Quotes from Rosie Perez

Therapy is not a 'white thing.' It's a clinical thing.

I am a positive person. I never think of the glass as half empty. I just keep pushing forward.

In my circle of friends, I've always been loud and funny and talkative. But as soon as I step out of that circle, I get very quiet and introspective. I don't want the spotlight on me.

I used to get recognized quite often as being a 'Soul Train' dancer. Quite often, which was great at times but sometimes was not so great. Especially, back at college, it was not so great. It was pretty tough.

Certain people who care about me a lot have said 'You don't play the game, and if you don't play the game, you don't get picked for the team all the time.

I did not try to conform to anybody's ideal of what a Latin celebrity or movie star should be. I took a lot of hits for it.

I have this tough exterior, but inside, I'm very mushy and soft.

We all like indie directors - heck, I even married one... but we're divorced now.

In movies, you shoot out of sequence, so the issue of reality is really taken out of it.

Face dance means you don't know what the hell the rest of your body was doing but your face is fierce. That's face dancing.

You have to believe in yourself. You need to have the audacity to be great.

I don't watch TV series, but I watched 'Friday Night Lights' because I'm a sports head.

I was very willing to take on controversial roles that people didn't really want to look at.

As far as a Latin explosion, I'm sorry, I'm the only Latino who's going to say it, but there is no Latin explosion. I'm sorry. Four or five top box office people do not make it an explosion, and it's disgusting to me that people will perceive it that way.

Don Cornelius gave me an incredulous look regarding my accent. I lessened it; he gave a nod of approval. Instantly, I felt ashamed. I had made my first conscious effort not to sound ethnic.

If I see a door comin' my way, I'm knockin' it down. And if I can't knock down the door, I'm sliding through the window.

If we can't look at the good, bad and ugly of who we are, we are never going to progress as people - ever.

As an actor, you may do things that aren't politically correct. Unless you're an actor who only does things for political reasons. I believe if we don't do the good, bad, and the ugly, we're not going to progress.

A lot of women feel ashamed to be weak.

You can learn steps, but you cannot learn how to boogie.

I think I just have this need to be a storyteller. That's why I wasn't a great dancer - I couldn't articulate a story. I was a better choreographer. I have the need to to just express myself in that way. I can't explain it.

People make me out to be this super strong woman, but I have my tough days just like anyone else.

Van Gogh cut off his ear for his art. I'm not tryin' to cut off my ear. I'm not humiliating myself.

Women of color: if you're over 40 and you get fat, you will work. But if you're hot and over 40 and a woman of color, they don't know what to do with you.