My first kiss was when I was 7, and it was scandalous because he was 10! I only did it so he would pick me on our neighborhood baseball team. And at the time, I thought it was great, but then it sucked because he didn`t even pick me!

From a very early age, I remember thinking that adults were always acting like assholes. I couldn`t understand why I had to respect them. My pre-school teacher forced me to write right-handed when I was left-handed. I didn`t get why I had to change. Nobody could give me a reason. I have had a big problem with authority ever since.

My grandfather was the only Mexican at his college, the only Hispanic person at work and the only one at the all-white country club. He tried to forget his Mexican roots, because he never wanted his kids to be made to feel different in America. He and my grandmother didn`t speak Spanish to their children. Now, as a third-generation American, I feel as if I have finally cut loose.

The most important thing I have learned in life was that being a teenager wasn`t forever. I had a hard time being a teenager.

My theory is that if you look confident you can pull off anything - even if you have no clue what you`re doing.

The movies that I do are usually physically demanding in one way or another. It`s a good way to keep your health on track. Especially when you`ve been on-set for 14 hours, it`s nice to relieve that stress in another way than having to rely on a big meal and wine.

Men`s magazines have nipples so why don`t women have a magazine where men show their penises? There`s Playgirl but not a fashion magazine like Elle. If there was a magazine like that I`d buy it. Nudity`s not a big deal to me . . . I`ve said I won`t go naked in any of my movies, because I don`t want to. But that doesn`t mean I don`t want to see other people strip off!

[July 2004] I just don`t have a great feeling about what we`re doing in Iraq. I don`t know why we`re there. Didn`t we just give the power back over there? Why are we still there?

[oeing raised by young parents] We all grew up together. My parents were so young. My dad hates it when I talk about our past, about not having things, living with grandma, wearing thrift-store clothes, cutting coupons.

I have my own spiritual thing, but am not part of an organized religion. I think religion is very special and individual to each person.

I just didn`t like the damsel-in-distress thing. I could relate to young girls wanting to see her take care of herself. And because I`m so good at action, I talked the writer and producer and director into throwing together a little fight sequence. It ended up taking three more weeks to shoot it. But at least I`m not tied up and asleep until my knight in shining armor comes and saves me. So I thought it was cool.

It`s porn [Good Luck Chuck (2007)]. There were all these actresses who got conned into being completely naked. Some were strippers, probably. But every day when I was done, I ran away. I was like, "Bye". As long as they didn`t disrespect me, I could give a rat`s butt.

I don`t hang out with the Hollywood cool people. I`m not out trying to make friends with people because they`re famous.

It`s not always so great to be objectified but I don`t feel I have much of a choice right now. I`m young in my career. I know I have to strike when the iron is hot. I look forward to the day when I can do a small movie and act and it`s not about me wearing a bathing suit or chaps.

I wasn`t given a whole lot in my life. I was on the bottom of the class system. But I got wisdom. I never just did what people told me. I questioned everything. When I look back, it is really no surprise that I started working at 12.

[on racial stereotyping] My father is Mexican and very dark; my mother is very fair. I used to always get [script] breakdowns for things like Maria, the janitor`s daughter who hangs around with white kids. I was born in the United States. I never thought about it until the industry made me think about being a Latin girl. It seemed like such a bizarre thing.

[on growing up in L.A.] I never really belonged anywhere. I wasn`t white. I was shunned by the Latin community for not being Latin enough. My grandfather was the only one in our family to go to college. He made a choice not to speak Spanish in the house. He didn`t want his kids to be different.

What happens when the looks fade?. If I don`t establish myself as someone who can act a part rather than look the part, I will soon be finished.

Men are much bigger divas than women. When I used to do the action scenes in "Dark Angel" (2000) I would have to play it rough. If you hit an actress accidentally, she would usually take it on the chin and say, "Don`t do that again." But with the guys, they would put ice on it, take a 20-minute break and ask for X-rays. It was unbelievable. I would tell them, "Come on, man, get over it." That`s actors for you.

My whole life, when I was growing up, not one race has ever accepted me. So I never felt connected or attached to any race specifically. I did grow up in a Mexican-American culture, but my mom [who`s of French and Danish descent] was there the whole time. I mean, I had a very American upbringing, I feel American, and I don`t speak Spanish. So, to say that I`m a Latin actress, OK, but it`s not fitting; it would be insincere. If you`re going to look genetically, I`m actually less Latin than Cameron Diaz, whose father is from Cuba. But she`s not getting called a Latin actress because she`s got blond hair and blue eyes.

One of the reasons why I chose not to be a devout Christian is because a lot of people gave me a lot of grief for just being a woman and made me feel ashamed for having a body because it tempted men. I didn`t understand what that meant because I was like, "God created this . . ." Yhat was a hard time in my life.

I don`t need to be in the press or seen. Just because I`m not in magazines or because I`m not in a movie doesn`t mean I`m going away. It just means I have some sense of integrity.

I used to come to Beverly Hills for auditions as a kid and think, "Why don`t I live here? Why don`t I drive that car?"

Living in L.A., everyone likes to mold you and change you. I don`t care about fame, I don`t care about being a celebrity. I know that`s part of the job, but I don`t feed into anyone`s idea of who I should be.

[on learning Spanish] I have a great accent because I grew up hearing it in the neighborhood. But I have no idea what I`m saying.

There is always an unspoken problem about casting Latina actresses. I have heard Jennifer Lopez talk about how it was for her, always being up for the role of the Latina chick.

Thank you to the fans. I do movies for you. Practice safe sex and drive hybrids if you can.

I love listening to Coldplay. But sometimes I listen to it too much and it depresses me. I call it a "reflective" mood.

I`m really good at being sarcastic with guys. That`s the best way to hang out with them, because that`s what guys like. They don`t want the quiet, prissy little things.

I like Spongebob Squarepants. He`s goofy, like me.