There was a sadness over me, a melancholy. That's always been a part of me - those are some of the things that lead you to the arts.

I have to say goodbye to things in order to take on bigger things that I've always wanted to do.

My mother is an ordained minister. I'm a Muslim. She didn't do back flips when I called her to tell her I converted 17 years ago. But I tell you now, you put things to the side, and I'm able to see her, and she's able to see me. We love each other. The love has grown.

When you have these surprise breakout films that do well, that have good performances in them, it puts a lot of pressure on the Academy to recognize those projects, so it's more of a conversation about what is greenlit.

Who is that person that comes around and says, 'You are OK, you are worthy, you are special?' That makes all the difference in the world for many of us. Those are the people we appreciate the most.

People do bad things, but that doesn't mean they don't have other colors or qualities.