The proof is in Houston's return to film in Waiting to Exhale, as one of four women trying to find love and happiness in an emotionally dysfunctional world. Along with her starring role, she also recorded three songs and produced the film's soundtrack with studio mastermind, Babyface. Houston talked about her character, her dealings with fame and the key to her success:

Q: Do you relate to your character of Savannah in the movie?

A: Savannah is me without the fame.

Q: Are you close to your mother the same way Savannah is?

A: Very close. Even mothers can be a pain but there is respect and consideration that Savannah has for her mother that I love. You need to see a lot more of that because a lot of children don't respect their parents anymore - they don't have the fear of what their mother thinks if they do that or say that. I do, I care about what my mother thinks about me. She told me the other day that she likes me and I like that.

Q: You had a huge success with The Bodyguard which was years ago. Why did you wait so long between films?

A: After The Bodyguard, I had to take a break. It was like I had a new career. I didn't know it was going to be like that. You do a movie but you don't expect it to be the 10th best selling movie in the history of all movies or the soundtrack to be the best selling of all time. I didn't. I just gave it the best shot I had with what I knew and what I learned and what I was absorbing from those around me. But after [the soundtrack song] "I Will Always Love You" was released and a million copies sold, I knew I was on another ride.

Q: Is there a lot of pressure to maintain the level of success you've achieved?

A: I suppose it could if I try to outrun it or outdo it, but I don't think that way. I think about doing quality work so therefore I won't run into bad films or consistent bad films. There's people who do films back to back and it's bad work.

Q: It seems you've done so much, is there anything else you want to do?

A: Right now I'm an executive producer. I was executive producer of the last two soundtrack albums that I've done. I've written on this one, I've collaborated with one of the greatest producers in the music business to put together one of the greatest soundtracks I think I've heard. I have a production company. I have a record company and now Disney has developed a deal for me.

Q: Do you ever feel like you have to pick one career over another?

A: No, not ever. Because I don't do movies back to back. I don't want to do movies like that. It's not about doing movies for the sake of doing movies or because it's Hollywood and it's beautiful and glamorous. I want to do great work with great people and that takes time. I pick and choose carefully what I do.

Q: How does music and acting differ for you creatively?

A: I'm a lot more creative in my element which is music because I can do a lot of things instead of doing one thing over and over again. Angela [Bassett] taught me a lot of things, like if we did a scene four times, Angela would take that one line in the script and change it four different ways. But that's an actress, this girl is a drama student from Yale, she ain't playin'. Me, I'm walkin' in and I'm doing some scenes and I'm lost. But if I take a song and I do a line, I don't sing it the same way every time. I get satisfaction out of that the same way Angela gets out of twisting her lines different ways.

Q: How do you feel when you see yourself on screen?

A: With the Bodyguard, it took me so long to be able to look at myself that I didn't enjoy it until about 3 years ago. I was on tour and it was on and I watched it for the first time as an observer and not someone who's in it and I actually cried at the end.

Q: Have you been offered a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yet?

A: Let me tell you about the Walk of Fame stuff. I have my reservations about that. I heard you got to pay for that mess and someone has to submit you in order to have it. First of all, Hollywood Boulevard is dirty and I don't want nobody waking on my name! I'm kidding. I'd rather wait until I'm really old or I've gone. Give it to my daughter, let her put it on there.

Q: Is dealing with fame difficult?

A: Fame is always the hard part. James Taylor said it best: "Fame and fortune are a curious game, perfect strangers call you by name." That line does it for me, that's the fame part. The singing and performing is the great part - when people respond the way they do and go out and buy your stuff and want to see you. That means the world to you. That means everything you put into it was worth it.

Q: What keeps you grounded?

A: I believe in prayer and I believe it changes things and makes a difference in your life. The closer connection you have to God, the closer you are to yourself and able to live and be with yourself and at least be able to find some happiness.

Q: It's hard to imagine you ever have problems!