All the craft skills that I have, I feel like I developed and honed in drama school. It's the most important thing for me.

When you're playing Shakespeare, it forces you to think and feel and speak all at the same time, which really is what acting is. It expands your imagination and expands your size of thinking.

You have to see through one's faults before you see their need.

[Theater] has always been a big focus. I have been away from it for the past few years. I want to get back to it!

I had a cheat sheet because I knew Tarell [Alvin McCraney]. His movie is largely autobiographical. I knew about certain events in his life and some of the people he talks about. I had visited the place where he lived many times so I understood innately what that was.

Working on Shakespeare and learning about Shakespeare was the big takeaway for me.

Historically it has been a touchy subject, especially in the south where I am from, people don't really talk about it. If they do talk about it, it is often talked about negatively. Nowadays in light of the Black Lives Matter movement I think people should pay attention to these lives also. I think the Black community will really embrace the film [Moonlight]. It is about us. It is real.