I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.

That's the thing about Mother Nature, she really doesn't care what economic bracket you're in.

I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done.

Sitting at the table during Color Purple and looking up and suddenly realizing I was acting in front of Steven Spielberg, was pretty cool. It was pretty good.

We're born with success. It is only others who point out our failures, and what they attribute to us as failure.

When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire.

You've got to vote for someone. It's a shame, but it's got to be done.

Normal is just a cycle on the washing machine.

It bums me out tremendously what the church has become, and if it's got me bummed, imagine what Jesus Christ must be feeling.

Normal is in the eye of the beholder.

When I was doing ensemble theater and comedy work, I felt I had some talents. But when I started doing my shows in Berkeley and found that I could be funny on my own, I was shocked.

Everything for me is visual. That's just how my head works.

When I started, I knew I didn't fit any visual that anyone was going to lie down and take their clothes off about. Work doesn't come to me; I go out and look for it.

I don't really view communism as a bad thing.

And I don't believe that I have to stay on one side of the fence or the other. I don't believe that there is any good career move or bad career move. I believe there are only the things that make me happy.

Born ham, that's basically me.

For some reason, all artists have self-esteem issues.

It's being willing to walk away that gives you strength and power - if you're willing to accept the consequences of doing what you want to do.

Things happen to you out of luck, and if you get to stick around it's because you're talented.

You know, be an actor because you love to act. Don't be an actor because you think you're going to get famous, because that's luck.

The art of acting is to be other than what you are.

I don't have pet peeves; I have whole kennels of irritation.

I don't look like Halle Berry. But chances are she's going to end up looking like me.

Most of all, I dislike this idea nowadays that if you're a black person in America, then you must be called African-American. Listen, I've visited Africa, and I've got news for everyone: I'm not an African.

I'm a big old egotistical baby and that's okay. I can accept it.

My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.

I think the idea that you know who your inner self is on a daily basis, because... you know. What's good for you 25 years ago may not be good for you now. So, to keep in touch with that, I think that's the first ingredient for success. Because if you're a successful human being, everything else is gravy, I think.

If I was doing a talk show, I would do the kind of show that comes on just once a month, with amazing guests.

Taking action is hard, but know what? Enduring a bad situation can be its own hell.

Her least favorite thing: VOLUNTARY IGNORANCE

An actress can only play a woman,I'm an actor I can play anything

It you want to be somebody, If you want to go some where, you've got to wake up and pay attention

There are roles I am never considered for. Meryl Streep roles, let's say. Why not? I really wanted to do 'Ironweed,' for example, because the depression era in this country was one of the best for multiracial people, because everybody was poor. Everybody lived in the tents, and under buildings, and under gratings, together.

I grew up in a time when it would never have occurred to anyone to tell me there was anything I couldn't do.

I want Carl Sagan to explain the sky to me.

I am an artist, art has no color and no sex.

When I listen to these women, it makes what I thought were my hard knocks feel like little nudges.

If every American donated five hours a week, it would equal the labor of 20 million full-time volunteers.

I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities.

I'm fighting the label of 'Black' actress simply because it's very limiting in people's eyes, especially people who are making movies.

Just call me black, if you want to call me anything.

We are all here for a reason.I believe the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people thru the darkness.

We forgive sometimes, and sometimes we don't. One thing that's consistent is, at least in the early going, we love to punish and we need to find a villian.

Don't you believe that the punishment should fit the crime? Isn't that what justice is? Letely, though, I wonder if we've gotten more into vengenance than justice.

I should not ever live with anyone, because I just don't have the patience for it. I'm very cranky around other people.

TALIBAN-ESQUE Any behavior that imposes the beliefs of one person on everyone else. Conversations with the Taliban-esque are impossible. They aren't even conversations. WIth them, it's my way or no way.