“We all gonna die eventually from something or other, but don’t be a wimp. Put up a good fight.”

Visiting the hospital, visiting the kids with cancer, visiting the adults, and stuff like that. That’s what I do.

When I was nine years old, living on the south side of Chicago, my father was a minister and my mother used to scrub floors.

I am a tough guy.

To have a comeback, you have to have a setback.

If you look at my job, my union card, it says ‘actor.’ It don’t say nothing about celebrity, movie star, nothing like that, and that’s one thing that keeps me humble.

Gold was a gift to Jesus. If it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me!

If people are cool, then they are not stressed. I pity the fool that don’t be cool.

I used to tell her some man gave me $10 to sweep out the yard. I was like Robin Hood. I took from the rich and gave to the poor. Me.

When I’m in the house of God, I don’t wear my jewelry, if you’re looking for my jewelry. All you see is my heart of gold.

And I say that to send a message to all the young thugs out there; that it’s nothing to be ashamed of to say you love your mother.

I hold the door for the ladies – I’m a gent.

Back in the day, I would wear up to 45 pounds of gold. It would take me four hours to get dressed!

I have the Midas touch, in the way that when I hook up with a project, I feel, not speaking cocky or conceited, but there’s a confidence I have.

If you get knocked down – setbacks in life, like applying for a job if they don’t hire you – keep trying, keep getting up, keep doing it.

In high school, I majored in brick masonry.

You pity the fool because you don’t want to beat up a fool! You know, pity is between sorry and mercy. See, if you pity him, you know, you won’t have to beat him up. So that’s why I say fools, you gotta give another chance because they don’t know no better. That’s why I pity them!

Early on in my career, I remember running – fleeing – to the theater as a way of coping with all the meshugaas that was going on for me.

All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.

All I am is what I’m going after.

If you get all tangled up, just tango on.

I very rarely read any fiction. I love biographies; I read about all kinds of people.

Even if all the cattle on the range look pretty much alike.

I go all over the world, I have access to many things, many people, many places and it’s wonderful. But now I’m at a point where.

The harder you work, the luckier you get” is true in all things.