My mom thought I might be good for voiceover. She thought I had a cute voice so maybe I could do a cartoon or something. And while we were looking into that we also thought I should get into theater acting so I tried it and the first audition I went on I booked it. And it kind of just snowballed from there.

I had ridiculous amounts of energy. Mom's like you're driving me crazy - do you want to try gymnastics? From the moment I started it I loved it and it kind of was like storybook from there.

There was a point - when I was a kid - where I said I wanted to be like Luke Skywalker with blond hair and blue eyes. My mom right there told me to never be ashamed of who I am.

I do believe that there are African Americans who have thick accents. My mom has a thick accent my relatives have thick accents. But sometimes you have to adjust when you go into the world of film TV theatre in order to make it accessible to people.

I suddenly had this really mad desire to have an affair with a woman. I was divorced. I was childless. I figured there's got to be one more way to really tick off my mom.

I've looked at pictures that my mom has of me from when I was four years old at the turntable. I'm there reaching up to play the records. I feel like I was bred to do what I do. I've been into music and listening to music and critiquing it my whole life.

There are days when I wonder why my mom couldn't be here to see this.

Now that I'm a mom I'm way more laid back. If you come into my house don't look for a coaster. Forget it. There is not a piece of furniture in my house now that is too precious.

There is nothing like becoming a mom to fill you with fear.

There are lots of different ways for women to be a mom in this culture.

I wanted to get us a place of our own with a little bit more space. The kitchen is just huge because my mom... lives there man and she loves being in the kitchen.

There's a book called 'The Shack' - it had a lot to do with me coming full circle meeting my birth mother. Awhile back my birth mom and my adopted mom came to my show together and it was pretty surreal.

I was born in Texas and I lived there 'till I was 8. Then I moved to the Dominican Republic with my mom lived there for two years and forgot every word of English I knew.

I would go visit my mom on Sundays and my brother was working on stuff. I'd go in there and sing a little melody then we started working with words and the next thing you know it was just born organically without really trying.

When I look up and see a star I know my mom is there. She's with me all the time. It's a powerful connection.

I grew up in the '80s and there was no bigger group than New Edition in R&B. I broke my piggy bank so me and my mom could go to a New Edition concert together.

I spend as much time with my kids as any mom who stays home. I only work during the hours they're at school but there is always the sense of trying to catch up with all their stuff and not only organize my work life but also their school lives.

I was brought up as an only child and we were very close. But when I was 14 we got evicted. We came home to a padlock and I looked up at my mom and she was crying and there was nothing to do.

My mom said 'Don't get married. You're too young. Go out there and experience what life has to offer.' And I did.

My mom she's still always there for me. Always.

All of us kids ended up 'doing Mom.' There are four of us who've tried show business. Five if you insist on counting my sister the nun who does liturgical dance.

I'm so proud to represent the people of South Florida. I was so honored when President Obama asked me to serve as chair of the Democratic Party. But there's one job I'm even more proud of and that's being a mom to my three kids Rebecca Jake and Shelby.

Grades were important in our house. I was reading by two. My mom would sit there and read with me read with me read with me. It was wonderful.

You don't realize how hard it is to live on your own. But there's no mom to do your laundry and make you dinner and to do things for you and you don't think about little things like buying paper towels and salt.