I'm an Oscar nominee. I love saying that. Whatever happens, I'm going to sing that 'I'm an Oscar nominee' part.

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.

Even in my music, I am always searching for big, universal things - ways that you can sort of reach outside the norm of what you are doing.

Everything happens when it's supposed to.

If you go through life and you don't find the beauty in an unexpected place, then you really have a sad existence.

God in my mind gives you what you need. So, if you need God to be a black woman and you need that for whatever your reasons are, then perhaps your blessings will come in that form.

I'm not trying to be a different weight. I want to be a different body type so that I'm not an apple. I just want to be a pear!