I read everything, but particularly, growing up in a household where my mom was black and my dad was white, I remember really loving 'Ebony' and 'Essence.' Those magazines were the only place where I could see images of women who looked like me or my mom.

My mom used to call me 'Oprah' because I was always in a corner crying with somebody. I've always been attracted to storytelling around women's lives.

If you feel that it diminishes your intelligence to be asked about your fashion choices for an evening on the red carpet, so be it.

There were times I was underestimated a lot. It gave me a unique benefit. The expectations were so low I could blow their head off.

Jail didn't make me find God, He's always been there. They can lock me up, but my spirit and my love can never be confined to prison walls.

Life isn't fair, but God is.

It's impossible to live a life totally free of feelings. God created all of us to be emotional creatures, and feelings are a big part of our lives.

Evening Shade' was such an eye-opening experience. I was 19 when I went on that show. I had barely had an acting class. So as Burt Reynolds continued to bring me back for the next three years, I learned so much from him and all the other legends that were on the show.