Sitting at the table during Color Purple and looking up and suddenly realizing I was acting in front of Steven Spielberg, was pretty cool. It was pretty good.

We're born with success. It is only others who point out our failures, and what they attribute to us as failure.

You know, be an actor because you love to act. Don't be an actor because you think you're going to get famous, because that's luck.

When I was doing ensemble theater and comedy work, I felt I had some talents. But when I started doing my shows in Berkeley and found that I could be funny on my own, I was shocked.

When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire.

I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.

I'm fighting the label of 'Black' actress simply because it's very limiting in people's eyes, especially people who are making movies.

I don't have pet peeves I have whole kennels of irritation.

It's being willing to walk away that gives you strength and power - if you're willing to accept the consequences of doing what you want to do.

It's being willing to walk away that gives you strength and power - if you're willing to accept the consequences of doing what you want to do.