On playing Cookie Lyon: "Not only would I never be offered a character like Cookie in a movie, but she doesn't exist. Cookie is bold and crazy, and she loves the struggle. She started from nothing, and now she's at the top. In that way, we're alike: Cookie is the American Dream."
On why people love the character: "They see her heart. They see her intentions. And they love her style — her style is 17 years behind the fashion curve, which makes the clothes a character on the show. As Cookie grows, you'll see her fashion grow. And people love that — she's a work in progress. The only thing that never changes is her spirit: to me, Cookie is living, breathing, walking truth."