The hardest part was when I was in high school not having a job and always being broke. I had to get to auditions without a car. I either took the bus or walked.
I have never made a decision based on race and never will.
Don’t let people disrespect you. My mom says don’t open the door to the devil. Surround yourself with positive people.
The Academy Awards was an amazing night. I know I kind of lost my mind a little bit. I apologize for that. That night went so fast I can’t remember what I said or what happened.
I’m an avid hockey fan and I’ve been playing for about 17 years, and somebody recently told me that the first organized hockey teams in Canada were all black. Telling those stories would be cool.
I learned that not only am I a descendant of slaves, but that I am also a descendant of royalty, that there are politicians from the 1800s as well as Tuskegee Airmen in my lineage.
There are roles I want that my agency might not want me to do because of the subject matter or whatever. Or there are roles that people won’t bring to me because they don’t think I’ll do it. And that is a big strain because an actor wants to act.
As an actor you have to bring to the table your creative input. But when a director like Ridley Scott says I want you to do this this way, you know when he gets to the editing room he has a reason for it. Its like watching a masterpiece.
When I commit to a role, I always tell myself that role is king. That’s the Bible. If I start to judge my character, than it’s going to influence my performance, and I don’t want that. I want to find the truth in the character.
I understand it all. I can write my own ticket for one or two movies. But if they’re not the right ones, my ticket gets yanked. I understand that’s how it works, and I’m okay with it.
Before I was an actor I was a break dancer, one of those street performers you see. I guess my introduction into the professional world of performing was a stint as back up dancer for Lionel Richie and I performed at the closing ceremony at the ’84 Olympics.
I worked so much when my first son was born that I missed a lot.
I rewind the TV every two minutes. If someone does something interesting, I have to see it over and over again.
My wife and I have been together since 1986. I graduated in ’86 and she graduated in ’88. We began dating when she was 17. Actually she turned 18 when we started kissing and stuff.
I’ve always been a sucker for attention.
We all create our own reality by the choices we make.
Jonathan Lynn is one of the last actors Orsen Welles used in a production. It was wonderful. He’s very sharp, very sharp. It’s funny I’ve been asked how weird it was to have a Brit do a church gospel movie.
I am admiring of my fellow peers, black filmmakers and black actors and actresses.