When you go to a restaurant, the less you know about what happens in the kitchen, the more you enjoy your meal.

Having been born and raised in Washington, D.C., you kind of absorb politics when you grow up. And it continues to be a focus of mine, probably more than what is healthy for me.

And it's one reason why I don't go to a lot of movies - they're more and more dominated by corporate values and fiscal concerns as opposed to cinematic concerns.

Shaft was a pop culture figure along t he lines of, I guess, Dirty Harry - except that he wasn't as much of a racist. So yeah, I was always a fan.

New York is the greatest character actor ever. Any film that is shot in New York is elevated by the city.

Some musicians play blues, others classical jazz or bluegrass. I like to play political roles because I can merge my political interests with my creative interests.

I like New York because you're kind of forced to smell everybody else's funk. So it keeps you biologically attached to the world around you.