Empire's Serayah Used to Hate Her Hair Before Embracing It's Beauty

Serayah is super festive while posing with co-star Bryshere “Yazz” Gray on the December/January 2017 cover of Seventeen magazine, on newsstands November 22.

The Empire stars opened up to the glossy about their careers, their relationship, and more. Check it:

Serayah on role models: “You can dream on something, meditate on it, and want it, but what’s equally important is doing all the work you possibly can� I always look at Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant�they were the first ones in the gym and the last ones in the gym. And I just was watching a documentary on Beyonc�, where a background singer was saying that Beyonc�’s the first and last one in the stadium to rehearse. I thought that was awesome. It’s those moments that count, and that’s why those people are who they are.”

Serayah on overcoming her insecurity: “I hated my hair�it always felt poufy and curly and people would poke it and ask, ‘Why is it so big?’ I started dyeing and cutting it and trying to make it as straight as possible. Then I got this role on Empire where I wear my hair big and natural, and I’ve come to realize it’s beautiful.”

Yazz on why he and Serayah aren’t a real-life couple: “She’s a cool girl. She’s very attractive, but we’re just so much friends, like homies.”

For more on Serayah and Yazz, visit Seventeen.com.