I'm not a figurehead for anything. I was a single mom with two kids. What else was I going to do? It was either be in a band or be a waitress.

My mom was a Democrat and I was scared to death that she was gonna blow it. First I was going to hell with Monroe and now to Republican hell with Nixon.

My mom and father are extremely proud. They love it when I don't die. I've done so many movies where I've died that their first question when I book a job is 'So are you going to die in this?'

At 3 years old I was imitating and doing fun little commercials for the family. Then at 5 I knew 'OK this is something I really like.' At 8 I was crying in front of the mirror and my mom was like 'Oh boy here we go. We know what she's going to do.'

I would forgive my mom but she's going to have to admit she did some things that were wrong.

Trying to be Supermom is as futile as trying to be Perfect Mom. Not going to happen.

It's hard either way at home or on the bus I think the hardest thing probably for me is going one second from being mom to right out on the stage and having to be that person too. It's hard to switch gears.

Not that we didn't have close relationships with our parents - I'm very close to my mom - but parents didn't think anything of going off for a few weeks and leaving their kids.

Growing up my mom was very strict about how I dressed and how I behaved and I said to myself that I wasn't going to be like that. But now I know I'm going to be exactly like my mom. I'm going to be worse!

My mother kept asking me 'When are you going to do a gospel album?' And I've always wanted to do a gospel album. Everybody was going on about it so mom started hounding me more.

When I was growing up in New Jersey my mom would regularly take my sister and I into the city to see shows. I have many fond memories of standing in the half-price ticket line in Times Square and going to matinees.

Before you're a mom you don't know what gear is going to be relevant.

I gave guitar lessons. I tried to join bands. My mom always said it was obvious that nothing was going to stop me.

For many women going back to work a few months after having a baby is overwhelming and unmanageable. As strange as it may seem things get even more difficult for a working mom after the second and third baby arrive. By that time the romance of being a modern 'superwoman' wears off and reality sets in.

AIDS can destroy a family if you let it but luckily for my sister and me Mom taught us to keep going. Don't give up be proud of who you are and never feel sorry for yourself.

I grew up painting and playing piano so when I was a little kid I thought I was going to be an artist or a painter but my mom had me taking piano lessons for about 10-12 years as a young kid.

I don't spend a lot of time online. My mother's really good at picking out if she sees a really great review and she'll forward it to me. She's like my little Internet filter. It's always nice to see something going up if I want to find something on Nathan Fillion I do know where to look but I've got a nice little delivery system in my mom.

When I was a new mom I used to think that life was going to be balanced and I strived for that. But life is crazy!

Ever since I was a little kid I've felt comfortable in a suit. It all started when my mom bought me a three-piece Pierre Cardin suit. I wore that thing everywhere. Eventually I realized I was going to be the kid who got beat up in school but I kept wearing it.

Growing up my whole life my mom was telling me how incredible and special I was and that I was going to change the world. I think it's important for girls to know that they can change the world that they do have an impact.

It's about getting the kids up and fed getting one to school getting the other down for a nap going to the grocery store picking one up from school getting the other one down for another nap cooking dinner... I live my life at these two extremes. I'm either a full-time stay-at-home mom or a full-time actress.

I must admit even though I'm the product of two Jewish parents I think the Irish temper got in there somewhere so I'm going to check Mom's genealogy.

I remember when I was 11 I told my mom 'One day I'm going to buy you a house.' And she said 'Boy don't you be making promises you can't keep.' I was like: 'No Ma it's not a promise. I'm going to buy you a house one day.'

Not to be weird but I still have an ongoing relationship with my mom even though she passed away and I've been surprised at how much I've been able to convey to her. Now I sound like a total weirdo but that's true.