You want entertainment in general, every aspect of it, to be more of a reflection of the diverse world that we live in.

Cultures and races are mixing in a very organic way in the world, and that should be reflected in film and television.

I wanted to take on my full name, which was sort of a crazy thing to do considering that we're in Hollywood.

I think if you have any desire to be a leading man or to really carry some of these stories, there's this relationship that has to be cultivated with an audience. People have to be able to say your name.

Marvel has such a huge slice of the pie.

At a certain point in my career, I was probably having a difficult time 'holding space.' So you get a character that has to be commanding in order for him to resonate and make sense.

The call for diversity is about recognizing that in order to be in the conversation come awards season, it goes back to the content that is being produced.

When you have these surprise breakout films that do well, that have good performances in them, it puts a lot of pressure on the Academy to recognize those projects, so it's more of a conversation about what is greenlit.

I think #OscarsSoWhite is about there not truly being enough people of color represented.

Hollywood has to be a better reflection of the world we live in.

Come on, we would be foolish to say that there's never been African-American leads in some capacity, people of color in some capacity, leading shows or what have you. But it hasn't happened enough and in a manner that is an accurate reflection of the world that we live in.

'Luke Cage' is about a reluctant superhero who lives in the shadows in Harlem. He has to decide if he's going to step up and fight for the heart of the city and defend the people against Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes, my character, who kinda wants to keep everything in order and intact. I'm the criminal element in the story.

In thinking about it, the villains often have a little bit more range because their morality is different. You can have just a really good time as an actor, and there is just more there that you can explore on that side of the story.

If you're throwing someone off a roof, you're throwing them off the roof. It's there. You don't have to do anything extra with that. The audience is obviously going to react to that because it's such a heightened thing to do. But in the other moments, you really look for ways to craft those, because they're more important, honestly.

I don't have a wallet. I carry my driver's license and a couple of credit cards in my phone. That, and a money clip.

The people that I admire have a wonderful balance of self-belief and humility.

There's nothing fun about 30 people standing around watching you, like, pretend to pleasure someone. Nothing enjoyable about it, believe me.

I've been working almost 20 years, and I think I've worked with maybe one black director of photography in that time. Maybe two women directors or DPs. Maybe. And I've done a lot of TV. That's a lot of people I've worked with.

I'd never been around or seen a black showrunner, and in some ways you wish that it wasn't a big deal.

'Free State of Jones' went beyond that. It got into how the South wasn't as homogenous as we thought it was - or even the North for that matter, where we like to assume everyone wanted to free the slaves and they were all abolitionists. It actually shows how complex these ideologies were on both sides.

Now, being one who lived in the era of Obama, there are so many markers of improvement made. It's hard to be mindful of that, in the same way you're going, 'Oh everything's cool now!' and it isn't. But I try to be mindful of how much of an improvement there has been because that gives hope. You need hope. I need hope!

When I was growing up, I was told you could be anything you want to be, but I didn't really believe that because you couldn't be president. Like, I knew that; we never had a black president.

Kids feel like they have to puff up or shrink. These reclusive qualities begin to develop because you feel that who you are is going to either be accepted or rejected by your family and friends.

I know someone from growing up who is in jail right now for the rest of his life, but he was one of the sweetest people I ever knew.

People do bad things, but that doesn't mean they don't have other colors or qualities.

I approach things from my feeling first. I have to get a feel for the character. I'll do that through music; I'll do it through what is naturally popping up for me when I read the script. My ideas or whatever the occupation of the character might be.

There's this Method Man album called 'Tical.' It's his first album. I would just listen to that every day, because the album feels like, if it were a film, it would be black and white. It feels like there's a war percolating throughout the album itself. It's dark, and it has a nice forward pace to it.

I always felt that Jay Z, if he had a different upbringing, could be on Wall Street or in politics. If you really listen to Jay Z talk, he's kind of the smartest guy in the room.

Family are the people that can hurt you the most.

People will burn through a show in two or three days, and then you're left feeling empty for 51 weeks.

I thought, 'I've been doing this for 16 years professionally. I have a window where I want to play leading parts.'

Coming off 'House of Cards,' playing someone so straight-laced, I was getting offered a lot of F.B.I. agents.

You can't watch 'Daredevil' or 'Jessica Jones' or the Marvel films and not be aware that the villain has to be awesome. I've always wanted to have more space. And the scope, morally, is more broad for the villain than the hero.

'Moonlight' is a project that resonated with me more than anything else. I wouldn't have done 'Luke Cage' if they hadn't made time for 'Moonlight.'

Gautham was a premature baby. I remember when doctors said that his health condition was critical, I was tense. I could afford the treatment, but a lot of commoners can't. I believe more children's lives can be saved if we work towards it.

Stress and looks are directly connected as far as I am concerned. If you are happy, you look good.

In modern life, we tend to forget family values because of the hectic schedule.

I work out every day - and my daily routine is a mix of functional and strength training.

I am a shy person, basically. I don't think I can take my shirt off in front of so many people. I never thought about it. No one asked me to. But I don't even know if people like it if they see me without a shirt all of a sudden. But let's see, if a film demands it, I might just do it.

The only thing I have learnt over the years is that if you enjoy your work and put in the best efforts, it will show. If you follow this process, things work out. But if you go chasing a formula, success will elude you.

In fitness, there are no short cuts. It involves immense discipline and hard work.

I don't have any dream role. I give my 100% to every character I play, and when the film clicks, it automatically becomes a dream role.

Men who are not loyal to their wives are foolish.

Yes, 'Aagadu' was a failure. I was dejected for a couple of months, since there was a lot at stake.

I struggled to kick the habit - I would make a decision to give up smoking, but it was hard. I couldn't resist the urge to steal a smoke. It was at that time that I was gifted Allen Carr's book 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.' After I read that book, I didn't touch a fag again.

I am very close to my brother Ramesh Babu. When my father was away for shootings, my brother would take care of me, and I am very close to him, and yes, Dad's always special. He used to call me and enquire about my film's progress. Whenever I deliver a hit, I can see a glow on my father's face.

You see, at 25, I was very new to my craft. I was raw as an actor; my exposure was limited... No matter what field you are in, experience adds to your personality.

I'm very thankful to all my fans for their constant love and support. I am what I am because of their unconditional love.

Everyone should change; otherwise, you can't grow as a person in life.

My father is my inspiration.