“Wayans” is a powerful family tree in the entertainment industry. With decades of successful careers under their belts, many of the Wayans crew have established themselves as formidable forces in front of and behind the camera. Siblings Keenen, Damon, Marlon, Shawn, and Kim are just a handful of successful Wayans continuing their paths in the industry. The famous Wayans sister recently chatted with BET for their In My Twenties series and she reflected on what her career was like back in her In Living Color days alongside her family.

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“In my 20s, I was 16,” the former In the House star said. “I was a late bloomer. I was still very much a child when I was in my 20s. I was very much a teenager in so many different ways.” Kim stated that in today’s culture, entertainers have so many ways to get noticed or to create opportunities for themselves. However, back when she was making a way in the industry, it was a bit more difficult not to be boxed in by the movers and shakers.

“Certain things are asked of you to do as a black actress and it really wasn’t all that thrilling and all that exciting,” she said. “It’s nice to see now all these opportunities and all these different ways of seeing black people and black women, in particular, that’s really great.” Kim also dropped off a bit of wisdom for creatives navigating their careers.

“Trust your own voice,” said Kim. “When I was young like that, I didn’t really trust my voice. I looked to my brothers, I looked to other people to basically tell me who I was. Deep inside, I knew who I was and I knew what I wanted to do, but when you’re young like that, sometimes it’s hard to trust that.” Watch Kim Wayans’s In My Twenties below.