Being with Kyra is so natural for me; it's the easiest aspect of my life. I know that I don't need a beach or room service to be happy.
Staying in luxury hotels still gives me a kick, especially Oulton Hall in Yorkshire. I'd stay in a hotel for the breakfast and room service.
When I was in Turks & Caicos, a bug jumped out of my room service menu. That kind of freaked me out.
In my special place, room service could only consist of my husband making me a breakfast of eggs, avocados, and hummus. And coffee with milk.
To me there's nothing more fascinating than a roomful of young people just trying to look at the world and seeing how they can affect it as they're being affected by it.
I have the best roommates in the world! It creates a fun sense of family... and that's really important to me. Things can get so lonely without it.
I wrote a song several years ago while I was in college called 'Muscadine Wine.' I really didn't know if it had potential or not, if it was good or bad or what. I played it for my roommates - who I played ball with - one night, and I knew they would tell me the truth. They loved it, and that encouraged me.
I can't write a line without music - it provides just the right amount of distraction to keep me focused. Clearly, I still miss the noisy roommates.
I don't think I could live with anybody. I had roommates, and it's not for me. I like my space!
Any youngster who comes to me and says he wants to act, I tell him to complete his education first because, for too long, uneducated actors have ruled the roost in the acting world.
Marcus Samuelsson is a chef who inspires me everyday. He has such a deep understanding of flavors and techniques. His food is representative of the diverse world that we live in. What he has done in Harlem with Red Rooster is very special. Marcus is not just a chef, he's a food activist.
I remember, as a kid, I'd follow the rooster and the chickens and watch what type of grass they'd eat. And me and my friends would eat that grass, like that was our lunch.
I tell people 'America's Got Talent' is the best summer job you could have - you get to watch people strive for their dreams all summer long. So when you see me rooting for these people or dancing on the side of the stage, that's what I'd be doing if I was watching this show at home!
I've looked that old scoundrel death in the eye many times but this time I think he has me on the ropes.
People look at me like I should have been like Malcolm X or Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks. I should have seen life like that and stay out of trouble, and don't do this and don't do that. But it's hard to live up to some people's expectations.
I sometimes write songs on the piano, even though I don't actually play the piano. I always hire someone to play for me whenever I decide to sing a song I have written on the piano. My song 'Rosa' is one.
My grandparents and my mom prayed the rosary a lot, and later in life, I had a priest friend of mine teach me centering prayer, based on Father Thomas Keating's work. That led to practicing different kinds of meditation off and on as I got older.
As a Catholic, I find mindfulness helps me participate in my religion more wholeheartedly. If you are praying the rosary, participating in the rituals at Mass, or listening to the priest preach, you will actually be paying attention! Whatever your religion is, it can enhance the experience of participating in that religion.
For all adults who haven't had a very rosy childhood, the first thing they will tell you is that they want to give their child everything that they did not have. That's something that has stuck with me.
My childhood was extremely unhappy. That's not to say that my parents didn't love me. But it was traumatic, and of course, art doesn't come out of rosy gardens. It comes out of damage.
