I was pretty much consumed by this character. Even when I was off, I was continually searching to find something else new about [Idi] Amin, and to embed myself deeper into the culture to the point that, in the end, I was so entrenched that I could tell what tribe someone was from just by looking at them.

We have to not just open our eyes to what's going on in other places; we need to open our eyes to what's going on right in front of us.

I really wasn't even sure if I should continue acting. I would like try and figure out if I could be good enough to do it. It was like 10 or 12 years into my career before I felt like maybe I can do it. It was such a different time than now.

I started by studying Kiswahili to learn the dialect. Then, I studied tapes, documentaries, footage, and audio cassettes of Idi Amin's speeches. And I met with his brothers, his sisters, his ministers, his generals' all kinds of people, in order to try to understand him.

It's a unique experience when you're doing an independent film where you have one person who puts up all the funds to make the film.

I do believe there's life other than on our planet.

I certainly don' think I could've played the character [Idi Amin] the same way without being in Uganda. I loved working in Uganda.