I live my life because I dare. I dare to show up when everyone else might hide their faces and hide their bodies in shame.

Being an actor is wonderful and it's a lot of fun, but eventually you look old and you can't fit this or that. It's important to have other skills, be able to do other things, and to really learn how this business works and what it thrives on.

I can't quite say that I was raised Muslim, but I remember up until 5 or so I would pray, you know, with my dad. And it's actually a beautiful practice. It's giving of yourself to a higher power - no matter what you call that higher power. Living your life as close to what you think that higher power wants you to be is a really powerful thing.

I can flip my tongue over. Only one in 10,000 people can. I learned that at Ripley's Believe It or Not!

I don't think my brand of self-confidence and self-assuredness can come from an outside source. It's got to come from me.

I don't fixate on other people's opinions of my body.

When I say a girl like me, I bet you think I'm just talking about being fat. How dare you fat-shame me? You think I'm talking about being black? Racist. What makes you think I'm not talking about being smart? What? You don't think a fat, black girl can be smart or something? Fat-shaming racists like you make me sick.