“Part of the reason of being an actor is you like playing other people’s lives and exploring all the psychologies in that and the emotions.”

I think that the most difficult thing is allowing yourself to be loved, so receiving the love and feeling like you deserve it is a pretty big struggle. I suppose that’s what I’ve learnt recently, to allow myself to be loved.

In my heart I’m independent, a bit of a rebel, a nonconformist.

Regrets are ridiculous, so I don’t regret, no.

You don’t have to be naked to be sexy.

Even from a very early age, I knew I didn’t want to miss out on anything life had to offer just because it might be considered dangerous.

I try never to be governed by fear; that’s how I choose things.

You have to operate from the sense of everything is new and you’re starting again.

If you enter the dark side of life, and come through it, you emerge with more strength and passion.

As a child, my whole life was books. They were my fantasy. That’s where I could go. That was a lot of times [what] saved me.

Sometimes your mistakes are you biggest virtues. You learn so much from the mistake. Those things that you think are the worst thing that’s happening to you can somehow turn around and be the greatest opportunity.

I find standing and posing for photos very awkward.

I’d like to be wise. You have to go through a lot to get there, but I’m willing to go through a lot.

I yearn for things, but at the same time I am just peaceful.

Even as a child I had a strong relationship with yearning and desire. And loss. Those things spoke to me.

I have always tried to be a woman who protects other women. I have a sister, I have daughters, I have girlfriends, and I was raised by a feminist mother.

I’m willing to fly close to the flame.

The industry looks for white actors and actresses, but it’s not the same for black actors. We have to really put the work in.

One of the first things I was taught as an actor was, ‘Don’t judge the character.’

I try to look at every role the same way, regardless of whether the character is real or the character is a fantasy. I always start from myself, because you have to know yourself first.

As an African-American actor, a lot of our stories haven’t been told.

The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting.

It’s important to keep challenging myself and try to come up with some new face every now and again.

This created world really helped me as an actor. It heightened everything, which made it more dangerous, more interesting and more liberating.

This created world really helped me as an actor. It heightened everything, which made it more dangerous, more interesting and more liberating.