"I'm a proud Ellington alum. It has everything to do with who I am."
"I don't have a problem showing vulnerability."
"We're human beings trying to love each other. There are constant revelations and room for growth."
"People have no concept of boundaries."
"My mother and father were visionaries in Pittsburgh, part of that collective of people who were creative and active together, and I am a product of that community and those relationships."
"Pittsburgh is home. I was born there, and it will always have priority in that respect."
"Throughout my career, I wouldn't say my roles have been based on my being considered eye candy."
"No one likes to be typecast, but I would like to believe that the attention I get is for my acting, but at the same time, darn it, if I get to keep playing the handsome, smart guy, then that's also a blessing, and it's the last thing I would complain about."
"I play real men that I can identify with. I have a lot of guys tell me that they relate to me because I represent the real, everyday dudes."
"When all is said and done, I want to die exhausted and empty because I gave everything that was in me. I believe that's why we're all here: to give of ourselves to one another to help create a better world, because you can't take it with you."
"Black people are not often considered mainstream."
"My ability to bring different characters to life is what has helped me advance in my career, and I would say as far as looks are concerned, well, I suppose that would be the icing on the cake, but acting comes first and foremost."
"I still play ball competitively because it helps keep me stay in shape."
"I'm all about black folks working together and progressing together."
"This is America, and everybody has the right to voice and to have an opinion and to have their commentary on things and people."
"It's great to go to work and your boss is a black man, one of your peers, you know?"
"Just take one small victory at a time."
"I don't like a whole lot of flash and superficial stuff; I want a woman that's all-natural, in her purest form."
"The perfect date is real simple. I wanna just spend a nice casual day walking in the park, playing on the swings... throwing bread crumbs to the ducks, really just chilling and getting to know each other and connecting with the real woman."
"I'm especially honored that The Black Gents will debut Off-Broadway and pay tribute to The Tuskegee Airmen and other ancestors of that time who have embodied excellence, self-determination, and self-discipline."
"Everybody is important. Everybody has something to give."
"A part of growing up in this international world is understanding and being prepared and having tools to adapt outside of the small environment that you may have come from. That's what education is all about."
"I wanted to create a line for women and men alike that would encourage them to embrace the harmony and divine balance of sensuality and spirituality within all of us. Forplai is an opportunity to not only smell good and feel good, but to also take time to connect with the heavens above and the god in you."
"There's no greater source of happiness than giving yourself to other people."
"As an actor, you're not a person; you're a product, a commodity. It's about money. Your job is about making money for other people. At some point, you learn how to be on the other side of that table. You write, direct, produce, and create opportunity for yourself. Then you start to make money for yourself."
