Taraji P. Henson

Once you're a mom, always a mom. It's like riding a bike, you never forget.

I'm always the cousin that can't make it to the family functions because I'm busy.

I don't harp on the negative because if you do, then there's no progression. There's no forward movement. You got to always look on the bright side of things, and we are in control. Like, you have control over the choices you make.

Well, for one, I don't judge my characters.

Oftentimes, when you have a huge studio film and you have big names attached, they like to keep attaching big names.

I don't care if you're a man, if you're a player: If God sends you that one and your heart is in it, you'll work it out.

I feel like we all have our skeletons.

A lot of times characters are combinations of people I come across in life. I people-watch a lot.

Humans have a light side and a dark side, and it's up to us to choose which way we're going to live our lives. Even if you start out on the dark side, it doesn't mean you have to continue your journey that way. You always have time to turn it around.

When I come home, it's about my kid, who needs to eat, needs to do homework, and needs to get to basketball. I don't have a lot of time to think about me.

I don't ever want to get boxed in, playing the same characters, over and over again. That's why I prefer features over television.

I like to disappear in my roles because I don't have an assistant.

I like to be home with my son, kickin' it and watching ESPN, a very normal life. I like to take him to school every day, watch his games.

I would love to play a superhero. I wish I could be in 'The Avengers,' kicking butt.

I'm really silly. That's the thing that people don't get.

I'm a creative person, so I have to stay busy.

With TV, you get on a show and you're there for 11 years playing the same character. I would pull my hair out. Yes, the money is good. But I'm really not in this business to chase dollars.

Singing is something I can do, but it's not my first passion.

I'm nothing without God.

It's up to you to be responsible for how you feel if you're not happy. Your happiness lies in your hands. You can't rely on a man to make you happy or complete you. That starts with you.

Acting for me is very therapeutic. It's my shrink.

I'm always confident when I sign up for a project that it's going to be good. That's why I sign up for it.

If I were to meet the most incredible man, and he just so happened to not make as much money as I do, I wouldn't hold it against him.

Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but it's there if you look deep.

At the end of the day, I stand by who I am. I'm a good person.