There was this rapper from New Orleans, Mystikal, who when I hear his music, I hear myself. Whenever I wanna get hyped, I put on Mystikal.
As actors, the great thing about our career is we get to change from role to role. I don't want to be known as "put him in the movie because he has nice abs" guy.
If you look at the true essence of the Black Panthers, they were more of a community protection group.
It's hard sometimes when you're in a regular high school, you just feel like the odd kid out. The great thing about going to an art school [is] it's kind of like it's all the odd kids. It's all the kids that don't fit in at their regular schools, because you're into something and excited about something that other kids really aren't into. When you go to art school, everybody's kind of on the same page.
Even though homelessness reaches into the depths of despair, there's also a pride and beauty in it, as well.
I'm not Martin Luther King. I can't be Martin Luther King. The only thing I can do is present what I feel the essence of Martin Luther King is.
For me, Christmas is about family, loving, forgiveness, compassion, understanding and comradery.
I work out every day just to keep in shape. I feel like I never want to get stuck in a position where when you need somebody with great arms, you call Anthony Mackie. That hasn't been the calling card for my career, and nor do I want it to be.
Hollywood's a business, and until someone puts their finger on you and decides you're the guy who's going to carry that movie, it's not going to happen.
People fight for their regulars. It gets dirty sometimes.
I did this movie with Spike Lee called Sucker Free City, and that would have to be my favorite role by far. It was just so much fun to work with Spike and shoot in San Francisco.
I'm a poet. I'm just a renaissance man in my heart. I can build shelves and I can write poetry.
I'm not Josh Brolin or Ryan Gosling. They're more noir than I.
If the acting don't work out, I'll have a future in construction.
If I get the opportunity to be an actor and do some cool, fun and interesting projects, I'm going to do that.
Do you want to be an actor, or do you want to be a celebrity? I made that decision when I went to Juilliard. I wanted to be an actor. So, if I get the opportunity to be an actor and do some cool, fun and interesting projects, I’m going to do that.
It's because the idea of what's cool is different. When you talk to a girl who goes to regular school, what's cool is whether or not you've been to jail, or if you have a car. If you talk to a girl who goes to art school, what's cool to her is if you do art projects on the weekend with your dad, if you can build something - out-of-the-norm stuff.
I would love to be a superhero.
The stage is my first love.
Money always changes the game, when you let a dollar come between you and your friends, your cohorts.
I went to school and made good grades and went to college. So I was afforded an opportunity through my parents' hard work that most people don't have.
In New Orleans, where I'm from, the average household income, with two working parents, two kids, a dog and a little fence is $16,000 a year, so $15,000 for a movie sounds pretty good.
What was funny, going to the gym, you see all these guys who are just massive. There's no way a person can naturally get that way. In the gym, you meet these guys and you talk to them, and everybody's really willing and open to explain to you what cycle they're on and to help you get on it.
I'm happy to be an Avenger!
At Juilliard, I couldn't afford to have fun. I went to school and stayed home.
