Joy Bryant (born October 18, 1974) is an American actress and former fashion model, who is best known for starring as Jasmine Trussell in the NBC family drama Parenthood.
I've always said that if anything - whether it was film or television - was something I responded to, then I was open to it.
For instance, people who have to walk miles for water - and we just turn on the faucet and let it run. Or people right here in our country [USA] who are food insecure, and yet we as a nation throw out an inconceivable amount of food.
Failure isn't really an option because, as my grandmother used to say, "Nothing beats a failure but a try. "
I don't have children of my own so I can't say I know the plight of being a parent, but I can kinda understand some of the complexities of it.
What inspired me most was the resilience of the Cambodian people. The country is still living with the trauma of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. People lost everything - family, friends. The rich culture of Cambodia was nearly extinguished. They are a nation of survivors. And while poverty and infant mortality affect a disproportionate amount of the people there, those I met were hopeful for the future and doing the best they can with what they had.
With all this talk of Going Green, Buying Green, Living Green, and Green being the new whatever, I've come to realize that, although we had no green, my grandmother was actually the 'greenest' person I've ever known.
Being involved with Oxfam has really opened my eyes to the world at large and the suffering of others. But my background and my life experience are what have allowed me to understand how interconnected we all are. I believe one person suffering reverberates throughout the world.