My advice for anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps: create your own path, hone your talent, be ready to show your talent, and don't doubt yourself.

When I did 'Boyz N The Hood', I never thought how we grew up in South Central was interesting enough for a movie.

You become a writer on a television show, and you see yourself doing bigger and better things, you don't wait till they tell you, "Here's the way to do bigger and better things," you start writing. You start writing that material that you might be doing off to the side. Nobody's going to be paying you for that, but it could turn into something big.

If I only had 24 hours to live, I would spend the time telling everybody I love that I love them.

My movies work because not many people in Hollywood are like me.

I'm ready to run a studio. I'm ready to green light movies, and be in it to win it, you know? It's close. It'll happen.

I still want to put together bigger and better programs to work with the community. I still think I could do better on that end.