Quotes

I was given a lot of prestige as a distinguished black actor but very little power. They give prestige out by the buckets, but they give power by the teaspoon, just enough to stroke your ego.

Since I am not particularly pretty and I can't sing or dance, I started off in television with a lot of bit parts either as a black activist or some type of psychopathic heavy.

My whole philosophy is if you're going to do something enjoy it -- even if it's a part that's serious. I guess it's the irrepressible comedian in me. Although I must say I don't enjoy watching my work. I have tapes and tapes of things I've done that I keep meaning to watch, but I never seem to get around to them. It's just not something I do, sitting around watching my old movies and saying, "Gee, look at how thin I was then.".

[on Sounder (1972)] The love and devotion the Lee family expresses is what it is all about. This is the real black experience. In most black films, those cats don't show any humor or emotions. They just get in and out of bed.