There was a period of 10 years where the conventional wisdom was Black shows don't sell overseas, therefore nobody is interested.
If you respect a language and culture, it shows in your work.
I don't like shows that are predictable. I like it when you're shocked and you have no idea who's about to die.
As an actor, we're unemployed a lot, so I'm familiar with the stress of trying to get a gig, and sometimes you take shows that you don't really want to do to keep the money coming in.
My brother Art was a doo-wopper. He had a group that sat out on a park bench in New Orleans and sang harmonies at night, and they'd go around and win all the talent shows and get all the girls, you know.
A lot of people get emotional in movies that are cartoons, but not in TV shows.
You know what shows today are missing? Stars.
But, I don't know, the violence, I can't even talk about. We don't do a lot of violent shows. When I started in television, breaking a pencil was a violent act.
But it's true, when you see some television, you carry it with you. It's like 90210. Tell me what young shows were being done then... We were thrilled about the ratings around the world.
Right now I'm doing four shows at a time, trying to read four outlines every week, four scripts every week, and watching four rough cuts; it's a lot of good work. It's fun to do it, but it does wear you out.
