People confuse the person and the part.

When you ask the best questions of yourself and others, you invite the best answers.

The first time I acted was in high school in Florida, and when I heard that applause I felt so alive and felt that electricity go up my spine.

I like the nice guys. I like when they show the stories, the human element behind it all.

I remembered that throughout my growing up and education and pursuing my dreams and desires, going into acting, and, of course, getting through Yale University and on and on and on, that being average, being mediocre was not an option that you should be proud of.

This is a career about images. It's celluloid; they last for ever. I'm a black woman from America. My people were slaves in America, and even though we're free on paper and in law, I'm not going to allow you to enslave me on film, in celluloid, for all to see.

My mom was always pretty supportive. She saw me do plays and she'd always act out the parts I did.