Colloquialism is the toughest part of what we do, as foreign actors, because there are certain sayings that you guys have that absolutely don’t make any sense.
I love the fact that we, as black people, carry our faith with us. We share it and embrace it and love it and talk about it because we talk about everything else and why not that and that was the first impression that I had that really touched me.
Let’s say black, the whole black religious experience, here, is very impressive to me, because when I first arrived I realized that people carry their faith with so much pride.
I came to America because of a tennis scholarship. I really wanted to get away because I was really frustrated about my injury so my mother said, “Go to America for four months and just open your eyes and see that there’s more things than tennis.” That’s what happened.
We are willing to weather the storm of multiple failures to achieve a goal. We’re so convinced in the destination that we are able to let go of the reins and give it to God.
I was a professional tennis player in my teens. I played mostly in Europe. I was top 10 in the world in juniors, and then I messed up my back. I had three herniated discs and that put a stop to it.
I was looking to show people I could act. I was looking for something that would take me away from the whole hunk riding off into the sunset thing that people wanted me to play after Brown Sugar.
