As the filmmaker, yes, I have to look out for everybody. But I don't have to know everybody's approach.

It's not easy for me to admit that I've been standing in the same place for 18 years.

I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you're prepared for it.

I think the bottom of the totem pole is African-American women, or women of colour. I think they get the least opportunities in Hollywood.

I even asked [Saniyya Sidney] why she wanted to be an actor and she said, "I'm serious about this. These other little kids they want to play, and I don't have time for that."

I’ve found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.

We know what hair smells like when a hot comb hits it. That's a cultural thing. We know what that smells like on Sunday mornings, usually church-related or something. In my house, it was getting ready for church and your sister was getting her hair fried.