Surprising Moment Quotes

One year at the SAG Awards, somebody practically knocked me over, and it was Helen Mirren. She was like, 'Oh my God - is it really you? I'm your biggest fan.' I was like, 'Wait, aren't you supposed to be home reading Shakespeare or something?'

I never, ever thought Jeremy Corbyn would be quoting me!

In 2007, when I first moved to Los Angeles, I got a call from Prince, and he had been watching my YouTube videos. It was crazy, because I thought it was my friend calling and pretending to be Prince.

His whole body shakes with the strain as he tries to lift something he knows he can't lift, something everybody knows he can't lift. But, for just a second, when we hear the cement grind at our feet, we think, by golly, he might do it.

I didn't think I'd be starting a NFL game.

I think I'm telling the truth. I sat by Ray Perkins at the Hall of Fame dinner in New York, and at that time he didn't know he was our coach and I didn't either.

I was walking along and this chair came flying past me, and another, and another, and I thought, man, is this gonna be a good night.

Meeting Helen Mirren was a fabulous experience. I had played it out in my mind, how I should greet her when we would be introduced. But the way we met was funny because I just didn't recognise her!

I like going to New York because I don't get recognised there - although, the first time I was there, I'd only been in the city an hour when the tallest guy came up to me on Fifth Avenue and said my name, gave me a high-five, and then just walked off.

A fan once stopped me outside a theatre and gave me as a gift a signed photograph of Sir Laurence Olivier. It was strange, but nice, too.

I was eating cereal on my couch when I saw the first commercial for 'The Wiz' on TV. I dropped the spoon and the tears came out of nowhere.

That was the first time I saw a horse start from a kneeling position!

I remember I was flying home to Los Angeles one day. I was talking to the woman next to me and the flight attendant tried to tell me I was sitting next to somebody that I should know. I didn't recognize her but it ended up being Beyonce's sister, Solange Knowles.

Burt Reynolds once asked me out. I was in his room.

Occasionally, you get a nice surprise when someone covers your song in an extraordinary way.

For me, some of the happiest moments on a live-action film are the awkward moments. One actor says something to another actor. They didn't expect that performance from that actor; that affects their return performance.

Whatever precautions you take so the photograph will look like this or that, there comes a moment when the photograph surprises you. It is the other's gaze that wins out and decides.

The first time I found out that 'Boo'd Up' went platinum, I was handed the plaque. They really surprised me. I thought we were gold, and then Mustard and my managers brought the plaque to my rehearsals and told me. I was like, 'You are lying!' Like, I couldn't believe it. I'm just honored, honestly. It's a great feeling.

I grew up very differently than a lot of other people in my hometown in Mississippi. But I can't imagine my life any other way. I flew home and surprised my best friend at his graduation, and I remember turning to my mom and saying, 'My graduation was so much cooler than this.' I had Melissa Joan Hart give my commencement speech.

I was so happy that Justin Bieber snuck in my room. I was like, 'Oh my goodness.' You couldn't tell me anything. I was so happy.

I came from a crew, and to me, all the guys I rapped with were better than me, so I was surprised when I was the breakout one. It was definitely a cool thing.

But I hope that you walk around the corner and you get very surprised.

See, the SAG awards caught me totally by surprise.

I like to remind the contestants where they are by playing the 'Bake Off' theme tune on my phone as they walk into the tent. They freak out, as it suddenly dawns on them that they're on the show.

Once, an unkempt, elderly woman came into the pawn shop. She appeared homeless, and she insisted on seeing every piece of expensive jewelry in the store. Just when I was feeling impatient, the woman pointed at the most expensive piece of jewelry and said, 'I'll take that one.' Then she proceeded to pull $4,000 out of her sock to pay for it.