I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office.

I just try to be honest and true to the character and play the part.

We just had to stay out-of-the-way [in Fences]. [August Wilson] already wrote a masterpiece. And you really don't know how it's going to work until you get it in front of an audience.

I've just directed a film called The Great Debaters, which is inspired by a true story about a young college debating team in the thirties and two of those people are still alive and we put them on tape on the film and I'm sure that will be added to the DVD, and to get the opportunity to do that is very cool.

Viola [Davis] is one of the great actors of her generation. She has one of these moments in the theater that I don't even know how to describe.

It's not easy for me to admit that I've been standing in the same place for 18 years.

I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office.