Get QuoteDark Inspirational Quotes App

" 'Full House' was the first time I had ever been in front of a live audience. I said a line I had rehearsed with my mom, and they laughed. It was wild. To have that energy of the live audience was like, Whaaat? Feeding off that live audience was, to a 4 or 5 year old, a high. "

Related Quotes:

" I wouldn't be able to tackle a character like Rosalee on 'Underground' without having tackled the many characters I've played before. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Without

Having

" My mom is African-American, Native-American, Irish, and Creole, and my father is of Jewish, Russian, and Polish descent. It's made me who I am. Because of my diverse background, I think I can relate to many different people, different stories, and different communities. "

" I'm such a huge fan of Gap! My mom used to dress me in Gap overalls that I would wear all the time, and now the idea of bringing my son into that tradition is so ironic and full-circle for me. "

" I want to tell human stories not solely based on race. There are so many great actresses and actors that are out there, and I just want to see them do good work. "

" Henry Louis Gates is such a wealth of knowledge in himself. "

" There's still a really divisive residue in our nation that's called racism and prejudice and oppression and sexism. "

" Little Richard played my uncle on 'Full House.' He's fabulous. I remember him being incredibly kind to me. I just remember him being super, super nice. "

" Until we really heal the wounds that we dealt with during slavery, I don't think we'll be a fully realized country. "

" We got spoiled with 'Friday Night Lights.' Not every show is like that, and on other shows, if you try to bring that same truth or that same approach, the system of television doesn't always allow for that level of collaboration, which is unfortunate because the work would be richer. "

" It's such a transition and it's so empowering to become a mom, but there are also many challenges. Just remind yourself, every minute, every day, to be kind to yourself. "

" I wouldn't say I'm a Method actor, but there are times where a role will require you to live in their world. "

" I read so many scripts, and it's not really exciting to just be the girlfriend. "

" We all try to pretend we're the person we want to be when we're really not, and you've just gotta be willing to say, 'Here are all my flaws; here's who I am - take it or leave it. If you love me still, then let's do this.' "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

You

Love Me

" Far too often, I read a script where the girls are the girlfriend or the set dressing. "

" Marriage is a work in progress, but it's beautiful. "

" Oftentimes, a history book in school will talk about the Underground Railroad as if it's one sentence. But thousands of people decided to run, and they single-handedly changed the trajectory of our nation. By running to the North, they put a face to slavery, which recruited a lot of abolitionists. "

" A lot of the issues today may not affect us personally, but we can't stay in our comfort zone when it comes to protecting our brothers and sisters. We have to get out there and use our voices for them as well. "

" I'm very picky about the kind of work that I do, and I'm fortunate to have been able to work with great directors and great actors who've helped me grow as an artist. "

" The Underground Railroad, which was the first integrated civil rights movement, is a part of our history that not a lot of us know about. And it's actually a very empowering side of our history. "

" It is a beautiful thing to work on your relationship. "

" I walk in a space of gratitude. I'm so grateful to God for blessing me with an amazing family and the opportunity to do what I love. "

" You learn a lot about yourself just by writing it down. "

" My mom is from New Orleans. And all of my maternal relatives were there during Katrina. We couldn't even find my uncle for four months. We literally didn't know where he was. I had been there just four days before the storm hit. "

" I'm told I'm a statistic. I'm told that my young black sisters are disease-ridden... but we are greater than what society tells us we are. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Than

Society

" There's something about Jason Katims' writing that just feels like home to me. He gives you so much liberty to play, which you don't find on most TV shows. You just don't. "

" Marian Wright Edelman is a mentor and hero of mine. "

" Part of an ensemble show is realizing it's a collaboration. It's like a symphony. Everybody takes their turn, but it's really the collective group that matters. "

" I'm a nature lover. "

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Lover

Nature

" They did laugh; they did fall in love. And while they were under incredibly oppressive conditions, they constantly were trying to steal pleasures. When you go back to the slave narratives, and you read books like the 'Bullwhip Days' or 'Incidents in the Life of the Slave Girl,' they will share what life was like, and it's a 365-degree view. "

" I can get a little scattered and want to be everywhere and want to do everything for everyone. "