“I didn’t come to Hollywood. Hollywood came to me. A lot of people wish they could say the things I say. Everyone out here is so phony, it’s sickening.”

I learned that from Muhammad Ali; I used to bodyguard him. He taught me about confidence. So when it comes to any job I work, I’m gonna do it good; I’m going to bring it over the top.

My mother never cursed at home; my father never cursed at home. My father didn’t drink. Even though we were poor, we would say a blessing over the table. So that’s who I am.

God is on my side, and that’s all I need. I get up in the morning.

Obama’s not Jesus. He can’t walk on water.

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!

On the Greek frontier, one wasn’t sure what came next. So, don’t trust the telephone. Or the newspapers. Or the radio. Or tomorrow.

John Moncur has been much more effective since he came on

I started to itch to do a play again and ‘Macbeth’ came to the surface in my mind. I never thought I would do it in a conventional way. A sweaty Macbeth with blood on his arms coming in fresh from the battle doesn’t interest me.

My experience came before most of you were born.

For many years my acting came from a place of surmounting some enormous obstacle.

My writing always came out of a very personal place, out of an attempt to stay sane.

O Lord, Your forgiveness came out greater.

Bitterness: anger that forgot where it came from.