A friend of mine had his own theatre company, and he jumped me in like I was in a gang. And once I came in, it was just that simple. For the first time in my life, I felt, 'This is a career, this is a life that I think I can grow old doing.' It was love at first sight. I loved being on stage and reading these plays. It was great.

I started acting at the University of Michigan in my sophomore year.

My father contracted polio on a troop train in Korea.

I wanted to be a leading man - the black lawyer, the black doctor, the black policeman.

A friend of mine had his own theatre company, and he jumped me in like I was in a gang. And once I came in, it was just that simple. For the first time in my life, I felt, 'This is a career, this is a life that I think I can grow old doing.' It was love at first sight. I loved being on stage and reading these plays. It was great.

I never wanted to lose out on an acting job and wonder if I hadn't been trained enough.

America is grappling with cultural diversity, and I just want to put a show on that represents the world in which I live.