Without a doubt, the majority of historical period dramas tend to be told from a certain perspective. At least in America, black people have some visibility in period dramas, although it's usually in the form of slaves or servitude.

'12 Angry Men' has a truly great collection of actors giving fantastic performances. It's an acting masterclass.

I was in a number of school plays, one in particular, when I was 13 or 14, entitled 'Illusions.' It was put together by one of the teachers, and was about famous historical figures. I had to do the Martin Luther King 'I have a dream' speech, and some black women in the audience were clapping and crying and whooping.

I'm a nut for these 'crime reality' shows. Things like 'Forensic Files,' 'Forensic Detectives.'

My parents are very proud of my success but still worry, as I'm in a profession where there is no guarantee of work. They have always supported my decision to go into acting, but there have been tough times work-wise.

I'm a big fan of public trust.

Never take advice, including this.

I love to watch human beings figuring out their limitations.

The more I work in the film business, the more I see that those guys, the directors, have the most fun on set.

My natural state is a state of an explorer - a performer, but someone who wants to explore their experience and reflect on their experience more than just lie on the beach. Even when I go on vacations, I get stressed out if I'm at the beach for, like, two days. I'm like, 'Can't we do something? I can't just sit there.'

I was very resistant to my intellectualism for a while. I do start with an intellectual idea for a character. A lot of the times, it'll be the opposite of what I feel like is on the page, or it'll be just an idea that I read in a psychology textbook or in a philosophy book. I'll apply something to it that I can start to tinker with.

I think I'm very hard on myself. I think I've always been very hard on myself since I was a kid.

I love all kinds of stuff. I really am so eclectic in my taste. I love film noir, I love thrillers, and I love big blockbuster popcorn cinema stuff, but I like it when it's twinged with a bit more social consciousness.

I'm very interested in the drama of the leading man being someone who is incapable, becoming capable.

When I got to be, like, in high school and stuff, I sort of was drawn to that feeling of feeling uncomfortable in my skin and being confused by human beings, like, just constantly confused.

If acting has any meaning, it is so that we can have greater empathy for other people.

I would like to see sexiness sort of embodied in people's real bodies, as opposed to those bodies that are just full of narcissism.

It's, like, weird to watch a human being develop.

If you are misunderstood, I want you to know that I feel the same way.

I actually went back and watched all of 'True Detective''s Season One again, which I think is a true masterpiece.

I'm a bit of a strange human being - I love to work. I love art. I love self-expression.

I can like Michael Keaton's Batman, and I can like Christian Bale's Batman.

Life really is too short.

People are more complicated than you give them credit for.