I perform at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, where my race and gender are rarely pointed out.

I get it - there are very few black female actresses who have been given chances.

I was a server for a while, and I was a very bad one. So when people tipped me well, I felt like it was like, 'Let's get her out of here so she can get a new job.'

I've done a handful of voiceover and on-camera jobs where I've been asked to 'be blacker.' That's code for sassier, more ghetto, more neck rolls and snaps.

I can't imagine not playing Wynonna, because I get to play so many different things. In any given episode, I get drama and comedy and horror and all the notes of life, and very few shows or movies give you that opportunity.

I just finished 'Butter' for Weinstein, a comedy with this incredible cast - Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde, Alicia Silverstone - all-star cast and it was a fun set to be on. I've gotten really lucky to get all these down-to-earth cast members. 'Butter' is about butter carving in Iowa.

A TV touchstone for me is 'The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd.' That series was whimsical and smart and had the mix of comedy and drama that I now trade in - but with a dash of magical realism. I wanted to be Molly Dodd, but more than that, I wanted to be Jay Tarses, who created the show.

The humor and emotion of the 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman' theme makes me cry every time I watch it, and that deep emotion is something we'd love to do on the show. If we can make you cry, we always try to. And 'Once,' when it's at its best, is emotional and fun.