When I was a little kid I thought I would grow up to be black and sing jazz in nightclubs.

When you say you're 40, you can't call yourself an ingenue any more.

I can't' really sing a song unless I really connect with the lyrics.

It's the universal feeling that we all are alone - that we're all different. I think the movie's one resounding theme is that everybody feels the same, and we're all alone together. Some people come up to me on the street and thank me for helping them get through their teen years.

I wish I had been more prepared, both for success and for failure, when I was younger.

What I like about being alone is being able to do whatever you want and it's for yourself.

My parents always raised us with the idea of having college in mind. You sort of need a college education. It's part of life. It's something that you do - like going to your prom.