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There's a lack of diversity amongst executives in the position of greenlighting a film who feel that their stories are being told. If there's a diversity at the executive level, then we'll have diversity of the storytelling process.
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The roles that I always get attracted to are roles where the material is based on an actual person.
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It wears on your soul when you take on the mental state of a dark character.
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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.
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I am admiring of my fellow peers, black filmmakers and black actors and actresses.
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I think all my characters haunt me. Especially the real-life ones, like Master Chief Carl Brashear, the Tuskagee Airmen. Every time I see a military person, it gives me such a sense of pride but also a sense of responsibility to project excellence when representing them.
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The truth is, you don't ever decide on a role, not when you first begin. You audition for the role, and you're lucky to get it.
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I don't choose parts. I choose filmmakers. I'm done trying to make a statement with a character. What happens is, I craft a performance from the beginning to the end of the character. Then I release it to the director, and he interprets what I gave him.
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When I started in the business, you did television, and then when you got lucky, you got a prestige project of a film.
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I speak to my agent about great roles, and he's like, 'They are all going to Will Smith.'
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I think police officers are modern day heroes. I think they protect us.
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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.
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Now, I have big-money offers on three movies, and I have director approval. That's kind of scary,' he says. 'No directors have been attached. That's a lot of pressure on me.
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If I told you I was a Republican and you were a Democrat, no matter what I said after that, it would be tempered with your opinions.
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Our job as artists is to reflect the ills of society sometimes and to find a truth in that, and I think you can't start the healing process until you recognize the truth and all of its ugly warts and all.
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As an actor, when you're winning the moment over, there's a truth to your intention. You might laugh at it or you might cry at it, but I think your visceral reaction to it is a reaction to the truth of the moment.
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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. It's like watching a masterpiece.