There's something so familial and intimate between a boxer and his trainer.

I wasn't a great student, but I was interested in this theater thing, and I could spend hours in the library researching why the cuffs in the 18th century had four buttons. It was my handle.

My comfort zone has always been in an ensemble-type atmosphere.

I went to Brooklyn College as an education major. It was a big deal in the family, but really, I was living for Mom and Dad.

All my Latino side is from the Bronx.

Of course you draw from yourself, but the artistic nourishment you want to get is be versatile, do something different, and I think I got a chance to do that in a lot of different ways.

It just makes you feel proud, more than anything else, that the work has in some way transcended itself.

For minority actors, developing our own projects has to be the eventual path. We have a lot of stories to tell and a really unique voice. But none of that is going to be heard as long as we're just the hired hands, acting.

I started out in the theater, and my background is classical. I'd love to be in a film version of a Shakespeare play.

Just give me a good role that allows me to hone my craft, and I am a pretty happy camper.

I grew up in New York City, and I've got wonderful memories of the Fourth of July fireworks.

As an actor, you think to yourself, 'I want to do good work,' but you also want the work that you do to make an impact in some way.

The Fourth of July concert is invigorating in so many ways, in terms of what it feels like to be an American.

Media images are so important to young people feeling positive about themselves.

I don't want to have the bounds put on me in terms of mediums.

When you're doing 22 shows on network television, the writers are going on vapors towards the end and, as an actor, you're just trashed by the end.

We're at a point right now in our development in this country - setting the immigration issue aside - that you can't ignore the sheer population of us in metropolitan areas all across the country, of how significant Latino-ness is in the United States.

The Latino population has become such a presence. We are part of the American tapestry in a very profound way, in every area you can think of, and are very significant in popular culture.

As an actor and as a performer, I've felt that the education system has really helped me in a lot of ways... there was always a teacher or a professor along the way that kept pushing me to the next stage.

California has been very good to me in terms of the professional arena.

At first, I took theater courses on the side. Then, theater became my minor; then it was my major.

Latino people have come up to me and said they were motivated to become a lawyer because they saw me play one on TV - and you can't discount how great it is when they tell me I was the first.

I've been in California for about 15 years now. You're always in your car and insulated. I miss New York so much.

There's show business, and the business is sometimes in capital letters. You just have to give it your best shot when up at bat.

There are no right and wrong ways to work in this business, but there are some basic common-sense practices. Work very, very hard and always be prepared; never give up; and once you get the job, give them more than they ever expected: - Shine!

I've been told that I wasn't Latino enough, which was code for 'street' enough.

I've been lucky because I've had wonderful teachers along the way who have nurtured and pushed me to the next level.

When I grew up, we went to Coney Island and Central Park. We'd find our way to the water and watch the fireworks.

Celebrity hits like a bomb.

I'm an actor. I love to act. That's my job. I'll leave the politicking to others.

I've been very lucky to work on a wide variety of projects, including two long-run and top-10 dramatic television shows. That is why it is so important to offer a helping hand to the next generation of young Latinos coming up behind me.

I like the gypsy aspect of this business.

I never thought television would or could be a long-term commitment.

If you're afraid to live your life in a glass bubble, how can you do what we do in this industry?

In my college years, I worked as a union labor organizer. I was just one of the many workers trying to do my part to help the community.

When we are out there selling a new picture, when did it become part of the deal that you have to sell the family? To use the juicy part of your life to get attention? I'm not blaming the reporters. It's the system.

Education is the key in so many ways.

If you're given gifts or blessings in your life, it's up to you to help the guy coming up behind you.

I've always strived to keep mixing it up, keep doing different things, and work in all different parts of our business.

I'm not a policy wonk - I'm somewhere between being undecided and a surrogate.

I save the rage for the stage.

Unfortunately, considering that we Latinos are really big for movie companies when they have blockbuster releases or new cable shows, when it comes to the dynamic of supporting our own product, it leaves much to be desired.

When you have celebrity, it's a whole different thing than being an artist.

I had opportunities to stay on shows for long periods of time, and maybe financially that would have been good, but I feel good about trying to keep doing things that are a little bit different than what I've done.

I couldn't see myself doing a traditional sitcom.

I worked on a show called 'West Wing' before. I didn't work with Aaron Sorkin, but he created the show and set the tenor of the show, which was you follow the words of the script perfectly because there's a dramaturgical thing behind it.

I'm socially awkward in life, and that's one of the reasons why I do what I do. I'm more about interpreting other people's words.

Michael C. Hall is an incredibly detailed actor who can convey so much with just an eyebrow.

The hits and the misses. I just want to keep the at-bats solid.

The friendships I made on 'L.A. Law,' with the cast and Steven Bochco and David Kelley were really wonderful.