Adepero Oduye

I think L.A. is beautiful.

My mother's a pretty warm, open person.

I would come to L.A. for a job, but I love New York.

I love that you can watch a film and 10 years later still be affected.

The reason why I found acting is because my father passed away. He passed away really young. I was going to go to med school. My father's dream was that all of his kids become doctors. I realized in school I didn't like it. When he died, it was like a wake-up call. Life is too short to do something you don't want to do.

At the end of the day, if I can say that I had a career where I was able to play all different kinds of characters and I'm known as someone who is well-respected for my approach to the craft, that would be a beautiful life.

I have friends who are black whose families opened their arms to them when they came out; I have friends who were white where they were rejected.