Quotes

I know a lot of people who are weak, who are in a perpetual cycle of poverty and being locked up. There are guys from my neighborhood who are in jail or who are dead. It does take a certain strength to know your environment and say, 'I can grow beyond it.'

I love kids, outings, camping, sports, Legoland, all the Daddy stuff. I love it. I wish I could just do that, but I have to work, too.

I grew up in a rough environment. You want to be strong and have your presence felt out there. That attitude reflects how people see you.

I always try to bring a certain masculine presence to what I do. That is part of the dynamic.

Eating right has made the biggest difference in my body.

I've dated interracially a lot. I grew up in Harlem, so I've dated Latins, Dominican, Guyanese, Cuban, black, white.

I'm an avid watcher of the Nat Geo channel, where I watch shows about how the planets are formed, and shows about moons, quasars, black holes.

I'm a soccer dad at heart. I want five kids, and I want to get married. I want to coach Little League.

I tend to play more true-to-life characters in real situations.

I love working with Sally Field, and Steve Buscemi is one of the most giving, talented actors I've ever worked with.

Rap is definitely a youthful expression.

I've done 21 films in eight years, and I've said 'No' more times than I've done films.

It's always a pleasure when you get to work with people that you actually really like.

Once or twice a week, I try to do some kind of boxing. I'm hitting the bags and jumping rope - all that stuff.

There's no question that I'm African-American. OK? I'm a black man. We're not going to escape that.

When you're working and making money, that's all good, but there has to be something that provides a substance, I think.

With my first son I cut his umbilical cord and everything, so I'm a hands-on father, to say the least.

When break dancing was out, I break danced. When rapping was the thing, I freestyled rap on the street and battled and all that kind of stuff.

Actors look at life in a different way. When I meet people, I know that one day I may portray that person or someone like them. It may be a cop or a homeless guy. It helps you to pay more attention to people. Everyone I meet, I retain something from them, something from their personality. It helps me to portray realism in my work.

I don't really like hospitals that much. People are sick; sometimes it can be depressing. There's people going through a lot of pain in there. It has that funny smell.