To me, locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion's mane.

My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough.

I've done so much stuff and it's all so different.

I was actually supposed to be a basketball player, not an actress. My parents had me playing basketball on competitive teams when I was in kindergarten. Even though my heart belongs to the arts, I'm a tomboy at heart, too.

I don't go to parties even when I'm invited. I've always been an 80-year-old woman inside. I remember going to my first school dance petrified. I just wanted to leave. Like, This is cool, but I'm ready to go home now.

Other than the obvious, like Cher and Diana Ross, I actually find a lot of inspiration from time periods. So it's not necessarily people, it's the essence of the time period, whether it be the '90s or the '70s or the '40s. The specific time and what vibe it gave you, what the emotion of that time was, and trying to get that emotion again.

When I'm on a red carpet I want somebody to feel something when they look at what I'm wearing, when they look at the entire ensemble, whether it be nostalgia or excitement, you know?