Ordinary people who are just kind of just going about their lives are transformed into heroes because they have the courage to put their voices out there. I think that's a powerful message in this time of political strife.

You don't get the pay-off when you're playing a quiet character, so sometimes you want to just throw out all your work and say, "Okay, let me do something really funny or gimmicky, just so that I can get some attention in this scene."

And this is what was fascinating to me about 'The Help'; they were ordinary people who did extraordinary things.

I started a production company out of necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color.

I haven't seen most of what I've done. I can't even list them. Most television jobs. I haven't seen a lot.

I would love to be remembered as a person who used her life to inspire others in any way, shape or form.

As an artist, you've got to see the mess. That's what we do. We get a human being, and it's like putting together a puzzle. And the puzzle has got to be a mixture, a multifaceted mixture of human emotions, and not all of it is going to be pretty.