What we did [shooting "Fences"] was we got young students from Carnegie Mellon, the acting and theater students, and we had them as our understudies. I told them, "You have to be off book and be ready. If Viola [Davis] has to leave you have to jump in."

I'm not a film buff. I don't watch a lot of movies.

I pray that you all put your shoes way under the bed at night so that you gotta get on your knees in the morning to find them. And while you're down there thank God for grace and mercy and understanding. We all fall short of the glory, we all got plenty.

I try to encourage actors to work harder off screen because that's where you find things.

I always say the time to worry about flying is when you're on the ground. If you don't trust the captain, don't go.

It could be that it's not that different. Circumstances, no matter what the color is, could be similar.

I never really had the classic struggle. I had faith.