We're always trailing, as far as the amount of roles that are written for us and the films that are being made that have black characters in them. I don't know if that's going to change.

The best thing that I learned from the best directors that I worked with is that the best answer wins. They are ego-less when it comes to doing the most important thing.

I was brought into the curiosity of it because with Sony Pictures Classics, which bought the movie, they look into what the feedback is and base that off of how they release it, and you end up hearing the feedback and getting that early talk. So the reviews early on that were "bad reviews," they were kind of reviewing another movie.

Kids clearly help center you because you can't impress your kids. People are like, "Oh, are they so excited because you're Ironman?" My kids couldn't care less. They like it when I hang out and play dad. I impress them by playing video games with them and doing well. Your kids humble you.

I've been doing this since I was 10 years old, inhabiting different people and playing different roles.

I also believe that you are what you have to defend, and if you're a black man that's always going to be the bar against which you are judged, whether you want to align yourself with those themes or not. You can think of yourself as a colourless person, but nobody else is gonna.

I've never been a part of a film before that offers such a platform into real issues, that raises social awareness and has the potential to change things.