I've always loved words. I ate up all the books I could get my hands on, and when I couldn't get books, I read candy wrappers and labels on cereal and toothpaste boxes.

Never do nothing you wouldnt want printed on the front page of The New York Times.

I want a part where I can use my own hair, my own voice, and maybe even be literate.

If you can handle a nightclub audience successfully, you can handle anything

I thought I was learning about show business. The more painful it was, the more important I thought the experience must be. Hating it, I convinced myself it must be invaluable.

I'm a born and bred New Yorker. I belong here. Everytime I leave it's like losing a leg.

We gained a great deal of prestige, but not much money. We liked to work so much we couldn't hide it and the club owners paid us accordingly.