Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Rap is definitely a youthful expression.
Toronto is like a smaller, safe New York.
I want to see my family prosper, see my kids grow old.
Eating right has made the biggest difference in my body.
Wales was great. The people were great, and I had a great time there.
It's always a pleasure when you get to work with people that you actually really like.
I've done 21 films in eight years, and I've said 'No' more times than I've done films.
A lot of characters I've played have a certain amount of strength, pride, and leadership.
I always try to bring a certain masculine presence to what I do. That is part of the dynamic.
There's no question that I'm African-American. OK? I'm a black man. We're not going to escape that.
With my first son I cut his umbilical cord and everything, so I'm a hands-on father, to say the least.
I'm a soccer dad at heart. I want five kids, and I want to get married. I want to coach Little League.
Once or twice a week, I try to do some kind of boxing. I'm hitting the bags and jumping rope - all that stuff.
I definitely applaud Netflix and all of those guys, whether it's Hulu or whoever, for doing original programming.
I think, in any artist's mind, you can't just be into yourself. You have to look at the world in an objective view.
I love working with Sally Field, and Steve Buscemi is one of the most giving, talented actors I've ever worked with.
I've dated interracially a lot. I grew up in Harlem, so I've dated Latins, Dominican, Guyanese, Cuban, black, white.
When you're working and making money, that's all good, but there has to be something that provides a substance, I think.
I do like sci-fi, absolutely. I've watched everything from 'Star Trek' to 'Star Wars' to 'Terminator' - the list goes on and on.
I love kids, outings, camping, sports, Legoland, all the Daddy stuff. I love it. I wish I could just do that, but I have to work, too.
I grew up in a rough environment. You want to be strong and have your presence felt out there. That attitude reflects how people see you.
It's nice to always have been able to remain consistent. I'm very thankful for that and to work on shows that I can be proud of, and films.
I loved the extended version of 'Aliens' because it shows just a little bit more that you don't see and what they always show on television.
When I did 'Clockers,' I didn't even think about having a career in acting, I just thought, 'Wow, this is cool. I get to do a little movie.'
In the early '80s, it was hard to find celebrities you can identify with if you lived in the hood. There weren't any rap videos at the time.
When break dancing was out, I break danced. When rapping was the thing, I freestyled rap on the street and battled and all that kind of stuff.
I'm an avid watcher of the Nat Geo channel, where I watch shows about how the planets are formed, and shows about moons, quasars, black holes.
The first day, in particular, is always one of those weird days because you get ..., you're thrown into this new trailer - here's your wardrobe.
I'm a big road trip guy. I'm the guy who gets in the RV and drives across country. And when you do that, you really get to see small-town America.
I have my own method [of acting]. I come from, I've interrogated people; I come from an undercover background, so it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
If you go into something saying, 'I'm the bad guy,' you do yourself a disservice as an actor. It's always about trying to find the humanity in a character.
I don't really like hospitals that much. People are sick; sometimes it can be depressing. There's people going through a lot of pain in there. It has that funny smell.
I like to make sure that I'm believable. If I don't believe me, then there's a lot of people that don't believe me, but if I can believe that I'm doing it, then I know the audience will, too.
My favorite song is Eminem's 'Rap God.' That joint is just incredible, It's six-and-a-half minutes of him just crushing the whole game. It's so different from what I hear if I listen to the radio.
I hated how Sam Rothstein got manipulated by Sharon Stone's character in 'Casino.' I mean, I just hate how he gets manipulated; that just gets ridiculous to me. I know it's historic, but I hated that.
When you become an actor, at some point you look for something that brings you back to your roots. You find something that people around your neighborhood can relate to. People that you're close with can relate to.
I guess it's a personal preference. Me, personally, I like to be able to tell the stories that I want to tell and do the things that I want to do. It takes a little bit more work, but that's what the production side is.
'Mekhi' means, sort of, one who loves water, and the relationship with water and how water is important to life... It's a sense of being needed and purpose - you know, we have a purpose on this earth, and we're here to fill that.
I can do comedy but it's a certain type. I'm not a physical comedy guy. I'm not Will Ferrell - there's just this crazy and get naked and run through the thing screaming. That's just not my style; my style is drama or - I'm not slapstick.
Anytime you join a show that's been successful, there's a certain responsibility. And a lot of anxiety that, you know, you're bringing the character to life, respecting the show and doing your part. So that you are not the weak link in the chain.
I know a lot of people who are weak, who are in a perpetual cycle of poverty and being locked up. There are guys from my neighborhood who are in jail or who are dead. It does take a certain strength to know your environment and say, 'I can grow beyond it.'
I've gotten to travel all over the world and meet all kinds of people and do all kinds of great things, so it's, like, surreal. It just lets you know how time flies, especially when you're having fun. It seems like time keeps going by faster as I get older.
A lot of times you'll hear horror stories about actors being incredibly selfish and only wanting themselves to shine, but for me, it's not about just one person. It's about the whole team. That's the way I look at acting. That's the way I look at everything I do.
I almost turned down '8 Mile.' I was due to start 'ER,' and I learned they really wanted me to be in '8 Mile.' I didn't know Eminem; I just knew he was a rapper and saw what everyone else saw in the media. I thought they were just trying to capitalize on his popularity.
My agents usually get a breakdown of all the projects that are out there. When I got 'Divergent,' they hadn't finished the script. They knew they wanted the leader of the Dauntless to have a certain demeanor and energy. They had me read a short monologue, and I got the part.
I love anything that really pushes the envelope as far as where it takes your mind. When it's well written and brings you into a world that possibly could be, I think that's the most entertaining for me - to see something that could actually take place and causes you to think.
I love character-driven, well-written, great storytelling types of films, and I think that 'My Cousin Vinny' just hit the nail on the head with everything. It's one of those movies that, if I'm flipping through the channels, no matter what part it's on, I can watch it. It's just one of my favorites.
I want to see my family prosper, see my kids grow old. I would love to keep having a really solid, strong career and just being happy. My life isn't just this business, so there's so many other things that I like to do. I just want to be able to have the freedom to do all of the things that I want to do.
Being from New York, living in L.A., being in Chicago, you kind of get more of the big-city, melting-pot sort of thing. But when you drive through the country, there's so many small pockets of people that don't experience people of different backgrounds. So what they've seen on television is their baseline.
I always try to pick and choose projects that will be impactful to someone. From films like 'Clockers' to playing a doctor on 'ER' to doing '8 Mile,' where I'm in charge of the hip-hop battles, I think it affects all kinds of different audiences. And I just try to keep that in mind, to keep people entertained.