Malaak Compton-Rock on Judging Oprah's Big Give

Malaak Compton-Rock preaches and practices "giving big" as founder of her own charity styleWORKS and as judge on the philanthropic reality show Oprah's Big Give (Sundays at 8 pm/ET, ABC), a gig that she describes as "my dream come true."

TVGuide.com: When Oprah asked you to be part of the Big Give...
Malaak Compton-Rock: I was in a state of shock. There was a tiny bit of hesitation, because I'm a mom and a wife, but, I will admit, it didn't take me that long to figure out how I could do it.

TVGuide.com: How do you feel about all the traveling you have to do for the show?
Compton-Rock: That's a lot of fun. You get an opportunity to see what the contestants are up to and meet the people that they are helping. I'm an "in the trenches" kind of girl, so to me when I was able to check up on the contestants it brought me closer to the people that they were helping, and that was really awesome.

TVGuide.com: What has surprised you most?
Compton-Rock: Just how savvy the contestants are, and the fact that a lot of our contestants have realized that very small acts of giving bring big, big rewards and returns. My mantra is, "You don't have to be rich and you don't have to be famous to give," and I think that this show is showing people that.

TVGuide.com: Will hubby Chris be on?
Compton-Rock: I was able to do this [because] while I was running around the country he was at home with the kids.

TVGuide.com: Do people act like they know you from his comedy act?
Compton-Rock: That's the stage wife, you didn't know? That's not me. I don't know that person — she makes him very successful, but she's not me. [Laughs] Most people realize that comics are huge exaggerators, but yeah, every once in a while someone might come up to me.

TVGuide.com: What's the biggest benefit of "giving big"?
Compton-Rock: The biggest benefit of giving big is that you will receive an even bigger gift — the feeling of helping another person is something that you cannot even describe until you do it.

TVGuide.com: Can you give us some scoop on Sunday's episode?
Compton-Rock: The contestants get a very big surprise: John Travolta!

See full episodes of Oprah's Big Give in our Online Video Guide.
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