I'm forever in debt to Nickelodeon. It made me who I am today.
I took my job for Nickelodeon very seriously, and back then, it wasn't certainly as big of a network as it is now, culturally, and people my age didn't know much about it. But I loved my time there. I really put everything I had into doing 'Guts,' and it actually taught me a lot about how to work really hard.
People would see me on a Nickelodeon commercial, and I would hear about it the next day in school.
Anyone who knows me, knows I don't walk away from a commitment, but I had a commitment to myself. Yes, there were times Nickelodeon made it more difficult than it needed to be, but there were also times they made it easier.
Nicki Minaj, will you marry me?
John Legend is a nickname that some friends started calling me, and it kind of grew into my stage name.
My mom, God rest her soul - she liked nicknames. In the womb she named me Skip. There was another black guy in Piedmont, W.Va., and his name was Skip. They called him Big Skip, and I was Little Skip.
I've had many nicknames over the years: V, Nessa, Nessy Poo, Nessy Bear and Van. Only my parents call me Van, though, and I hate it. I get embarrassed.
I love nicknames. It makes me feel loved. It makes me feel less alone in this world.
When I was at college, my nickname was Keds because I wore Keds. I guess it wasn't really a nickname, because nicknames are usually given to you by people who are your friends and who know you. But I didn't know the people who called me Keds. I think that they didn't like me because I didn't want to join a sorority.
Your kids can say some cruel things to you at times. For example, Nicole, Miles and Sofie are standing there in the room and I'm dressed to kill in my own mind. They'll say to me, 'Dad, you're not going out there looking like that are you?' If that doesn't kill a star, I don't know what does!
I know there are a lot of tall, beautiful actresses like Uma Thurman and Nicole Kidman who are my height, but they're still half the size of me!
I like a guy who makes me laugh, doesn't care about the fame, the show, he just likes me for me, he likes Nicole.
Nicole Richie invited me to her birthday party, and it was at Michael Jackson's Neverland!
Nicole Kidman was an inspiration to me at the time I left the church. Knowing that she went on to have a successful and happy life, both personally and professionally, helped to give me confidence.
I never get recognised here in London, which I like. Once a year, someone comes up to me and asks if I am 'so-and-so's niece' because they think they recognise me from somewhere. I like that.
I have a niece now, and it makes me want to be better for her, just to show that there's a big wide world outside Toxteth, and you can imprint yourself in any one of those places as long as you do the hard work and have the desire.
It's really important to me that my niece and nephews can come and see my show, as can my grandad and nan. I love spending time with my family, and music has always bonded us.
I read Nietzsche when I was a teenager and then I went back to reading him when I was in my thirties, and his voice spoke directly to me. Nietzsche is such a superb literary artist.
I'm Nigerian. I'm African. I have a lot to say. Apart from what I say, though, is the feeling. People can relate to that feeling. It's a reciprocal relationship. They feed off me and I feed off them.
