Family is very important to me. People often ask me how I managed to stay grounded and sane, having started as a child star and growing up in the industry, and really, it's God. But it's also my family and God in my family.

God-willing and prayerfully, we are always growing and changing and developing personally and professionally.

I really enjoy theater. Performing live onstage is helping me to grow as an actress.

I'm not just considered a former child star. I'm not considered a black actress. I'm not considered an actress. I've done roles that were written for men. First and foremost is God: I definitely believe in Him having kind of mapped out what my destiny was going to be.

You really need to stop and appreciate what you have, the love you have from your family, your friends, the love that you have for yourself.

I have an extended family of close friends, guy and girls.

My mother would work 14 hours, and she'd come home, and she'd just get right into cooking... she wanted to make sure my brother, my sister and I had food in our bellies.

I've got a pretty close bond with everyone in my family. I've got a brother and a sister whom I'm very close to, and my parents have always been the world's best parents.