Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I can't fake emotion.
We are not apathetic in this country.
My philosophy is to live below your means.
Kids - black kids - are forced to grow up too soon.
I want to do work of meaning that speaks to a greater depth of who I am.
At the end of the day, you have to find the humanity in you in each character.
As a black man, so often you grow up suppressing your emotions and sensitivity.
For me, that is the craft of acting: literally creating something from nothing.
My father graduated from high school and didn't go to college and still found his way.
As an actor, we spend so much putting the mask on and trying to be someone you're not.
Some people build fences to keep people out; some people build fences to keep people in.
I mean, of course, I love sci-fi and stuff like that, but I'm not, like, a comic book crazy guy.
In a lot of work places, you work at a lot of jobs and people work more with their colleagues than with their family.
Acting is a privilege, and I'm exceedingly blessed to be able to do what I do. At the end of the day, it's all entertainment.
I want authenticity. And rarely do actors - more specifically, black actors - get a chance to be authentic on film and television.
I subscribe to the slow nickel theory. You take a little bit at a time. You always make better of what you have when you don't have best.
There is so much stimuli coming at young people, you don't even have time to grieve before something new happens. We are desensitized to the issues.
I am not a person who just wants to be an actor. Do you know what I mean? I am an artist who wants to speak to people through his work: through his vessel.
The thing is, about a character, it's not about being right, it's about the truth. The truth comes from within, so you have to search as an artist for the truth.
I approach my work still like an athlete. I have to go to the gym and run or ride the bike and work up a sweat. I need to still get my body right, and, in turn, that will make my mind right. That's how I approach acting.
It is a distinct and an honor to work with the august Regina King. I would call her Queen King. This woman is one of our treasures. She's an actor's actor. She has craft to burn. She's a craftsman who knows what she is doing, and she's got soul.
In 'The Hate U Give,' I play Big Mav', who was incarcerated for a number of years and is raising three children. He was a gang member but reformed himself, and he's trying to empower his children, help them understand the best way to keep out of trouble.
These are human issues. These are human stories. I think that's why 'Fences' has been able to resonate and been able to hit so many people over the years because it is just that. You can't run away from the racial specifics of it, but that's just a part of it.
Some people build fences to keep people out and we also do things everyday to keep people close - when we play ball and go fishing with our kids, we are doing it to keep them close and fenced in. That's how relationships are built positively - we're using fences to tell people that we love them.
I wanted to represent the brothas I have seen when I go to the rhythm section of Oakland, hearing brothas speak and tell me about their journeys. Men who have been to prison and found themselves, brothas who have made mistakes but are loving their wives and children, trying to protect them and educate them. These men do exist.
A fence can be protective around your family - a familial fence. Then, there are the people who only know how to take, to abuse, to offend and they build fences to keep you out. They don't have time to talk, they don't have kind words, they only talk about themselves. They never give an olive branch or forgiveness - they create a fence because of their personality or behavior and they want to create a barrier to keep people out.