“The reason why I found acting is because my father passed away.”

Life is too short to do something you don’t want to do.

I’m in awe of how grounded Ms. Tyson is and how her performances can be different but the same.

She’s pretty amazing.

She can switch up the delivery, but it’s still with the right intention.

That’s what you want art to do, to open people up and start conversations.

That’s how clueless I was. I just thought I could show up.

I want to tell authentic, real stories with real characters.

I think L.A. is beautiful.

I grew up in New York and I’ve always lived here, so I look at myself as a regular person.

I have a Twitter handle, but I never sign on.

And I’m not sure if he [made his comments on Trayvon] because he was asked a question and he was trying to be diplomatic and neutral – that can’t happen.

My mother’s a pretty warm, open person.

I was reading the paper and saw a cartoon with Ray Kelly frisking Obama, and I was like “Wait, what’s happening?” so I Googled it.

I love that you can watch a film and 10 years later still be affected.

I realized in school I didn’t like it. When he died, it was like a wake-up call.

Everybody has been amazing, and the energy is really beautiful. I’m replacing my friend Condola

It’s bad writing, however naturalistic it’s written, that’s where you have to do your best acting.

Acting for me was an escape and it wasn’t until Smoke Signals that made me realize that acting is a personal development and challenge to grow.

Acting had always been the social scene I’d fallen into. It was sort of a merry band of band geeks and theater nerds.

Ever since I started acting, I’ve always spoken to our people about identity. I’ve spoken to kids, telling them: “Where do I get my strength to push through the barriers to get me where I’m at today? It’s my culture and my traditions, you know?

I got a little house in East L.A. and did the gardening. I was doing some acting here and there, doing my own thing… getting back to reality.

When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn’t acting. It’s following instructions.

To me, acting is the most logical way for people’s neuroses to manifest themselves, in this great need we all have to express ourselves.

An actor must interpret life, and in order to do so must be willing to accept all the experiences life has to offer.