Watch Uzo Aduba Give Advice to Her 18-Year-Old Self
The "Orange Is the New Black" star imparts wisdom on her younger self.
— -- Nearly 20 years later and already with an impressive career under her belt, Uzo Aduba is giving her 18-year-old self some very important advice.
The "Orange Is the New Black" actress sat down in front of the camera for Teen Vogue to share some of the insights she's learned.
"You are 18 years old and you're getting ready to embark on the greatest journey of your life. This is what I want you to know...." she begins.
The actress then launches into some candid and inspirational advice, tackling all of the most important arenas for an adolescent girl: love and relationships, integrity, self-worth, friendship, womanhood, and, most importantly, listening to your mom.
"Set your bar high," she says of relationships. "Don't climb down from where your bar is set. Demand the respect, love, care, honor, queendom that you were given and born into this world deserving."
She addresses both the pain of heartbreak and the necessity to move forward without fear of loving again.
After love, Aduba moves on to friendships, particularly being a girl's girl.
"Having a female support next to you is going to encourage you to be a better person, it's going to empower you, it's going to uplift you, it's going to inspire you, and it's going to create an aspirational environment for you. That is what women do for women, so lean into that," she says.
From there, she conquers questions of confidence and self-empowerment.
“You are valuable and you are loved. I'm going to encourage you to never lose sight of that, to always know your worth, and to stand firm in that."
Aduba concludes the video on an uplifting note, telling her younger self how much she loves her, how proud she is of what she's done so far and how excited she is for everything she's about to do.
The actress ends by saying, "I almost want to do this every 10 years of my life!"
Given Aduba's success as an actress, including two Emmys to date, she definitely has the credentials to make one solid mentor. So listen up, little Uzo!