Quotes from KiKi Layne

I could do comedy, action, or even science fiction.

The history of black people in America, it's so painful. But throughout all that history there has still been the ability of our community to find love and laughter and joy even in these very painful circumstances. That's why I think in particular black love is so powerful, because it's constantly under attack.

I'm a huge fan of 'The Avengers,' but 'Black Panther' was so special to me.

I'm not going to ever feel bad about sharing what my dreams are.

I'm very grateful to Barry Jenkins, who took a chance on me.

I think I learned the value of being more patient with myself.

Instead of asking for permission, we're seeing more artists and creatives taking control over the stories we tell.

It's amazing to me how quickly the industry will try to put you into a box. It's like, I did 'Beale Street.' And they decided now, all of a sudden, 'Oh, okay. KiKi Layne does those little quiet indie dramas.' I'm like, 'No! That's just where I got started.'

I think with the 'Fresh Prince,' there were all of these really interesting personalities and characters, and yet there's so much love in that household.

I've determined my style - I like to call it elegant funk. You'll see me in some really beautiful gowns but I'll still have my septum piercing in.

I'm not going to sit around and wait for some old studio executive to decide my career path.

I'm learning so much about my style just having access to so many things now. Growing up in Cincinnati, we really didn't have much money so it was really about places where you can go to get the most for the least.

I'm just hoping that, as more black artists take control of the narratives that are out there, more opportunities will come around for artists of colour. We want to make the same waves that the white artists do.

If you're good at your job, you're good at your job regardless of being male, female, whatever. Either you're a good director or you're not, and there are plenty of bad male directors.

Well, I used to model back in high school, and I was one of those people that, every week I was tuning in to 'America's Next Top Model.'

If you see black people being portrayed in this one way well then, when you see a black person in real life, you're going to carry some of that way of thinking with you.

We all have those moments when you're sitting in your feelings and you're sitting in your thoughts and you're taking in what your current situation is.

Once upon a time you could actually unplug and it wasn't, like, a weird thing. Now your friends will say, 'I'm fasting from social media.'

It's important to me that I'm more than a pretty face or another person starring in movies. That's great, but there's so much more than can and should be done.

There was never a moment when I thought I'd be a dentist, I've always wanted to perform.

The thing about tarot - maybe this to me is the difference between it and working with a psychic - to me it's clarifying the things that you already know. I don't feel like any tarot reading I've done or received was particularly surprising. They always speak to things that you kind of felt already.

My favorite artist is J. Cole. I like Kehlani a lot. Teyana Taylor is dope too.

I definitely want to get into producing. I want to be on the side of the table where I can give people jobs.

When you're a Black actress, the box that we often get put in is so small. And me being a dark-skinned Black actress, the opportunities become so limited in a way that is just wrong. It's not fair. I'm so capable of playing a wide variety of roles. It comes down to whether or not I'm given the opportunity to do it.