Q: There's a scene in the film where WNBA legend <person>Lisa Leslie</person> has to run her stats and exert her dopeness to get center placement for a magazine cover. Have you ever had to run the resume, just to remind the room?
A: Always. In my field, it's like, come on, "you're trying to pay me that?" Look at all I've done. Look at all the movies I have done. Like, come on, stop it. But, once you can prove the numbers game, numbers don't lie. When you put that down, they've got to pay up.
Q: Your name is <person>Ali</person> in the film, is <person>Muhammad Ali</person> a source of inspiration in your personal life?
A: <person>Muhammad Ali</person> has always inspired me, I have the entire <person>Andy Warhol</person> suite of his paintings. <person>Ali</person>, [the boxer], was always significant in my life because my father was a huge boxing fan.
People think boxing is just about bashing and the brawl, but it requires real thought. That's one sport I do love. I have never been to a live Vegas boxing match. That's on my bucket list. Other than boxing, I don't stay up on many other sports. I'm engaged to a former-Super Bowl champ, <person>Kelvin Hayden</person>. So, I know some football.
Q: The film also explores the concept of women breaking the cycle of defining or associating their worth with a man's approval or desire for them. How are you hoping to inspire women to find self-worth from within?
A: Well, I try to teach through my work. And one incident in particular on "Empire," you know -- the back and forth with <person>Lucious</person> and <person>Cookie</person> (the role <person>Henson</person> plays on the show).