Anytime anybody asks you to do anything that is celebrating you or highlighting your life, just the fact that they cared enough about me, who am I to say no? It's a form of flattery to me and I take those things seriously, because in the long run, people don't have to care about you.

My motto is: look your best, feel your best, but most of all, be your best at any age.

The thing that I've learned is to stay ready to be ready, and I tell this to young people all the time. You don't have time to get ready. So, what that means to me is if you don't like your hair, your weave is wack, your teeth need fixing, if your attitude needs adjusting and you need therapy, you really want to lose 10 pounds - whatever that is for you - then you need to work on it starting now.

If something scares you, you run toward it, not away from it.

Don't be ashamed of your age. You've lived a long time. You've learned a lot. Tout you knowledge. Be proud of your experience. Be proud of who you've become. Don't hide, and don't be ashamed like, "Oh my God. I'm nearly turning 50," or, "I'm turning 60. Shhh, don't tell nobody."

I don't think I avoided being type cast, because I do sometimes get similar roles. It is not a bad thing because we are strong at what we are strong at, not meaning that we cannot do other things, but sometimes somebody else might bring a little more realism than you, because that is more of who they are than who you are. I do get a chance to play other people and other types of roles.

Even when something does not go my way, I get up and fight, that is what keeps me going.