Denzel Washington

My role 14 years ago in Richard III - that was the first time I played a bad guy and learned a lot about it - they have all the fun!

I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.

Man gives you the award but God gives you the reward.

You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib.

I work hard for the audience. It's entertainment. I don't need validation.

Money doesn't buy happiness. Some people say it's a heck of a down payment, though.

I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me - spiritually and financially.

Dreams without goals, are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment.

Acting is just a way of making a living, the family is life.

Black or white good parts are hard to come by. A good actor with a good opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn't matter how good you are.

You don't know when you're being watched. That's one of the weird things about celebrity. It's my least favorite part of acting, celebrity.

In Los Angeles, everyone is a star.

I think the bottom of the totem pole is African-American women, or women of colour. I think they get the least opportunities in Hollywood.

I'm very proud to be black, but black is not all I am. That's my cultural historical background, my genetic make-up, but it's not all of who I am nor is it the basis from which I answer every question.

If I am a cup maker, I'm interested in making the best cup I possibly can. My effort goes into that cup, not what people think about it.

My faith helps me understand that circumstances don't dictate my happiness, my inner peace.

I think a role model is a mentor - someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.

You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That's a part of it.

The lessons I learned in Sunday School have kept me on track

For whatever reason, God has blessed me with the ability, put me in a position to make these leaps and bounds. I'm fulfilling my part of the bargain, which is to give back and be a positive influence on others.

We've all received our share of good fortune, so that's my definition of much. A single blessing is all the bounty in the world, and if you've been blessed at all you're meant to pass some of that on. You're meant to set a positive example. That's our responsibility