I knew that I was a good writer in high school and won awards, and I was the editor of my school newspaper. So I knew that I was a good writer and I wanted to somehow capitalize and sort of utilize a talent that I thought I had.
I never put myself in that box of you’re an Oscar winner so you can only do this or that. That’s one award, one night, and it does not define my career or it does not define me as an artist. I never wanted to get put in that Oscar box because that’s a lonely place to be.
For me, the walk of the character is always the first part that I must define for myself.
Women slave for their hair! It’s all about how we compare ourselves to other women, how we size ourselves up.
I’m not the girl for superhigh fashion because I don’t have the right body. When I want to get dressed up.
In Monster’s Ball I went nude, which was scary, but I took the chance and that’s how I like to approach my career.
I’m not afraid of portraying anything on-screen.
By the time I left school, I had a lot of tenacity.
Most people I know of that mix have a real ability to be in a room with anyone, black or white.
Being a mother is probably the most important thing in my life right now.
I am so ready to be a mommy. I can’t wait. I notice every little baby dress, every little baby toy, every little baby thing.
When I’m rested, I’m at my best.
My partner is a Frenchman, so I have got to smell right.
I spent a lot of time with a crown on my head.
Just to be true to myself, which is why I did this movie. I figured everyone was going to freak out and say, ‘Why would you do that after Dorothy Dandridge?’ My answer is ‘Because I can.’ And that feels really good to be comfortable saying that.
Here’s the thing – you can’t be careful about what you pick because what looks like on paper is going to be a great script has often turned out to be a disaster, so there’s no way to know what’s going to work or to pick the right thing.
I think my feet are my sexiest body part. People I find really sexy include Angelina Jolie, George Clooney and my mum.
I never even think about the physicality of roles, until honestly I get the gig and I think, ‘OK, now what do I have to do in this one?’ Like, I approach it thinking more about the character – do I respond to it? Is it something I think I can play? Does it seem like it’ll be fun?
I’ve never been afraid to be who I really am on screen.
I used to believe that if my career was going great, then I was not entitled to a great personal life. Well, I’ve stopped thinking that way. I believe I can have it all.