I know nothing of what it is to be a gangster.

My dream role is to portray someone like James Baldwin. I've always been a fan of his writing, and I feel like he's one of our unsung heroes. He's been pretty much forgotten, and I think he needs to be recognized. He had to go all the way to Europe to find recognition and acceptance, and I'd just like to bring him to the forefront.

I'm looking for diversity, all my characters may or may not be on the wrong side of the tracks. It doesn't mean that they're all the same.

If you've ever felt oppressed on any level, there's something from 'The Wire' that you can take and identify with.

My dancing came about as a way to be cool, actually. I knew early on that I was not a street kid. I didn't have the moxie, what it took to run the streets with the dudes that I grew up wanting to emulate. But I had a huge need to be accepted, so I found that I could be the party king. I did drugs really well, and I partied really well.

My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will happen from there.

The most successful people reach the top not because they are free of limitations, but because they act in spite of their limitations