I have always been very family-oriented. I came from a dysfunctional, broken family growing up, and it's probably instilled in me the need and the want to have a strong family and a great foundation. So I think that is something that I naturally gravitate toward.

I'm glad that I get to take my final walk as the princess of 2012. ...there's nothing wrong with winning an Oscar!

I didn't realize that diets don't work, and I did not want to diet. I didn't want to do anything that required dieting.

I can't speak for what other artists should do. I can only tell you how I live.

Every character I get to play has some element of who I am, but there's no fun in playing yourself. At least, for me, there isn't.

I'm attracted to things that make me want to be a better person.

The fact that women are very young in obtaining their civil rights and African-Americans are young in obtaining their civil rights, I think it's about time that we extend that to all Americans, whether straight, gay, purple, green, black, brown.