Lessons Learned

Letter to My Younger Self

In the April 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine , Tony Award®-winning actress and Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad opens up in a "letter to her younger self."

"I was born to a very beautiful family," Phylicia says. "My father looked like a matinee idol; my mother was literally so beautiful that she would stop traffic. When I looked in the mirror, all I could think was that when I was born, God was on a lunch break. … I didn't look pretty, so I set out to be very good at what I did. I found self-esteem in other ways—I was a majorette, I sang in the choir, I played viola, I ended up being a very good student. It wouldn't be until much later that I felt beautiful."