All of a sudden I got a call the night of the first time we were filming and they're like, "Terry, we made a mistake. We need you to be you. You're not a joke with these guys and you're not mousy, you're very aggressive. Now it just so happens that you're going through these things, but we need you to be more physical in your role."
Terry CrewsI had a party to raise money, spent 15 grand on the party alone. People ate, drank and left. I thought all these bigwig ballplayers would give; you know I had all the big players come. Nothing, I lost money on that party. I think maybe someone put like $400 in the pot or something. I was like come on, throw me a bone!
Terry CrewsIf you look at the parts I've played and the movies I've done... I mean you have to work with the stereotype. The stereotype gets you paid, it gets you in the business. If they're looking for a white housewife, they're going to go for Joan Cusack.
Terry CrewsMy mantra is "I don't want to let anybody down." Maybe that's not the right attitude, because you can't please everybody. But I'm giving it everything I've got.
Terry CrewsBut think about how evil that is for one man to think that he's actually more valuable than a woman, because as a human being your worth is immeasurable.
Terry CrewsI feel like we need to make new superheroes, African-American superheroes, that people would accept.
Terry CrewsI constantly get out of my comfort zone. Looking cool is the easiest way to mediocrity. The coolest guy in my high school ended up working at a car wash. Once you push yourself into something new, and whole new world of opportunities opens up. But you might get hurt. In fact you WILL get hurt. But amazingly when you heal - you are somewhere you've never been.
Terry CrewsI would always be painting and drawing. If I was stuck at home, I was in the basement working on a painting.
Terry CrewsI'm actually a perpetual 13-year-old. I've never advanced beyond 13. Every day, tomorrow is my 14th birthday. That's my kind of humor.
Terry CrewsYou haven't experienced anything until you've been to Africa. You know the world is bigger than you are after you see Africa.
Terry CrewsI kind of put myself out there a lot just because I trust the people I'm working with. You have to see what works and what doesn't. Sometimes it's not my job to find that out, it's just my job to do what the character calls for. And if you change the character I'll do that too.
Terry Crews[Miss] Piggy was amazing, I was nervous because I wrote our opening. I wrote the song, wrote what we were going to do. And first I was hoping that they would approve it, because they're not playing.
Terry CrewsBy myself, I'm a hard pill. My wife makes me look real good, because she smoothes my rough edges. That's why I say, "Take your wife everywhere. It's a good thing."
Terry CrewsNever stop being YOU. I am out to be the best ME I can be. Do what you LOVE and you will be badass.
Terry CrewsTimidity has no place in a major action movie. You have to know how to take your moments. Sometimes walking out the door is just walking out the door. But when it's your moment, you have to go for it.
Terry CrewsSportsCenter? You watch it and I didn't miss one thing. Chris Berman, they give you the whole rundown. I'm like wow. And I go in there and I walk in the next day, I know everything. They'll be like, "Oh did you see that?" I'd be like "Yeah I did," but it didn't take five hours.
Terry CrewsThe only thing intimidating about Cube is that he's the father of gangsta' rap. You just worry about getting your lines right, or he might shoot you.
Terry CrewsNever let anyone define you. You are the only person who defines you. No one can speak for you. Only you speak for you. You are your only voice.
Terry CrewsYou have to empathize with your children. If you love them, you never really get too angry with them when they make a mistake, because kids are expected to make mistakes. Having children, you start to see yourself through them.
Terry CrewsI'll never forget my worst business decision. I bought a Nissan Pathfinder with my first signing bonus. I didn't even have a place to live, but I bought a car. Not a smart move but, believe me, I learned from that mistake.
Terry CrewsI was always more of a film guy than an athlete guy. I had an art scholarship at Western.
Terry CrewsI was a sports nut. I stayed after school probably three hours every day - from fall, to winter, to spring. I went from football to basketball to track and it started all over again. I loved all of it. I just loved being an athlete and all that it entailed. It really accounts for who I am.
Terry CrewsI just see the opportunities and I go for them. I don't want to play my career safe. I've had my successes and I've had a few failures, too. But you just keep going and do the best that you can. That's what I've learned.
Terry CrewsThe difference between me and Tiny Lister is that he has never been the greatest actor, he hasn't been able to do a lot of big talking parts in movies, or even... he kind of has one emotion. He never looks at his career as an obstacle, he only looks at the positives. He's done... he knows, he has an opportunity. I mean, you see in a script, "Tiny Lister" type, you know you've made your mark. I mean on Friday After Next, that's what everyone expected me to be the new Tiny because it was that sort of part to fill that role, but if you look at the movie, there was a lot more there.
Terry CrewsAnd remember how he wrote the first Rocky in a few days, and wouldn't sell the script even though he was starving, because they wanted to put somebody else in the lead role. To see what he's accomplished, dog, that's what it's all about.
Terry CrewsThere's drama in everything. That's why I love movies. Like Welcome to the Dollhouse, I'm a 350-pound black man, and I could understand what it was like to be a little white girl.
Terry CrewsThere was definitely a pecking order, and when Stallone walked in, we were like, "All hail!" He came in with his big forearms, pointing and telling everybody where he wanted the cameras with his big cigar ablazing, and you just go, "This is Stallone!" with admiration, because none of us would be here without this guy. That's the thing, he changed movies forever
Terry CrewsI have to say, Any Given Sunday was good, but it was too ambitious. You can't do everything in three hours. It went on through ownership issues, quarterback issues, the running back issues, LT issues, and all that, even the coach issues. It was too much. Whereas, Playmakers says, Yeah, you got all those problems, but my god, you're playing football, you're doing the best thing in the world. You're playing football, you're having fun, you're getting paid to play a game. Well, with all the bad things about Hollywood all the drug use, all that, it's still a pretty good life.
Terry CrewsWhen you have writers who recognize they're making a wrong turn and correct it, I knew I was in good hands.
Terry CrewsI always stay in the urban comedy genre because it just never gets old. It's one of those things that people watch, again and again. This is that kind of movie. It gives you longevity.
Terry CrewsI have the greatest appreciation for [producers] Matt Alvarez and Ice Cube. They put me in Friday after Next, and now this, which I hope is just the start of a long, wonderful relationship. I love the urban comedies, because they keep you famous, keep you having fun, and keep you in love with the business. Those are my roots. I'll always love doing those.
Terry CrewsI'm not guaranteeing that if you work hard you'll be able to duplicate my success. But in America, if you work hard, you just might. I'm a perfect example of that.
Terry CrewsA lot of times people are too ego caught up where they made the decision and "We're going to stick with it" and then I had to suffer.
Terry CrewsA lot of my colleagues are content to be character actors who are always in the background. I'm not that guy. I'm the guy who wants the limelight. Gimme the ball and I'll run it through a brick wall for you. I'll be your biggest soldier.
Terry CrewsI love the urban comedies, because they keep you famous, keep you having fun, and keep you in love with the business. Those are my roots. I'll always love doing those.
Terry CrewsIf everyone's happy, then I'm the character where when I enter that means there's trouble. In a movie, when I enter, it's not a good thing. But I know where I'm at. But, you know, you don't have to call me by my character's name for months on end. Football taught me that, because you can go from being best friends to having to play that person on another team, you have to be able to turn that on and off. You need to find that middle ground.
Terry CrewsYou only have but so much time to make an impact or people will forget you. My goal always is to make the biggest impact possible.
Terry CrewsEmbrace failure. Never never quit. Get very comfortable with that uneasy feeling of going against the grain and trying something new. It will constantly take you places you never thought you could go. This has been my mantra for years. I always remember I won't do things right on the first try. So failure is mandatory for success!
Terry Crews