I like to think I opened doors for other women, although that wasn't my original intention.

I considered Nat King Cole to be a friend and, in many ways, a mentor. He always had words of profound advice.

I like to think I opened doors for other women, although that wasn't my original intention.

Whenever you're on television, there's a responsibility to look timeless. I worked with the masters of film, fashion and beauty. I took their words into my soul, like a kind of religion that I exhibited to the world to all of our benefit. To this day, it takes a great deal of time to do my makeup the way I feel comfortable. At 82, it's still a part of what I do. I enjoy it.

If you're not invited to the party, throw your own.

I hope that there are no persons that would want to think ill of me in any direction or any behavior.

The lesson that I would hope everyone would learn quite early in their career is don't take it personally. Whatever it is that happens, you're accepted for a role or rejected for a role of whatever, don't take it personally. It's part of the business and the person that is either hiring or firing-that's their business. That's what they are there for and it has nothing to do with how you feel about ... It has to do with someone else's perception of should you do this particular part, so just don't take it personally,. The business is really about rejection, so don't take it personally.