I didn’t pursue acting to become famous. I was actually just trying to make a living.
When you are the lead in a romantic comedy, you have to worry about people really liking you.
You start making movies and people start seeing when you go to places, and all of a sudden you are getting clothes for free and all of a sudden you are getting food for free.
I’m getting to the point where they see me as a good actor, rather than just a good guy who can act.
To me the work is so much more interesting, the parts that don’t require you just to take your shirt off.
Some people make a career out of doing one thing, but I wanted to diversify my body of work.
Showtime has given new, young filmmakers – black, white, across the board – an opportunity to make films, as well as actors who want to cross over into directing.
Producing is easier, I can just be at the set overseeing the story.
I did a film which was considered an independent movie with Dustin Hoffman and Andy Garcia called Confidence, and that’s the type of film I was willing to take a chance on that because of the caliber of people involved with the film.
You really don’t have to worry about your spouse, as long as you trust him or her. If you trust your spouse or whoever you’re in a relationship with, everybody else doesn’t matter.
I think that Mos Def is the best actor, but when you talk about rappers in films, I don’t really think the quality of the acting is most important because most rappers are put in movies because of the personality and people want to see that.
At one point, people thought that Eddie Murphy would only reach one sector of the audience, but now everyone sees everything Eddie Murphy does.
I enjoy what I do, but it’s more challenging than people think.
Action films are emotionally and physically draining, and you’re dirty and sweaty. In a romantic comedy, you have to have your fingernails perfect, you’re in air-conditioned rooms the whole time.
I think the best type of action movie combines a love story with the action.
My idea of a perfect holiday is spending time with the family, waking up on Christmas morning or Thanksgiving morning, watching football all day, having the family come over, people you haven’t seen.
Sometimes the stereotypes that a lot of people have are of black men in jail or who don’t take care of their kids, so I think it’s always important to have that.
I like to eat sweets. When I go to a restaurant, I’ll read the dessert menu before I even look at the entrees.
I try to keep in shape and I always have to check myself. Whenever I binge eat, sweets are the one temptation.
When people are courting, many of them think that when they get married, that’s it, and everything will be on Easy Street. But you really have to work even harder once you’re married, because the challenges are that much greater.
A lot of people come to quote-unquote Hollywood thinking that all they just have to be different or do something outlandish or have a huge personality to become a star. But I think that if you just focus on the craft, you’ll have a better chance at longevity.