It would certainly would be great to see more films featuring the black family and showing that we are capable of having that unit strong and present and beautiful, because that's so much of who we really are.
The minute your child is born, your life is changed forever. I think I've become so aware of how important balance is in life.
I try to do the same thing when I'm with young actors who are new and unsure. I try to do the same thing for them that I saw Laurence [Fishburne] and Angela [Dasset]do for all of us on Boyz n the Hood.
I can tell you it makes a big difference to have a director who is collaborative. What motivates a character in my mind could be completely different from what the director's thinking. You have to have those conversations ahead of time and throughout the process. It affects the performance.
I'm working on a project called Lemons, produced by Killer Films. The director has a great perspective on character development.
I'm also working on another independent film called Roxanne, Roxanne, about Roxanne Shante, who was one of the first African American battle rappers from Brooklyn. It is produced by Forest Whitaker and Pharrell [williams], so I'm really in great hands.
I can look at myself in the mirror every night knowing I've never ever pretended to be someone I know I'm not for the sake of showbiz industry. I believe that it's important to live by your truth in order to be able to sleep peacefully when you rest your head at night. I've gone off and taken breaks, not necessarily by choice, but life has a way of giving you breaks, even when you don't want them, especially in this industry. So, I've had a chance to raise my children and to be a mom, and to come back to do more in film and television. I really cannot complain.
I think classic films are classic for a reason. It's always sketchy to redo one, especially if you're trying to make it contemporary. That's really just not the way to go.
You just don't want your child to ever feel like they have less of an opportunity to succeed based on the circumstances in which they were born. I try to be optimistic about everything. There are no victims in my home.
My son's dad is committed, and involved, and amazing. We're actually really good friends. But I think it's dangerous to speak negatively to the child about your ex or the absent parent, because, believe it or not, they learn very quickly who the other parent is. And it's important that they develop their own attitudes and opinions about that other parent based on their experiences, not based on what someone has said about them.
It's hard to judge yourself. Each Essence cover represents a different special moment in my life. One is about keeping it sexy in my 40s, so I'm not mad about that either.
When you are single mom - don't be afraid to get out there and date, and have a little bit of fun. We're still women... we're still feminine... and we still have needs.
I don't really like to compare my life as an actress and being my son's mother. My personal life and my professional life are very different, and I try to keep them separate, just because my personal life is so precious to me.
Americans are in need of very objective information, and sometimes it's easier to absorb the message through entertainment and through a great story than through the news outlets [where] everything is sensationalized. Not only are you getting information that sort of defies stereotypes, but you're also getting a wonderful story with hopefully good performances.
When you have all the bells and whistles - you've got the big, fancy catering, you've got the big, fancy car service and the big, fancy trailer - it makes it very comfortable and everybody's making a lot of money. But that doesn't necessarily mean you're going to end up with a great film.
Whether you're playing a mom on-screen or you're in a car pool lane driving your child to school in the morning, there are similarities that are undeniable. And once you're a mother, there are certain things that are instinct. You just have a better understanding of what it means to be a mother.
Just like in Christianity or Buddhism, obviously there are certain practices that dictate one's life, but I don't think you can say all Muslim women are a certain way.
I don't think the religion makes the woman; I think the woman is who she is within the religion.
I want to raise my children in a safe country. I want to help the children in the world who do not feel safe. I know what it feels like to feel unsafe. We need to do way better. Our country needs to do better.
I think for me to find that project is going to be something that I'm going to have to develop for myself.
But that we didn't have the level of experience in terms of working in the industry so you weren't sure and you needed to see it and this is an industry that the more you work the better you get and that the more opportunities you have the better you get.
First of all when you're a mommy like you like the consistency of being on a show like that's just peace of mind, I know I have financial, you know stability.
I think Nina Simone has had an amazing journey. She was spicy and she had attitude and she didn't care, she wanted her money in a paper bag and don't mess with me and I've been doing some research on that so.
I don’t feel less loved or less loving because I’m not married.
"I would love to have the ability to see inside everyone's heart before I heard them speak or even saw their faces."
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