What's great about acting is that there's never a moment when you're like, 'OK, I got this, I understand this.' You're portraying life, and it's a craft that only gets better with time - kind of like playing a musical instrument: the more you get to play it, the better you are.
When you're playing a superhero, you're almost playing two different people. I separate when I'm playing Jefferson Pierce and the days when I'm playing Black Lightning.
I come from theater, so I'm used to the hierarchy of an actor is just on the ladder, and above that is a director, and above that is a producer, and above that is a writer. But on a television show or film, the whole call sheet thing and being No. 1 on a call sheet, people look to you and almost expect you to exercise this power for good or bad.
I have a history, even going back to my time in college doing plays, of always hurting myself at some point in whatever I'm in. Like, always! And it's usually my own doing and me being rambunctious and going, 'Oh, I can do that better,' or 'Oh, I can do that quicker,' and it results in injury.
I have no problem telling people I have a great stunt double. I'm not that guy who's like, 'I do all my own stunts.' Like, no, no, no - it's make-believe, and I'm not in the mood to die. I'm not in the mood to get hurt. I have a wife and kids!
As an actor, so much of life is out of your control, and it's really not solid.
I hadn't gotten a chance to do a lot of comedy, so 'Hart of Dixie' was a great place where I got a chance to do that and play.
I grew up watching television. I'm a television addict. I had all these heroes, but they didn't look like me.
As an actor, the only pressure I have is to just be truthful and to do my best work.
Generally speaking, I would say villains are a little more exciting to play, but if you get a flawed hero, then that can almost be just as amazing.
Growing up, I didn't really read a lot of comics; we didn't really have the money to get them. But I grew up a universal fan of fantasy and sci-fi and watching a lot of TV. There's always this question of 'Are you a fan of sci-fi or fantasy?' But can't you be a fan of both? We love everything fantasy, my wife and I.
