Fundamentally, we all want the same thing. We want to love. We want to be loved, and we want to matter.
Once you have a felony conviction on your record, one of the most difficult things to do is to break the cycle of recidivism.
My father, obviously, and my mother were inspirations. My uncle, Frank Harper, he was an absolute mentor for me.
My father passed from cancer in 2000; his brother died of cancer before that. My grandfather died of cancer.
When I was dealing with cancer, I was working on a book about finances. I realized that the same methodology that the doctors were using to cure me, you could use to cure your finances. Health and wealth are so linked, it's amazing.
Change happens from the bottom up - all of us as individuals deciding that we will and we do have an impact.
Let me tell you, if you're ever making a decision and the principle reason you'll do it is because of money, then it is absolutely the incorrect decision.
Money is important. It is an important resource to have to help us build the life we want, but we overvalue it.
When it comes to African Americans and African American actors, Hollywood has always felt that if you can make us laugh, that's fine, but we don't need to see you do a 'Schindler's List,' where there's no jokes or music or comedic through-line.
I would suggest that folks who have a platform of so-called celebrity, to the extent that they don't use that platform, or if they just use it for their own self-aggrandizement, it is certainly fed in a way that it goes to waste.
The best way to protect young black, brown, men of color, women of color, is to actually stop profiling, stop the prejudice, and stop the judgment first.
I'm not the biggest star in the world, but I do have a platform, and if I can use that platform to help somebody else, why wouldn't I?
Dr. King said, 'We are all tied together in a garment of mutual destiny.' Which says to me no matter how well I may be doing in Hollywood, if a young brother or sister in Louisiana, the South Bronx, the South Side of Chicago, South Central Los Angeles - is not doing well, then I'm not doing very well.
You're in a situation where you have limited education opportunities, you don't have any money, you can't get a job; what are you going to do? You're going to go back to this criminal network that you actually made while you were in prison.
You can live a healthy lifestyle and do the best to be aware of your body and conscious, and that's what I attempt to do.
I studied theater in college, and I absolutely knew that I loved acting, and I knew that I loved theater.
I believe we all have the capacity to be masters of many things, and there's nothing that we can't do. You can be a great actor and also be a great writer. There's so many things that all of us have the capacity to do. But somehow, life tries to convince us that we'd be lucky to do even one thing well, and I disagree.
There are so many actors that I meet that don't act enough. Definitely take class, definitely train - that's the most important thing you do. Build your craft. Become better.
On the male side of my family, cancer has been very insidious, and so I'm just attempting to live a lifestyle that doesn't follow in their footsteps.
I'm not excusing crime or those who bring poison into the community, but I do want brothers and sisters in prison to know someone cares.
I don't want the George Clooney lifelong bachelorhood. If I found the right person, I would commit in a minute.
The thing about our country, Americans, and New Yorkers in particular, we all want to help. There's real folks who want to help. The problem is, they don't know how. They don't know how to get involved.
Many of us are walking around living smaller lives than we're meant to live. Don't allow yourself to dream smaller than you were meant to dream.
So many of our young women today, they're growing up without a father, but they're still thirsty for that and desiring positive male love.
People always want to think that because you're not from a certain circumstance, you can't relate. That's ridiculous.
I think, without question, the way someone plays sports shows something about inherently who they are, you know?
There's a wealth gap that is happening, and that is all over the world, you know? The rich are getting richer and holding a higher percentage of money or wealth that's out there.
Part of the problem I find with money books is that there's this whole set of money books that make you feel almost guilty to spend a dollar.
I've been trying to make a difference as an actor. I want to play characters that move people, have them look at their lives differently, or give them an escape.
If you have a debt issue or credit card issue, start dealing with it. If you have a tax issue, don't just say, 'I'm not going to file.' There are ways to deal with these things, but you must communicate with your creditors, whether it's a credit card company or tax department.
The media is convincing people that if you have that 'next thing,' that diamond, the right car, then you'd be happier.