to jump into these super stylized, wild roles and characters through video games. With a movie like Kick-Ass, when I was 11 years old, I was probably more open to and more excited about it because I had played video games at a young age. And I think video games can help build your imagination as a kid. You're walking through these worlds, and it’s exciting."

Do you have anything to say to women who don't play video games?

"Imagination is gender neutral. Video games are just a heightened form of imagination. There are amazing experiences you couldn’t do in everyday life — it’s like you’re watching a movie. It would be a shame for people not to at least try and see what it feels to get behind the controller. Gaming is fun."