You were once featured in the print version of Honey a couple years ago and in it you said you were the type that disappears and when you come back, you’re stronger and better. Are you currently gaining strength in a hiatus or are you working on projects right now?
Right now, the business has changed tremendously in the last couple of years. I recently got rid of my entire team and took about six months to rehire everyone. Every now and then, that is something so necessary to do. I’ve been wanting to do it for a while, but when you’re working, it’s hard to do that. It was such a stimulating thing for me to do because it really made me refocus my agenda. Now, it’s just all about nurturing the new relationship and finding that next project that makes me feel good about the next phase in my career. I try to be selective because there is a lot of garbage out there. The business is starting to get back on its feet again. I’m always working on my own personal projects.

What type of personal projects?
I have a documentary that I’m working on right now. That’s all I can say about that at this point. It has to do with fashion. That’s a big area of interest for me and why is there such a lack of black models. How does having a First Lady that’s a black woman in the White House change the fashion world’s take on black beauty? That’s a work in progress; it’s going to take some time because we’re covering a large span of time, but it’s my pet project — my little baby, so we’ll see what happens.

You’ve always had a strong opinion on how Hollywood portrays beauty, so what do you think beauty is?
To me, beauty is about feeling comfortable in your skin and being able to wake up, be you, do you, not worry about what the rest of the world is doing and stay true to your authentic self. That’s a hard thing to do because Hollywood isn’t really set up that way.

You’re really big on your role as a mother. What would you say is the biggest thing motherhood has taught you thus far?
Patience, patience, patience and more patience (laughs). It takes patience to raise a child, but it also takes patience to be a mother because you have to be patient with yourself. It’s not like there is a book that explains everything to do or how to do it; you have to trust your instincts. You have to know that you’re going to make mistakes. You have to know that as long as your intentions are good and you’re being responsible — things may not go exactly how you plan them — but if your heart is in the right place and you are there for your child, it all comes out in the wash. There is no right or wrong way of being a good mother. As long as you listen, are present, love and discipline them, it kind of works itself out.

As an incredibly sexy woman, have you been able to defy being cast as a sexy role?
I think that there is a part of me that is type cast as the “girl” or “pretty woman,” those things are very real and present in my career. Michelle Pfieffer said in an interview, “Beauty is a blessing and a curse.” I never wake up in the morning and say, “Oh my God! I am just the most gorgeous woman on the planet!” I feel that I’m attractive, but I don’t go around feeling myself on some glamourous, beautiful, perfect woman thing. What I would like for myself is to get roles that are more dramatic because that’s where I started. The dramatic roles that I have auditioned for, that I have tried to fight for, I’ll always get told that I’m too pretty or that a woman struggling wouldn’t look like me. That’s unfortunate because any tragedy that’s going to happen, doesn’t happen because you’re pretty or not pretty. It happens because that’s just part of life. I also know what my own life has been like. It hasn’t always been easy. So, when I get these scripts, the characters are so interesting, dark and gritty and I’m like, “Wow, I would love to play a role like that.” Every single time, I just get shut down, but I think that it’s a matter of me trying to persevere in that area. I try to keep moving because it will eventually happen.

How are you able to keep good people around you as a celebrity?
I’m not in the pocket with my friends all the time. We don’t talk everyday, but the same people that are in my life now, were in my life 15 years ago. It’s not a friendship based on Nia Long the actress, it’s a friendship based on genuinely appreciating one another. I don’t really need to make any new friends to be honest. I have a lot of associates, but as far as the people that know me — those are the people that have been in my life for a very long time. I don’t have very many friends that are actually other actresses. I may hang out on a social tip, but for the most part, my friends are not in the business. I like it that way because it keeps the friendship genuine. Not to say that there are not wonderful women in this industry; the nature of the business is to be competitive and at the end of the day, we are our own business. You have to acknowledge that. If everyone is comfortable with that, then it’s cool. My best friendships are those with people that have been in my life forever.