Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Normally for work I will fly business class.
British people are surprised that I'm British!
I love the stage, but it doesn't pay the mortgage.
I'm very, very used to feeling anonymous, you know?
I loved working with Mandy Patinkin, I have to say.
When I first played Othello, a reviewer absolutely slaughtered me.
My parents came over from Barbados in the late 1950s and early '60s.
We all have insecurities, but some of us are better at covering them up.
Working with Olivia Colman has probably been the highlight of my career so far.
I always get this feeling on my last day of work that I'm never going to work again.
For all its problems, I found South Africa a beautiful country, interesting and inspiring.
Giving kids the chance to see live theatre should not just be free, it should be compulsory.
Everybody can, you know, go online, read about something, and have an opinion about something.
Fatherhood is a joy. I feel very lucky to have a family. It gives you a perspective on things.
Everyone in America thinks I'm American - and everyone in England seems to think I'm American.
I'm a nut for these 'crime reality' shows. Things like 'Forensic Files,' 'Forensic Detectives.'
People come up and say very nice things about my work, like, 'You were great in 'Blood Diamond!'
New York is vibrant, sexy, naughty, always surprising, and has great live music and great fashion.
It would be extraordinary if the BBC were to make me the first black 'Doctor Who;' it would be extraordinary.
I used to read comics as a kid, and now I'm reading them for research. It's great fun. It's not bad homework.
'12 Angry Men' has a truly great collection of actors giving fantastic performances. It's an acting masterclass.
Working at the National Theatre is just wonderful. There is no place like the South Bank on a summer's afternoon.
There are structural problems within the industry that are preventing us from displaying aspirational black roles.
I grew up in an environment in Birmingham that was really multicultural, with black kids, Irish kids, Indian kids.
We all know the wonders of Skype, but there's nothing like getting a hug from your daughters or taking them to school.
When filming for 'Beowulf,' we were close to Hadrian's Wall; there was no phone signal, and the scenery was spectacular.
Forget fashion, dress for comfort and for ease of getting through security, so no hats, belts or unnecessary accessories.
I always tell younger actors that if they want to learn the ropes, there's no better place to do it than right here in the U.K.
Two years after drama school, I had a nervous breakdown: I heard voices, and the voice I heard in my head was Martin Luther King's.
I'm the only member of my family who dared to move away from Birmingham - my brothers and sister are still here, along with my mom.
I'd love to talk with Martin Luther King, just to hear his voice up close and be with someone who had such faith. He had such power.
I love New York. New York is busy. It's dirty. It's smelly. I'm a real urban animal: I love cities. I like being in the middle of it all.
On 'Supergirl,' there are huge characters with huge mythologies behind them. What's important is that you don't lock yourself into something.
If people see that I'm fully committed to my chosen charities and fully engaged in their issues, maybe they'll click a link to find out more.
When I was in South Africa, I went for dinner with some friends, and I knew more about their history than they did - it just hasn't been told.
Before recording my 'Homeland' audition on my iPhone in my bedroom in Streatham, I hadn't worked or had an audition in the U.K. for nine months.
Art is all about the experience. I could say I dont really relate to opera, but then you watch Placido Domingo, and you go, Blimey, look at that.
On the red carpet, one tip is to suck in your cheekbones - apparently it looks better on camera. I don't know, though; I think a nice smile is best.
We have a generation of black actors playing leading roles on film and TV - Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor - which is great and is breaking the mould.
Art is all about the experience. I could say I don't really relate to opera, but then you watch Placido Domingo, and you go, 'Blimey, look at that.'
The idea that people are watching me now is a bit unnerving, but I suppose it comes with the territory. It is, perhaps, the modern side of celebrity.
As an actor, whether I'm playing Othello on stage or David Estes on 'Homeland,' that ability to give into your imagination is something that I enjoy.
I do know in the 1960s comics, Martian Manhunter took on the form of a black man - that could have been influenced by the political climate back then.
British people are surprised that I'm British! It's extraordinary, I get tweets every day from British people saying, 'I had no idea you were British.'
When I think about my children and how different their futures might be as a result of climate change, it makes me determined to do something about it.
Before 'Homeland,' I had £80 in the bank and no idea what I was going to do. I seriously considered giving it all up and getting a job as a lorry driver.
If people of colour do not exercise their democratic right to vote, they will remain an invisible, voiceless, and largely ignored part of the electorate.
I hope my kids can experience the seasons and a climate that's sustainable. The idea that things are going to be so very different for them is slightly scary.
At school, I was the classroom clown - I was always being thrown out for being naughty. Before I left, a teacher called me in and suggested I became an actor.
The idea that American producers and directors are choosing black British talent to save themselves a buck or two is ridiculous - it's because we're damn good.