“Cause the gag is, you wasn’t there!”

“We were [rehearsing] in the tent for about a week and a half, then we had to move to bigger studios in Hollywood where we are working on the rest of the show. And then we will send that equipment to Houston where we will finish rehearsals. Fans can expect a performance that spans my career so far.”

“It will be very detailed, very intense, and you better get ready.”

“My mother is an ordained minister. I’m a Muslim. She didn't do backflips when I called her and told her I converted 17 years ago. But I tell you now, we put things to the side, and I was able to see her. She is able to see me. We love each other.”

“This film is about unity. The shoulders of the women that we stand on are three American heroes: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. Without them, we would not know how to reach the stars. These women did not complain about the problems, the circumstances, the issues. They focused on solutions. Therefore, these brave women helped put men into space. This story is about what happens when we put our differences aside, and we come together as a human race. We win. Love wins every time ... They are hidden figures no more!”

“Black people created it all… So, in my world, Black music means everything. It’s what gives America its swag.”

"I think that every nominee — from Naomie Harris to Octavia Spencer to Hidden Figures to Fences to Moonlight to Mahershala Ali — [is] there because they deserve to be there. They're not there because of the color of their skin. They've put in the work… We're not The Brady Bunch anymore. We're Black-ish, we're Fresh Off the Boat. You know, we're Jane the Virgin. You know, we're Stranger Things. We're a hodgepodge of culture and races and sexes and sexualities."

“Immediately when they talked about raising awareness to other women, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ Because it was such a tough loss for me and because it was so sudden, I felt the need to talk to other women about it. I feel like when you understand what’s going on with your body — or if you don’t know — this is an opportunity to spread awareness about it so that you will know.”

“There is this fallacy about how women are catty, that we’re all in competition with each other. I’d say: As opposed to getting swept up in jealousy, use that pang to give you an indication of what you are looking for. Actually, there is this awesome performer Lilly Singh [IISuperwomanII on YouTube], who always does this thing: 'Shout out another girl and tell her what you love about her.' Even doing that is such a good practice. I don’t know if we tell women great news about themselves enough. You’d be surprised how often a young woman doesn’t hear positive things about herself—not in her home, not at school. It’s hard to create a beautiful image for yourself when you’ve never seen it or heard it.”

"We need a f*****g playmaker. I'm not saying you can just go find one, like you can go outside and see trees. I didn't say that. I'm not singling out anybody. I'm not. Yeah, we won [the championship], but f*ck, you know what, let's see if we can do something."

"If the worst thing someone has to say about me. Is that I'm now going out with a woman who used to be married to this guy I worked with for a year six years ago… Cool.”