When I'm acting, that's all I'm doing. When I'm not acting, I'm not thinking about acting. If I'm writing, I'm just writing.

Whenever there's an opportunity to celebrate the written word and celebrate the folks that read the written word, and, I think, to encourage other writers to write and encourage folks to read more and get connected to it in a personal way, it's a positive thing.

Let me tell you, if you're ever making a decision and the principle reason you'll do it is because of money, then it is absolutely the incorrect decision.

Money is important. It is an important resource to have to help us build the life we want, but we overvalue it.

Gabrielle Union is my best friend.

You can't have justice unless you have truth.

When I get stopped by the police, I keep my hands on the wheel. I'm not going to move.

The best way to protect young black, brown, men of color, women of color, is to actually stop profiling, stop the prejudice, and stop the judgment first.

Credit card interest payments are the dumbest money of all.

You're in a situation where you have limited education opportunities, you don't have any money, you can't get a job; what are you going to do? You're going to go back to this criminal network that you actually made while you were in prison.

Roles make the actor.

You're writing your life as you go - the question becomes, how do you want to write your life?

I'm not excusing crime or those who bring poison into the community, but I do want brothers and sisters in prison to know someone cares.

I don't want the George Clooney lifelong bachelorhood. If I found the right person, I would commit in a minute.

We are human beings. We operate from wanting to be rewarded.

Many of us are walking around living smaller lives than we're meant to live. Don't allow yourself to dream smaller than you were meant to dream.

People always want to think that because you're not from a certain circumstance, you can't relate. That's ridiculous.

I've done romantic comedy, and I don't get to flex that muscle often.

I think, without question, the way someone plays sports shows something about inherently who they are, you know?

There's a wealth gap that is happening, and that is all over the world, you know? The rich are getting richer and holding a higher percentage of money or wealth that's out there.

I think the number one safe haven where people put their money is to invest in yourself first.

I think our biggest problem is lack of real, honest communication between black men and black women. A lot of men talk amongst men, and a lot of women speak amongst women.

'The Conversation' will hopefully touch on issues that will move people to want to strengthen communication and look to each other for solutions.

Whatever your calling is as a service, follow it - that's beautiful.

If you have a debt issue or credit card issue, start dealing with it. If you have a tax issue, don't just say, 'I'm not going to file.' There are ways to deal with these things, but you must communicate with your creditors, whether it's a credit card company or tax department.

Most people aren't honest with themselves about money.

The media is convincing people that if you have that 'next thing,' that diamond, the right car, then you'd be happier.

I believe that reality TV should be called 'not reality' TV; it's fiction.

Obviously, this whole 'no child left behind' idea is more rhetoric than actual practice.

My parents both are physicians, and my grandfathers were both physicians.

I love making films, but the best roles are hard to come by.

Here's the deal: I believe - and I attempt to live my life this way - we all have more time than we think we do. We all waste so much time.

Intimacy can be about holding someone's hand. It could be about stroking their hair.

I say 'date potential.' The reason why is no matter who you date, anyway, five years from now, you're going to be different, and he's going to be different. The key is to really find somebody that you can grow with that you can change with, evolve with and that you can be partners with.

We're living in a time, unfortunately, where, you know, a lot of young men, particularly young men of color, being raised by single mothers. And their mothers so desperately want to connect with them, but I found, in talking with a lot of young men, that sometimes it's difficult.

For me, self-esteem-building and confidence-building is the foundation for anything that we do, whether you want to be a writer, a painter, or a entrepreneur.

People always think about what prison is. What prison really is - it's not a physical challenge, it's mental.

It's heartening when people hear for the first time that their vote really matters.

Voting is an individual, personal thing.

No matter how bad something gets, no matter where you come from, you can achieve anything. I really do believe that.

The wealth cure is looking at your life step by step - making a diagnosis and saying, 'Am I using money or is money using me?'

My favorite vacation spot is a beautiful beach. I've been to many, many beaches on many continents: Mombasa, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, Mexico and the U.S. What's beautiful about beach communities is for whatever reason, they feel like vacation to me.

Change happens from the bottom up - all of us as individuals deciding that we will and we do have an impact.

My father, obviously, and my mother were inspirations. My uncle, Frank Harper, he was an absolute mentor for me.

Men and women can absolutely be friends, and that's what we need to be. Part of the problem is that we aren't friends enough. Our relationships are negotiations, and that is not friendship.

The real important things are kindness and a sense of humor. I've been fortunate to have dated and could have easily married women who have those qualities, and time and circumstances didn't work out. Timing plays a big part.

What's interesting is with a lot of the work I do through my foundation, the 'Manifest Your Destiny' foundation, we really encourage people, and we attempt to empower, uplift and inspire people to live out their dreams, live out their destiny.

I've read a number of relationship books out there. A lot are written towards women.

I will not reach my full potential as a man unless I find my partner.

Even when you're out with someone, you need to get out of your head. And you can try exercises by putting yourself in situations where you may not feel completely comfortable, like going to a gallery opening on your own.