When you stop to take a minute and look at Queen Latifah's career, she came out of the box right. You know, 'Ladies First!' And she's been consistent with that message of female self-empowerment. She really has!

There's nothing worse than having a very strong female character and then suddenly having it go away.

I said, 'I'll give myself two years. If I can't support myself as an actress within two years, then I'll go back to choreography.'

In the case of 'News Radio,' I loved that show. I loved the actors and the producers, but I was longing very much for something more to sink my teeth into me. I think it was an incredibly smart show, but I found myself on the peripheral of a lot of it.