American slavery was not a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It was a holocaust. My ancestors are slaves. Stolen from Africa. I will honor them.

I had a great education. From kindergarten to John Dewey High School in Coney Island, I am public-school educated.

You have to do the research. If you don't know about something, then you ask the right people who do.

Everything I do is always scrutinised. But that's all I'll say about that.

I think the best actors in the world are here in New York City. And this city is just so vibrant the energy is just phenomenal. Great crews here. All the technicians, all the artists that work in this industry. I've just been very happy with the body that we've been able to do, especially those films we shot here in New York City.

Everybody does what they want to do for their own specific reasons.

I like to work with the same people when I can, and you want to get people with the same interests that you have, and the same aesthetic.