Mandy Moore is all about dropping the labels — something she knows all too well since she started out as a singer and segued into acting.
"The idea that we don't have to just define ourselves singularly — or let the world define us. We have the power to do that, and we can be as many things as we want to be, and it's a constantly evolving idea as well," the star, 40, exclusively tells Morning Honey while talking about The Maxx You Project’s newest campaign: Claim Your And, which is all about empowering women everywhere to break free of the labels that limit them and boldly express their multidimensional selves. "I am a pop princess — that's definitely a facet of who I was and who I am, but I contain multitudes. I don't want to be pigeonholed into that definition of myself and everything that sort of collectively came along with that."
However, bouncing around from music to acting hasn't always been a walk in the park. Moore rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy," in the '90s, and she later starred in several movies, fromThe Princess Diaries to A Walk to Remember.
"That definitely presented its own challenges," Moore, who has been nominated for an Emmy, admits. "I was determined and passionate about [acting], so it's like I knew I wasn't going to let the world's perception stop me from doing that, but I do think it took a really long time — and it's still taking time for people to catch up to that. But if you want to do something, you should do it! People will eventually find their way to that as well."
Since getting famous at such a young age, the brunette beauty, who is expecting baby No. 3 with husband Taylor Goldsmith, has dealt with her fair share of rejection, which has only made her stronger.
"That still very much factors into my life now. I don't think anyone reaches any sort of echelon of success and doesn't face those obstacles and those insecurities," she shares. "They plague all of us. I try to give myself grace and recognize that no one day is going to look alike. I'm going to feel better equipped to handle things on certain days than others, and you just have to roll with it and lean into it and try to tap back into your power and passions and what got you to where you are to begin with."
The mom-of-two admits she doesn't "always" feel confident, but as she's gotten older, she feels more at peace with how things have turned out. "Those insecurities or feelings may not necessarily be what I project to the world, but I'm much better at it now and accepting those parts of me than when I was younger," she says.
Since the This Is Us alum dabbles in so many different things, it was a "no-brainer" for her to team up with the brand to launch The Maxx You Project’s newest campaign: Claim Your And.
Nearly every woman will be labeled by others in their lifetime, confining them to a singular identity — pretty or smart, mom or career woman, fashionable or athlete, but no woman is just this or that. In fact, 81 percent of women want to define themselves on their own terms, according to a recent survey by TJ Maxx.
That's why the Claim Your And is all about embracing who you are.
"I am a huge TJ Maxx fan. I'm excited to help women recognize their own power, their own autonomy and their multidimensional reality," she exclaims. "I've found in my career people always ask me, 'Are you an actor? Are you a singer?' I am like, 'Why do I have to choose?' When I am on tour, I have my musician's hat on, but when I'm on set, I'm more of an actor. But I am also a podcaster, a mom, a wife, a friend, a confidant — the list is endless! It's a message that needs to be shouted from the hilltops!"
"I love a good deal — who doesn't?" she adds of the beloved brand. "I would encourage folks to use the hashtag #ClaimYourAnd and starting today all the way through August 31, people can comment on their own multidimensionality. We're going to have a collab post on my Instagram, but if you don't follow me, TJ Maxx will also post on theirs. TJ Maxx will donate $1 to Dress for Success for every person who comments with #ClaimYourAnd on TikTok and Instagram, up to $100K, to expand their network of support, development tools and workshops to help women become their most authentic selves."
TJ Maxx will provide tools and resources to support their journeys on MaxxYouProject.com, including an exclusive fireside chat with Moore and inspiring workshops led by a roster of powerhouse experts including author Amanda Montell, basketball coach Sydney Carter, and astronaut Kellie Gerardi, available beginning July 30.
"There are a ton of resources and stuff on there for women to check out and figure out how to tap into their own unique facets of who they are," Moore concludes.