Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I get sent horror scripts every week and most of them are putrid. A lot of people think it's an easy medium but it's not. Not if you want to make ones that last.
There was a period where I did do a lot of television, but the luck of the draw worked in my favour, as they were all shows that were either fan-favourites or cultist things.
It's weird how your friends chart things. First it's, 'When are you going to get a job?' Then as soon as things started to happen, it's, 'We're proud of you. You represent us.'
Yes, I would like to be involved in something that would hopefully be a blockbuster, but I'm interested in seeing new filmmakers telling new stories and to able to help them do that.
I was raised by my aunt and we bonded over the eight-o-clock movie on TV. We'd watch everything from James Cagney in 'White Heat' to Lon Chaney in 'The Wolf Man' and every Bogart movie.
The work I did with Artists Collective led me to a scholarship at Uconn… It led to me getting a scholarship at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and a scholarship at Trinity Rep in Providence.
I grew up a poor kid to a single mom, so as an African-American actor I have a responsibility to hold the mirror up and reflect our stories. I'm living the dream and also escaped the inevitable.
October's a busy month for me. I usually find myself working but I also try to do one or two conventions in that period. Then whatever city I'm in, they want to drag me to their local horror theme park.
Whenever I do something, particularly if it's a cameo, I make sure that I have a backstory written out so that I can talk to the director intelligent and try to communicate a three-dimensional character.
I've worked with directors who have done it too much, particularly in television, you know, 'okay we got it, let's move on, next setup.' 'Well what about, we could maybe investigate?' 'Mmm… no, let's go.'
People who come through television, if they don't get distracted, they learn how to shoot fast. They don't get shocked. And if they know how to adjust to that and they think outside the box, then they'll be fine.
It's very interesting that most of the roles I've gotten are grim, when I'm actually a very well-adjusted man and had a happy upbringing. I guess there are some dark shadows somewhere in there, but I'm a big kid.
When I was a young kid, almost every other show on television was a Western. And some of them were part of my childhood, I loved them. Like, Rifle Man, I absolutely adored. So, I think everything comes in a cycle.
Dude, I've played almost every position except for President. When I did 'The Event,' I was head of the CIA. When I did 'Chuck,' I was head of the NSA. For a guy that's a hippie at heart, I don't know where they think of this.
Voiceover is probably the toughest of all the markets to get into. Everybody wants to do it because it's again three to five hours work. You can roll in there with your bedroom slippers and robe on if you wanted to. And it's fun.
I remember my first professional paycheck. I couldn't keep it as a memento because I needed the money, but I have kept some of the residuals that I get. I got one the other day that was for two cents. I might put that in a frame.
True story - When 'Candyman' first came out, my daughter and I were Christmas shopping, and people were harassing us. Finally my daughter puts down her shopping bag and said 'That's not Candyman! That's my dad!' I will never forget that, because that's when we really bonded.
It's not like I wakeup everyday and say, 'You know what, I need to do a horror film.' Statistically it's only like forty percent of my output but it's a great ride and the fan base is really dedicated and that's always cool. When you're lucky enough to be in a good one it's fantastic.
When Michael Bay called me, I'd worked with him before on 'The Rock,' and he called me and said, 'Tony, I might have something for you.' I said, 'Okay, you haven't called me in ten years!' He said, 'I've been busy!' I said, 'I've been busy too Michael, glad we could make our schedules match!'
I did a film in Nairobi, Kenya called 'The Last Elephant,' with John Lithgow, Isabella Rosallini, and James Earl Jones. So I was in seventh heaven, alright? About a year later I get a call from my agent and he says they want to see you for this project called Candyman. I thought he was joking so I hung up.
You don't necessarily have to go to film school to be a brilliant film maker. If you are a good listener and you study life, and you find that story that is buried within each and every one of us, and you figure out a way to bring that out. And sometimes it doesn't necessarily mean money or winning the lottery.