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Angela Bassett is a friend of mine and someone who I truly admire tremendously in terms of her work and her choices.

I'm an absolute fan of Angela Bassett. I think she's a great, great actress. In the biopics, she is so moving. She's very rare. It's something that doesn't happen that much, to see an actress inventing a new way of showing 'woman' onscreen, and a new way of being beautiful.

Viola Davis is a perfect example of somebody who's so much better than the parts she has the opportunity to play.

Working with Angela Bassett is by far the best. I've watched and admired her for years. I'm very intrigued by her work. She's so cool. I still call her 'Mom' when I see her.

I love Viola Davis. I call her 'Queen.' I think she's phenomenal. She's so raw and so bold. When I first saw her was in 'Doubt,' and she just changed everything for me. Her performance was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I think she's phenomenal.

The first time I mentioned publicly that I had known Viola for some time, many people took it like Viola got me the job in 'Fences'.

Apart from being Jennifer Lewis. The name pulls people in.

I could never understand the attraction of Bette Davis. I always preferred Jane Russell.

No, I chose the name Jane Seymour because I was doing my first film, 'Ode to Lovely War,' and one of the top agents in England spotted me dancing in the chorus. I was a singer and dancer in that movie with Maggie Smith, um, and he told me he couldn't sell me as Joyce Penelope Willomena Frankenburger.

Believe me, when an actress is told that her very name is synonymous with bad acting, she's had it.