Photo: Courtesy of J Squared Photography

Gina Rodriguez is not one to keep things close to the vest. Strike up a conversation with the hot-topic actress who stars in Jane the Virgin, one of this fall's most satisfying and buzzed-about new shows, and she'll readily tell you, say, which female actors tend to "act a fool"; that growing up in Chicago and dreaming of acting glory she never once thought, 'Oh, I'm so hot! I'm gonna be a little sexpot!'; or, that, despite the current avalanche of critical acclaim for her terrific new telenovela-style CW show, she's "not gonna be the hot shit forever."

In fact, it seems being forthright is in her blood.

"My father said the best thing ever to me when we were at an awards show," Rodriguez tells ELLE.com, already laughing at the memory. "I was so nervous because I was like, 'I'm not as pretty as these girls. They have designer [dresses] and I'm not wearing designer. And they all know how to stand.' And he goes, 'You know Gina, at the end of the day, they all have to pick up those dresses and take a shit like anybody else.'" She cracks up. "As crude as that was, it was so real to me. We all just want to make it to tomorrow."

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There's no rush: The current moment is plenty exciting for Rodriguez. Following years of failed pilots, stalled development deals, a stint on The Bold and the Beautiful, and a breakout performance in the 2011 Sundance-darling Filly Brown, in which Rodriguez portrays a struggling aspiring rapper, Jane the Virgin has finally propelled the 30-year-old into the limelight. It's a space NYU's Tisch School of the Arts graduate is still getting used to occupying. "It's surreal!" she says of seeing 50-foot billboards of herself in L.A., where she currently lives. "This is the definition of incredible. I've cried many times. If somebody was in my car with me when I'm by myself they'd think I was completely out of my mind."

In Jane Rodriguez found both an exceptional platform and a strong and unwavering character—a role model for young women, if she's ever seen one. Yes, the premise of the show occasionally borders on the absurd—her accidental fetus' biological father is a man-of-her-dreams playboy she previously kissed; his wife is conniving; her own biological father suddenly reappears—and is a telenovela star, no less. But it's Rodriguez's relatability as Jane that draws you in, no matter the preposterous circumstances.

"I have never been exposed to characters like Jane," Rodriguez explains. "Where she's tough, but she doesn't have a chip on her shoulder; she stands up for herself but she's not mean or sassy or the stereotypical Latina." She also sees a great deal of herself in the role. "Jane isn't afraid to tell a boy 'no.' I think it was a huge thing growing up for me: I was always afraid—and I'm sure a lot of other women deal with this—where you're fearing not being accepted or being liked or losing a guy because of having a certain opinion about something. To have a character that's not afraid to lose, that is really badass. I think even more badass than any chick I see with a gun!"

Still, if only because of past experience—"There was a moment in Filly Brown where I was like, 'This is it! It's gonna be like Jennifer Lawrence. I'm ready!'"—Rodriguez admits that she can't help but sometimes worry the love fest is fleeting. "As an actor, you get nervous. Like anything in life you think, 'Did I make the right decision?' And it's either the next day or five years later you're like, 'I did.' But man, waiting isn't easy."

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