The Emmys is great, but the Golden Globes, you have the stars of television and the stars of movies in one place.
— Allison Williams
I try to always have a hair cut that I don't have to style every day, so I'll usually just let my hair air dry.
My mom has beautiful eyes, and I inherited a lot of her rituals, accentuating eyes.
I was only allowed only to watch public television until I was 12 years old.
I will have my publicist pull pictures of the way I look at events so I can see, 'Oh, that cut is not as flattering as I thought,' or 'I should smile bigger,' or 'That positioning is odd.' I learn from it.
The idea of a young girl who knows exactly what she wants with her life is the most threatening and unappealing thing you can imagine.
I've wanted to act since I was little, but my parents told me I couldn't pursue it until after college. The understanding was that I was lucky enough to be able to go to college and that it's important to being successful in life.
My dad keeps joking about sneaking into my grandparents' house and switching out their HBO for PBS so they think I'm on 'Downton Abbey.'
I'm drawn to what I'm drawn to. I wear jeans and loafers everyday, mostly casual, but when I really turn it on, I like a classic, simple look.
I don't understand how some of these young actresses are wearing such provocative, editorial items, when they haven't even established a career yet. It's hard to see past that. I'm not so sure that's smart in the long run.
My whole background is character acting: weird costumes, fat suits, playing men, playing animals - I've never played anyone with whom there's any overlapping Venn diagram.
I started out really into musical theater. So you can imagine I was super popular. I wasn't awkward looking at all.
I love Emma Watson's makeup a lot. I love Cate Blanchett. I'm biased, though. I love my makeup artist, Julie Harris; she is really phenomenal, but everyone has their technique, and there are incredible-looking girls out there.
I am not someone who thinks that a million products will mean that you'll look perfect.
I invested in a blow-dryer. I do a very simple blow out that I've gotten quite good at. I'm ambidextrous. I often wonder why people's hair looks lopsided. It's because it's hard to reach both sides of your hair.
A lot of guys I know loved 'Sex and the City.' They'll take it to their grave, but they watched every episode of it.
I put so much pressure on myself to be perfect. Between homework and sports and drama and being social, I slept about four hours a night through high school and college.
I think I've always had that bird's-eye view of myself. I think it's an actor trait... Sometimes it's best just to get lost out there, but other times you have to be aware of where the light's hitting you.
When I graduated from college in early 2010, I decided that I needed to create a calling card, some kind of business card that people can link to my name and face. So I did this 'Mad Men Theme Song... With a Twist' music video. I released it just as I moved to L.A.
I've done so many funny jobs. I worked at a farmer's market through high school. I worked in the stock room of Ralph Lauren. I graduated to salesperson at Ralph Lauren, which was a big deal to me. I've been a P.A. I've been a stand-in. I've been an assistant's assistant.
I just have always been so interested in the way actors and actresses present themselves to the world because I think it is very important and it affects the way people see you as an actor.
We live in the Facebook era. I think everyone, not just celebrities, have an unprecedented level of self-awareness, of presenting yourself to the world. The truth is, it starts with how you look, and that goes into how you dress.
In real life, we do things out of character, constantly. A couple of days ago, my shoes were hurting, so I walked barefoot through New York. Someone who has known me my whole life would think that was so out of character. But I did it because of the circumstances.
I was only allowed only to watch public television until I was 12 years old. I would come home from friends's houses with a list of demands. 'OK, We have all the wrong cereals. You guys are asleep on the job.'
I definitely hand myself over to the hair and makeup gods of 'Girls.' Our look on the show is very specific, and it's different from mine in real life, although I've definitely learned things from working with both the hair and makeup people for the show.
I'm a major breath person, so I always have gum, mints.
I've put on makeup just for fun since I was a really little girl. Now I keep a look book for inspiration - with hair, makeup, beauty tips and products to try.
Actors are like Swiss Army knives - we're ready to use any lever at any moment. But I learned long ago that, unfortunately, this industry only sees the one thing sticking out that they know us from, and that's the only thing they can imagine.
I operate with this sense of needing to live up to what I am asking of people. I am, by far, my own worst critic.
I auditioned for 'Girls' the fall after I graduated from Yale. The show has been amazing - as close to perfect as it gets!
It's very weird waking around a corner and being nose to nose with myself on the side of a bus. And Times Square - that's the craziest one.
I've been dumped hard. My heart has been broken and shattered, and I've also been on the other end of that too.
I'm so happy that I finished college. Going into this crazy vortex of scrutiny is tough. If I was younger than I was now and I was going to fashion shows, I might have this distorted sense of self. I might rely on those cameras. Because when I was 18, I was half-baked.
It's safe to say I'm a comedy nerd. I listen to so many podcasts. I just love to laugh.
Sometimes fake laughing is hard once you've done a scene 18 times. I don't want to brag, but I have a reputation for being very, very good at that. It's funny finding what's challenging about acting as you go.
I would prefer to keep my clothes on. Unless there's a brisk breeze or something, I tend to keep them on.
