The women who made me
To celebrate International Women's Day, we asked 10 awesome women - from Lena Dunham to Laverne Cox - to tell us who has shaped and influenced their life...
Getty ImagesLena Dunham
The woman who made me... Sheryl Sandberg (CEO of Facebook)
“With Lean In, Sheryl gave women a constructive guide for pushing feminism into the work space. She also has the glossiest hair; she’s like the Connie Britton of the tech world.”
Getty ImagesKaty Perry
The woman who made me... Jenny Slate (Comedian)
"Jenny starred in my favourite film of 2014, Obvious Child, and guest-stars on one of my favourite shows, Kroll Show. I think every woman can relate to her dark, unfiltered approach to comedy (and to her delightful Twitter feed, @jennyslate)."
PA PhotosMelissa McCarthy
The woman who made me... Ellen DeGeneres (Comedian and TV Host)
"When she chose to come out on her sitcom, it damaged her career to the point that she didn’t think she would get it back. But she did, and she paved the way for women to be able to say, 'This is who I am, and I don’t have to act any other way.'”
Getty ImagesRebel Wilson
The woman who made me... Amy Poehler (Comedy writer, producer and actress)/
"When I first came to America I was no one, yet Amy sat down and gave me advice. She said, “No matter how funny you are, if you want the right roles, you have to write and develop them yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be the ‘funny friend’ or ‘silly sister’ for the rest of your career.” It was amazing advice."
Getty ImagesZoe Saldana
The woman who made me... Oprah Winfrey (TV hose and executive producer)
"Every time I see Oprah, I just hug her close and close my eyes. One day someone's gonna be like, 'Get that woman away from Oprah.' But O love the Oprah idea of: make list. Have a goal. Throw it out there in the universe. It will bounce back at you."
Getty ImagesLaverne Cox
The woman who made me... Serena Williams (Tennis champion)
"She’s inspired me a tremendous amount. Tennis is so intense and difficult and shows how hard one has to work to be the very best. Serena exemplifies that with elegance, grace and sexiness."
Getty ImagesJulianna Margulies
The woman who made me... Patti Smith (Musician and author)
"I first saw Patti in person at the Metropolitan Opera, but I was too tongue-tied to say anything. A year later I was seated with her at dinner, and I finally introduced myself. I was stunned when she said, 'I watch your show every week! I saw you at the opera but I was too shy to say hello.'"
Getty ImagesClaudia Winkleman
The woman who made me... Emma Freud (Broadcaster and co-founder of Comic Relief)
"When I was presenting a knitting show on Granada Breeze, Emma said, “Will you go to Uganda for us?” That trip changed my life- the poverty and horror and the way Comic Relief saves lives is something I’ll never forget. Emma fights so hard for social justice. This year, Comic Relief went past the billion-pound mark- she’s an extraordinary woman."
Getty ImagesAnne Marie Duff
The woman who made me... Kate Bush (Singer)
“I was a teenager when Hounds of Love came out, and it was such a defining album for me. I remember scrawling lyrics from some of the songs on my desk. She is a total icon.”
Getty ImagesEmma Willis
The woman who made me... Ruth Langsford (TV Presenter)
"I call her Auntie Ruth. I met her after MTV ended, when I couldn’t get any work and was thinking about jacking it in. She said, “Give it time. If you need anything, give me a call.” I didn’t see her for ages, but then I started doing This Morning. Ruth and [husband] Eamonn [Holmes] are now like my auntie and uncle. "
