Actresses From California

"The kind of amazing thing is that Barbie went to the moon before women had the ability to get credit cards."

"As a director, you have the job of dreaming up the movie, and then you have to get everyone else in the movie – hundreds of people – to have that same dream, too."

"I always think that 8, 9, 10 years old is peak kid. I was brash and unafraid and loud and big."

"When you’re 16, there are qualities you wish you didn’t have, and then when you’re 30 you’re like, ‘Thank god I have that otherwise I’d be living less vividly’. You only get one life so you might as well feel all the feelings."

"When you’re writing a screenplay, it’s like you’re dreaming the film for yourself again and again and again until it becomes almost like a memory before you make it...Nobody in the world cares if it doesn’t exist. You have to either believe in this fiction hard enough for it to become real, or you don’t, and it won’t."

"I’m in a space for releasing more music. I’ve been in my bag, but I’ve been in the lab just working"

"My mom put me in dance at four, I started writing music at ten, and it has always been a super passion of mine."

"Gwen Stefani is a fearless rocker who can wear the same boyfriend jeans and sneaker wedges over and over but make them look different every time"

"It was really crazy, though, because when I got the audition for the show, it didn’t exist"

"There's nothing wrong with wearing makeup and hair extensions to feel pretty, but you can't get lost in all of it."

"Be grateful for the highs — and be grateful for the lows — 'cause it's in the lows where you learn."

"Inside my solo album, there was a bio of me. Under ‘what is your goal?’ I said: ‘to be an international sensation.’ That is so crazy. A 19-year-old who has just started out – who the heck are you to dream that big? But you’ve gotta dream big. When you have a big goal, you can surpass yourself trying to reach it. If you don’t, you never grow."

"She’s my role model, my idol, my legend. She taught me to be a strong, independent woman. I grew up watching how hard she worked. She made me realise that if you want something in this life you have to work hard at it. You’ve got to make the effort. Because of her I was never afraid of hardship. After witnessing all the hardship my mum had been through for us, I was more determined to make it so I could give her a better life."

"I almost had a heart attack. I was going to be the first Chinese artist to perform at the Oscars. It’s that Chinese pride. I want people to know that we are talented in many ways: not only at kung fu, computers or cooking Chinese food. I felt like I had a lot to prove."

"If you YouTube the song Bad Romance, there’s a cape I wear when I first walk on stage. I only wear it for about 20 seconds but we spent weeks on that cape, making sure it was just right, making sure it would come off fluidly when I needed it to."

"I will never forget your smile, voice, and dance! You are the most humble genius."

"I have learned that people can be very, very vicious."

"I am CoCo Lee and it has been 27 years since my debut. No matter how big I stand on the international stage, I can still proudly say that I am Chinese and I am from Hong Kong, China."

"My mom always said, ‘Don't forget your roots, don't forget where you came from.’ I'm Chinese, and I'm proud to be Chinese. I always remember that."

"I do love singing covers. Funny thing is, I have always preferred singing other people’s songs and making them my own. That’s why this show is perfect for me."

"Everyone in China is saying this is unfair. We are Chinese. We know what’s right and wrong. We are very clever. We are reasonable. Our ears are not numb."

"LOVE & FAITH ~my 2 favorite words that I carry strongly in my heart which I desperately needed to get thru this incredibly difficult year."

"Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a 'female warrior'."

"People were telling me the pressure was nothing like anything you’ve experienced before. But I felt if I was going to be afraid of the consequences I would never make a breakthrough. After all, it’s the same as breaking through in the United States. If I had been afraid of failure, I would never have taken that step. Sometimes in life you have to be brave and challenge yourself to do something that is so out of the ordinary and out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to be a little bit crazy to do this."

"I’m not afraid. I’m fearless. I dare to do things that people don’t expect me to do. Even before I became well known, I was this Chinese singer, singing ballads in Taiwan, wearing shorts and looking like one of the Spice Girls. I was different from everybody else. That was 1994. All the women singers were elegant, wearing dresses and speaking softly, whereas I was quirky and had a crazy loud laugh. I wasn’t afraid to be different and just be me."

"I’d go to Lionel for a lot of advice. He was so supportive. He used to tell me: ‘CoCo, I never worried about you once. I always knew that you would kill it.’ He’s always been very sweet and supportive."

"I would like to do a movie about my mum... The story’s got romance. It’s got conflict. It’s got humour and lots of drama. It’s always been a little dream of mine to make the film. She’s been through so much and I learned from my mum that when you have the power to help and give back, you must."

"In being a judge... I would try to be a good role model by showing them my work ethic and by simply being a caring friend as I know how brutal this industry can be."

"When CoCo and I first met, we were probably 18 and 19 years old. She had a radiant smile, an infectious laugh, a larger-than-life personality. She already had all the qualities that were to make her a future star. As the years progressed, our paths continued to cross. All the while, her star kept rising. She was the biggest star at Sony, and then she was the biggest star in Asia. I remember her singing at the Oscars [and when] Sony New York signed her to be the first Chinese artist to break into the US market. Mariah Carey’s agent signed her. Everybody wanted to work with CoCo, and for good reason. She was the best. CoCo Lee broke down international barriers, before any other Chinese singer did. Let’s always remember her as a brave pioneer and an important musical legend."

"Be a caring person and help other people, have a kind heart and be very disciplined – because life is hard."

"One of my goals is to set up a management or entertainment company to nurture artists... I want to give opportunities to showcase younger singers, every chance I get."

"Care about the suffering of others and try to help if you can, love our Mother Earth, be a good listener, gain wisdom and have abundance of love to give to others. Be the boss of your own life. Stand up for something you believe in. Be an influential figure to inspire people. And keep spreading Love & Positivity everywhere. Remember there’s only one of you in the world, you are one of a kind. Life can be too short so dare to dream big!"

"For a fashion shoot, I always come up with ideas. I’ll share with the team what I’d love to explore. But it’s also important to let creative people have ideas."

"I feel very fortunate that I have gained so much experience performing all over the world and it’s great that I could give back by advising these young talents. There are a lot of great singers out there. But it’s all about how you make yourself stand out and make yourself memorable. These kids are the future of our music industry. It’s more meaningful to be able to play a part in shaping them into brilliant artists."

"I actually almost stopped acting to pursue soccer instead."

"I've never played such an iconic character who's someone that I grew up respecting so much. So I think, when you respect someone so much, you just want to do right by them and right by everybody else who fell in love with her for a very good reason."

"Now, in the acting world, you see a lot more of the "all ethnicities" roles out there. I see more of my fellow Latinas rising up, and that makes me very proud. There are not as many Hispanic leading ladies out there as I would like, but I want to help change that in the future. I am blessed with the opportunities I have been given and I am extremely proud of where I come from. I would not have it any other way."

"Stopping and taking a moment to realize how blessed you are changes everything."

"I could not be more ecstatic. I say it over and over, but it really is such a surreal feeling, especially with such an iconic brand, that I have looked up to for such a long time. Also, it’s great because they already have such a diverse roster of faces. You have the Kerry Washingtons, the Jennifer Garners … so to become one of those faces and be part of a company that not only embraces diversity but also embraces powerful women who use their voice, which is something that I try to exercise whenever I possibly can, it’s a beautiful feeling."

"The way I interact with the world—my work, interacting with people, decision-making—comes from a place of love and light. Especially when it comes to talking about politics, current events, and social justice. I speak out in a positive way out of a place of love to bring people together in discussing important issues without hatred."

"I delete Instagram from my phone probably twice a week. I try to stay away from it as much as possible, but it's hard because now it's how young people connect. The important thing to remember is that social media isn't real and so much of what is being advertised isn't authentic or necessarily the best for your well-being, so you have to take social media with a grain of salt."

"Please stop acting like you don’t know what this is. He murdered two people. And will walk free. You’ve never in your life heard of a POC that killed two people and got to walk free. #WhitePrivilege"

"I think it was obvious to my parents that I was going to be a performer one way or another and I’m incredibly grateful that they helped me find a disciplined, structured approach. I just love it, I always have, it’s a huge part of my life."

"Love... Thy will be done I can no longer hide, I can no longer run No longer can I resist Your guiding light That gives me the power 2 keep up the fight. Oh Lord, Love... Thy will be done Since I have found you, my life has just begun And I see all of Your creations as one perfect complex No one less beautiful or more special than the next We are all blessed and so wise 2 accept Thy will, Love, be done."

"Step by step Heart to heart Left, right, left We all fall down Like toy soldiers. Bit by bit Torn apart We never win But the battle wages on For toy soldiers."

"My peers and teachers at Cardinal Ritter held up HBCUs as the goal to aspire to, and A Different World, with Lisa Bonet's Cosby Show character off at the fictional Hillman College, was a pop cultural force at the time. I loved watching Whitley, Kimberly, Freddie, and Dwayne Wayne. They made college seem like a dream that was within reach for me."

"There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions, but… There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed .. When your primary male figure couldn't care less to show up, that can become a theme in your life where you’re trying to fill this gap with these different men"

"(On her Hell in a Cell match with Bayley) "For any new fan watching, especially women, I think it’s so cool to see women do it better than the guys. For my match to be so well-received and for fans to say that I had the match of the night... it's just incredible to be a part of this Women's Evolution where just non-stop fans talk about the women and how incredible that we do.""

"“The amazing thing about Sasha is that she elevates anybody that she comes in contact with. So she definitely elevated me last night and I am forever grateful to her for that.”"

"(Flair was asked who she considers to be the GOAT of the women’s division) "I don’t know. Who is my GOAT for the women’s division? Well I would say each year, can they have a new GOAT? Right now, Sasha [Banks] has been the GOAT currently right now. From appearance to character work to matches, she’s absolutely killing it.""