When you know who you are, you know who you are. That's the real dangerous thing in Hollywood, because they all want to create you and mold you.

I've never seen anyone more messed up over success than Richard Pryor. For him, it's a constant battle between success in the white world and keeping it real for his black self.

When they were making black films in the '60s and the '70s, everyone knew their place, if you get my drift. You understand? Everyone knew the rules, and everyone knew their place. Everyone knew what to say. They had the written rules in Hollywood film, and the unwritten rules.

Hollywood doesn't even have respect for itself. Hollywood lies to itself.

If you're happy with what you're doing, then you don't get bored.

We have a lot of black Anglo-Saxons. Their skin is black, but their brain is white. When I get real mad at them, I call them graham crackers.

I'm as American as apple pie.