I loved all those classic figures from the '30s and '40s... Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth. They had such glamour and style. I loved the movies of those times too - so much attention paid to details, lights, clothing, the way the studios would develop talent.
I like to listed to the adventurous guys - the Coltranes, Miles Davis, the guys who just let it loose.
I don't think I have the image that say, Judy Garland has, or Bette Davis.
The strongest feelings I experienced were in Davis Cup. It was the most powerful thing: the victories and the losses. It hits you in a distinct way. It's another level of satisfaction - another level of sadness.
I don't just want to be a cute girl in a comedy or the actress who just does the same thing over and over again. I want to play roles that are distinct. I want to have a more varied career like actresses Viola Davis or Angela Bassett - those are the people that I grew up watching and admiring.
My sister is a good story of resiliency. She had a full ride at UC Davis, but she left school to go to the Philippines - and then she decided to go back to school in her 40s, which surprised me. She went to UC Berkeley, and I think she was one of two African Americans in her class at Haas. She's really impressive.
When I have to compete with John Coltrane and Miles Davis and Louie Armstrong on iTunes, which I'm doing now, that's a problem. That means that jazz is not being heard by younger audiences.
When I was a kid, it was Bette Davis. She was my idol. I used to cut school and sit in the back of the theater; of course, I would have snuck in because I couldn't afford a ticket.
My favorite actress of all times is Bette Davis in Dark Victory. I have seen it six or seven times, and I still cry.
I've been close to Bette Davis for thirty-eight years - and I have the cigarette burns to prove it.