Quotes

On Dorothy Dandridge: ...You have to find a way to be sad on every day, in every scene, in every moment. And always try to hide the sadness. And (then) you'll get the essence of who she was.

During her Oscar acceptance speech: This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett Smith, Angela Bassett, Vivica A. Fox... and it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance, because the door tonight has been opened.

On choosing both serious and popcorn-movie roles: There's art and there's commerce. You have to find a way to mesh the two. It's important to do the little movies just for the love of the art. But it's those big movies that take you around the world and make you globally famous.

I'll never get married again, and I always hate to say never to anything, but I will never marry again.

I was black growing up in an all-white neighborhood, so I felt like I just didn't fit in. Like I wasn't as good as everybody else, or as smart, or whatever.

Blackness is a state of mind and I identify with the black community. Mainly, because I realized, early on, when I walk into a room, people see a black woman, they don't see a white women. So out of that reason alone, I identify more with the black community.

I spent a lot of time with a crown on my head.

The worst thing a man can ever do is kiss me on the first date.

I don't see a white woman. I see a black woman, even though my mother is white [her father Jerome is black]. Knowing that has made my life easier, I think.

I want to be the next Spike Lee. I want to help other black folks to get into Hollywood and be successful in Hollywood.

What is my real purpose here? I've looked at what I do. I make believe and make movies. I entertain people and get paid for it. Sometimes it seems like such a shallow existence. How insignificant in the scheme of life.

When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser, then there's no way you could be a good winner. And I hope to God I never see these people again. - on accepting her Razzie Award for Worst Actress.

I never wanted to be a model. My modeling career was nothing but a stepping stone to my acting career and that's all I ever saw it as. A pointless rock in the river that has to be stepped on in order to get to the meaningful oasis of acting.

I guess you could say I have bad taste in men. But I no longer feel the need to be someone's wife.

(On receiving a film festival award while pregnant) I am three times the girl I used to be. This is the second red carpet where I didn't have to think about sucking in my stomach - because I can't!

You think you know what love is - until you have a child and discover that unconditional mother love.

I once was stupid enough to say, in a previous relationship, "I'm going to be with this person forever", and realised, as I grew, that I don't know if forever is possible.

Humor is always part of the best hours in life.

When you have children, you get to see things all over again. So I've never laughed as hard, I've never done more silly things. And I go to great lengths to make my daughter laugh.

[on the difference between wants and needs] I don't think nudity is ever necessary.

[on her evolving style and archiving her clothes] My style has evolved in a nice way, but everyone has bad moments. Someone just showed me a photo from the '80s in which I was wearing a polka-dot and flower-print suit with puffy sleeves. At the time I thought I was stylin'! But no.

[on what she's learned through the growth of her career and aging] Throughout my career I have been talked out of things I wanted to do, and when I look back I think, I should have followed my instincts. I relied on others to guide me because I thought they knew better. But as I've gotten older, I've learned to trust myself.

[on having short hair] I think I am at my best when my hair is short. It's easier to take care of and more of who I am. Women are conditioned to think we need long hair. I see that happening with my daughter. She is so in love with her hair right now. She says, "Look, Mommy - it's so long!". As women, we think it defines us, and we learn that at a young age.

[on her fashion advice for anyone] Don't be a slave to trends. People who are never develop their own style. I have friends who are tragic - always trying to wear the latest thing, and it doesn't always look good on them. I mean, that may be good on Kate Moss on the runway, but honey, you can't pull it off.

I'm a hopeless romantic - and I won't stop until I get it right!

I'm embracing the fact that with each new year comes a new line on my face, and that just makes me more of who I'm evolving into.

[on modeling for her lingerie line at 50 years old] The big FIVE OH has taught me to be FEARLESS! I'm about to launch a lingerie line at 50. Here's what I know for sure...it's never too early or too late to do what EVER makes you happy.

[on winning her own Oscar in 2002 and the lack of diversity at 2015 Academy Awards]It was one of my lowest professional moments. I sat there and I thought, wow, that moment really meant nothing. It meant nothing. I thought it meant something but now I think it meant nothing.

[on the lack of diversity at 2015 Academy Awards]I profoundly hurt by that and saddened by that, and it inspired me to try to get involved in other ways. Which is why I want to start directing. I want to start producing more, I want to start being a part of making more opportunities for people of color.

We need more people of color writing, directing, producing, not just starring. We have to start telling stories that include us. And when stories don't include us, we have to start asking, 'why can't that be a person of color? Why can't that white male character be a black woman?' Why can't it? We have to start pushing the envelope and asking these questions