MO'NIQUE

How did the Oscar change my life? What it did was that it gave me a new reality. And it let me know that an award wasn't going to change my life - that I had to be in control of changing my life.

I respect everyone, from the homeless brother and sister on the street to the executive that sits in the highest office named President Barack Obama. I respect everyone - but we over-respect no one.

I come from a blue-collar town - and being from that place, you learn not to let anybody take advantage of you. You don't let people mistreat you. You stand up for what's right.

I'm gonna play this game the way I want to. It might be serious, it might be a comedy, it might be a dramedy, it might be variety, it might be a talk show, whatever. There's no box.

I really don't know what happened in reference to 'The Butler.' Mr. Daniels and I had a conversation. I had the script, the email that goes along with it in reference to the character, read the script, loved it. Then I never heard from Mr. Daniels again, and the next I saw was that Oprah Winfrey is now playing the part.

I want women to see, especially us big women, that you don't have to let them cut you and suck it out. You don't have to let them staple you up. You don't have to let them give you a pill. You don't have to let them put a band around your organs. If you just put the work in, baby, I promise you, it comes off.

I was a food junkie.

I don't think that anyone should be in control of a relationship. I think that if you have a woman that controls her man, he is a puppet, and he is weak.

Sisters, if you got a good man, honor him.

Do you know I keep a picture of Hattie McDaniel in my closet in an 8-by-10 frame?

How did the Oscar change my life? What it did was that it gave me a new reality. And it let me know that an award wasn't going to change my life - that I had to be in control of changing my life.

I was a food junkie.

I'm gonna play this game the way I want to. It might be serious, it might be a comedy, it might be a dramedy, it might be variety, it might be a talk show, whatever. There's no box.

I want women to see, especially us big women, that you don't have to let them cut you and suck it out. You don't have to let them staple you up. You don't have to let them give you a pill. You don't have to let them put a band around your organs. If you just put the work in, baby, I promise you, it comes off.

Stand-up keeps you on your toes because it's instant. With TV and movies, you have to wait for the numbers to come in to see what happened at the box office. With stand-up, it's right there, that night, in your face.

I come from a blue-collar town - and being from that place, you learn not to let anybody take advantage of you. You don't let people mistreat you. You stand up for what's right.

I don't think that anyone should be in control of a relationship. I think that if you have a woman that controls her man, he is a puppet, and he is weak.

Do you know I keep a picture of Hattie McDaniel in my closet in an 8-by-10 frame?

I say to those people who are desperately trying to get healthy, in those moments where you feel like you can't go any further, you can.

I really don't know what happened in reference to 'The Butler.' Mr. Daniels and I had a conversation. I had the script, the email that goes along with it in reference to the character, read the script, loved it. Then I never heard from Mr. Daniels again, and the next I saw was that Oprah Winfrey is now playing the part.

Sisters, if you got a good man, honor him.

I respect everyone, from the homeless brother and sister on the street to the executive that sits in the highest office named President Barack Obama. I respect everyone - but we over-respect no one.