I'm learning to accept the lack of privacy as the real downer in my profession.

I don't know why, but I respond well to tortured characters.

While being called beautiful is extremely flattering, I would much rather be noticed for my work as an actress.

What's hardest for me to swallow is when there is a love story, say, with a really high-profile male star and there's no reason I can't play the part. They say, 'Oh, we love Halle, we just don't want to go black with this part.'

As a woman, when you embrace where you are in life, then I think the struggle [life] isn't so hard. If you're 42 and still think you're an ingenue, then you've got a problem.

I'm just going to live my life and be who I am.

Being a mother is probably the most important thing in my life right now.