- Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.
- My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.
- Lots of people want to ride with you in the Limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the Limo breaks down.
- All my life I have always known I was born to greatness.
- The essential question is not, "How busy are you?' but 'What are you busy at?' 'Are you doing what fulfills you?'
- What matters is how you feel inside, because feeling beautiful on the inside is key to looking good.
- The expectation of my life was that I might be able to work for some good white folks. Now I got some good white folks working for me.
- Some women have a weakness for shoes... I can go barefoot if necessary. I have a weakness for books.
- My philosophy is that doing your best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
- [on Natasha Richardson's tragic death] Just want to say how deeply saddened I am, we all are, by the sudden passing of actress Natasha Richardson yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Liam Neeson, their two sons, the rest of their family and friends. Yet another reminder of how fleeting life can be and how precious. We need to value every moment.
- [part of her 2009 commencement speech at Duke University] Of all the wonderful things that have happened including getting a doctorate, an honorary doctorate from Duke, what really makes me feel successful is being able to use my life in service to someone else. And I will have to say, it is a wonderful thing to have a beautiful home or homes, a wonderful thing to have a beautiful home which just escaped the fire in Santa Barbara. And it is really fantastic to have your own jet and anybody who says it isn't is lying to you. The jet thing is really good. But you haven't completed the circle of success unless you can help somebody else move forward.
- [on personal power] I have a lot of things to prove to myself. One is that I can live my life fearlessly.
- [on strategy] Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
- Having the best things is no substitute for having the best life.
- Reaching your true potential is more than an ideal. It's the ultimate goal.
- When the odds are against you and you have the depth of clarity to listen to your own instincts and follow what is true for you, you may not become a Jay-Z, but you will become the best thing that you can be.
- I'm a firm believer that anyone can have a breakthrough right in her own backyard.
- No matter where you are on your journey, that's exactly where you need to be. The next road is always up.
- Be thankful for what you have; you will end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
- The best advice touches the part of you that knows it's true.
- [on Shondra Rhimes] Shondra is a storyteller for our times. Courageous in her approach to the work, she's never played by other people's rules. She creates an assemblage of worldly foibles and aspirations. She understands that every dream is valuable and every identity deserves inspection through the looking-glass of television. She knows the power of reflection and wields that power with grace and generosity.
- [on performing in The Butler (2013)] I'm a historian of my own history - of African American history. I believe that when you know who you are you have the ability to move forward, not only with your own strength but with the strength of your entire ancestry. I am the daughter of a maid, and my grandmother was a maid, and her mother was a maid, and her mother was a slave. I feel validated by the war that the butler and his entire generation fought in their own way. And the fact that there's another generation of freedom writers and freedom fighters, because of evolution and growth and change, decided they weren't going to do that anymore. Both wars were necessary for their time.
- I feel I have made a living being myself. I've made a career out of my own authenticity. I don't have one face I present to the white world or to the black world. I talk to my dogs the same way I'm speaking right now.
- Whatever your dreams, ideas or rejects, we plant a seed, nurture it - and then reap the fruits of our labors. When in doubt, be bold!
- The future is full of possibility, whether you make one tiny change - or a whole invigorating, thrilling, inspiring bunch of them.
- What kind of woman do I want to be? One who willingly gives and receives love. One who is compassionate. Understanding. Positive. Forgiving. A woman who makes responsible choices. I want to live with a heart open to life.
- Do the thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.
- Every day brings tremendous possibility - a chance to live more fully, love more deeply and learn something new.
- [on Colson Whirehead and 'The Underground Railroad'] Colson has a vision about what it means to make art. He didn't just write a historical novel about slavery and courage and the beating heart of freedom. Although the struggle continues and our challenges are not behind us, the brilliance of his vision is that he reminds us that, like his heroine Cora, we can never give up hope, can never stop trying.
- [on Shelley Hack, in regards to her Revlon perfume commercials]: I wanted to stride like her with confidence. I wanted to be this fabulous.
- I think if I had been born with a silver spoon, I would still be sitting there sucking on it.
- Small steps lead to big accomplishments.
- If you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never have enough.
- [on the 2022 November midterm primary elections] If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would've already cast my vote for John Fetterman, for many reasons
- I grew up in the Baptist Church, and going to church with my father; I remember being 8 years old, trying to determine whether I was really ready to give up sin, and for days I agonized.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content