If it's a woman, it's caustic; if it's a man, it's authoritative.

A great many people think that polysyllables are a sign of intelligence.

Wait for those unguarded moments. Relax the mood and, like the child dropping off to sleep, the subject often reveals his truest self.

To feel valued, to know, even if only once in a while, that you can do a job well is an absolutely marvelous feeling.

I'm a big fan of people like Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth. I think they're so chic and have this cool edgy-rocker feel. For about a month I tried to do that, but what I realized is that I can't be anything other than what I am.

I am just like any other woman, and I think I am the 'fattest woman alive' - but it is really about how you handle your situation.

Schoolkids - black and white - would call me Kunta Kinte as a cuss. If ever my hair was particularly messy, if ever I looked scruffy at school, I would be called Kunta Kinte. My first impression was that it was bad to be African and bad to be associated with him.

The minute you understand racism, you're responsible for being racist. It's like eating from the tree of knowledge.