My parents were in high school when I was born. My mom was 16, my dad was 17. They were kids, at the very beginning of coming into their own and finding themselves.

There was a sadness over me, a melancholy. That's always been a part of me - those are some of the things that lead you to the arts.

There are instances where you're in a space with someone who has been extraordinarily successful, and they don't necessarily connect with you as another person. You can be a prop for them to deliver their stuff, and you're just another element in the scene.

I'm not shy about trying to find what truth there is in any genre, whether that be an action piece, a sci-fi piece, a small indie film, or a play. I'm open to it all.

I do believe in the potential of like-minded people coming together.

The things that people won't totally accept come in all shapes and sizes and forms, and I can relate to that in my own youth.

I don't really compare any of the characters I play; I try to go into them being very open to what the characters can offer and what I can bring to them and then bring a being to life.

I think Don Cheadle has always done great work.

As young people, you want to see people who in some way look like you to some degree, because it makes it a little easier for you to aspire to take on the qualities of those people.

There are not enough going into production so that we can tout them. Look at 'Precious'... In order for them to stand out, they have to get made in the first place, and that's just not happening enough.

In my humble opinion, the ages 22 to about 27 are the most critical years of your adult life. It's your time to gestate in the cocoon of becoming.

As an actor, as you grow into where you fit in the industry, you're just trying to find the opportunities, hoping they grow and you get to do more.

I have to say goodbye to things in order to take on bigger things that I've always wanted to do.

What I think I learned from working on 'Moonlight' is you see what happens when you persecute people. They fold into themselves.

I've never seen 'Gone with the Wind.' I don't know if that's something to be embarrassed about, but I know that I should have seen that movie by now.

Social media has colonized what was once a sacred space occupied by emptiness: the space reserved for thought and creativity.

I always hope to be a better person tomorrow than today.

My father, Phillip Gilmore, was very talented. He was getting seriously into dancing. He was on 'Soul Train' and won $2,500. But the Bay Area was too small for him. I don't think he had the space to do what he needed to do.

We have no chance to comprehend what goes on there - it's so dramatic, and people are so poor. We all felt bad about being there. Filming in India felt like we were going to borrow something knowing that we were never going to give it back.

I don't necessarily prefer playing villains. I know a lot of people say they are more fun, but if the scriptwriter has done their work well, you can find something realistic in a villain and find the mistakes in a hero - it's all down to the writing.

I'm very proud of 'Valhalla Rising.'

It was never a plan to be an actor.

I love working back home, but it is a small country, and we do get tired of watching each other.

I like 'The Three Musketeers.' I like those kind of cool things where they were having a robe and a sword.