'Brooklyn's Finest,' this is the kind of movie that's why I want to be an actor, to tell real-life stories. This is where I feel my job is, to interpret life.

You don't need other people to affirm that you're a valuable person.

I've always been drawn to the best writing that I can find. I don't care if it's in movies or theater or whatever - if you want to be in front of an audience, you have to do writing you believe in.

I don't know what has happened to movies, but lately every movie is at least 20 minutes too long. It used to be that if you were three hours long it was because it was epic - a movie about Gandhi; something with very important subject matters.

Whenever a really passionate, talented filmmaker seems to have an interest in me, I take it very seriously because I like to work.

My process differs... my process for a Richard Linklater film is very different than a process for Training Day.

There's something about knowing life is finite that makes it so precious.