Quotes About Identity

But I must own that I also felt stirred by an unselfish desire to voice all the joys and sorrows, the hopes and ambitions, of the American Negro, in classic musical form.

Growing up I was told, 'Stop acting like a girl. Don't stand like that, don't act like that, deepen your voice.' But for me, it came naturally.

I am who I am. I have a low voice, and I look like somebody's dad or boss or a police chief, and those roles come my way.

I've spent my entire life trying to figure out why I was different than everybody else. Why is my voice so deep? Why am I so muscular?

I fell in love with my voice. I had something inside of me that was like, 'I like this.'

I was encouraged to use my voice and explore my passions outside of the sport. And when I did that, I was finally able to realize my true self-worth. I was more than that of a gymnast.

And I think I have a distinct voice.

We all perform our lives in a way. And the actor is a perfect metaphor to get at that theme of 'how do we find our authentic selves?' And that we all - whether we're actors or not - perform ourselves. As a way of searching. As a way of fumbling around and trying to say, is this my voice? Is this who I am?

Musicals have long given voice to outsiders and speak of experiences in our culture and environment.

In my own art, I try to use my personal voice and effort to enable some Chinese people to see the possibilities of another kind of China. A more open China.

I'm kind of still learning my voice and learning my style.

I'm an old spirit, and my voice tends to be kind of heavy and loud. I've been referenced as 'a young Aretha.'

I could have hidden in Boston and lived at home for three years, gone through my transition, taken voice lessons to make my voice more feminine, gotten gender reassignment surgery, and spent time to complete my transition, but I didn't want to wait. I wanted to be in the world.

I enjoy voicing even though I am not a voice-over artist.

The cool thing about doing a voice-over into a different language is that you get to bring the character of your own culture into it.

I was an outsider. I looked different, and I felt really voiceless as a kid.

Well, actually, I do the voiceover for Quentin Sands.

Years ago, I couldn't get arrested in commercials because of my look: 'Is he Jewish, Hispanic, or African-American?' I ended up doing voiceover work, which has been great. Honestly, I can't complain.

I've done a handful of voiceover and on-camera jobs where I've been asked to 'be blacker.' That's code for sassier, more ghetto, more neck rolls and snaps.

People say that the Beavis voice doesn't sound like me or some other voices. Butt-Head I think sounds like me.

I'm not good at anything! I can do, like, two voices.

As far as influences, I listen to a lot of people like Nina Simone and other androgynous voices, almost to make me feel like I'm not alone.

I sing in five or six different voices that are all part of me. It's not contrived.

As a singer I tried on all these hats, these voices, these clothes, and eventually out came me.