I grew up in the South but I started dancing in my twenties when I got out of the Air Force, and studying dance, you're surrounded by gay guys all the time. You get to know them and you have to shift gears!

If you live a life of make-believe, your life isn't worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge, because it's life or death.

The main thing about awards in movies is that they can serve as an economic surge for the film. If you're movie gets nominated for any award it does it a big favour. People might go and see it again... they won't give up on it.

I was lucky in that when the opportunity came, I was prepared to meet it.

Audiences believe what you believe. It's a matter of believing yourself. If I believe me, then you've got no choice. None at all.

I think the best thing somebody ever did to me was my mother opening her legs and squirting me out.

I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history.