Growing up, I was the preferred hairstylist for all of my friends.

I hated myself for so many reasons, and I thought so many things were my fault that happened to me growing up.

I've just been growing right along. It's painful, but it's a great pain, and I like suffering for great results. It's like going to the gym. It hurts really bad at first, but after a couple of months and after that diet, you're looking so hot.

If we didn't have understanding of our journey, we wouldn't be able to go on. We'd be stuck, like, 'Why me?'

I think it's important to earn your fan base and not just try to immediately advance to the top. If you ride to the top quickly, you're liable to fall as quickly. Take your time. It's a long journey ahead of you as an artist. There's nowhere that you're supposed to be other than right now living inside of your art.

I take nothing away from my existence in the 'hood, because it sharpened my instincts. We had a different way of living that developed our survival instincts, and I use those to this day when I make films. You can't buy that.

Identifying with a character is one of the best parts of seeing a movie, but as women, we've had to train ourselves to experience the male journey.

Coach Snyder was just a determined guy. I was at the ground floor at Kansas State. I learned a lot from that experience.