John Lewis is such a remarkable human being. Literally, such a beautiful human being. I remember the first time I met him. We were in the middle of a…

- Stephan James

You have such a big responsibility. This person is still alive. You would think that they think highly of themselves and their accomplishments and wh…

- Stephan James

Jesse Owen was bigger than a black hero, he was an American hero. For me, I looked at it from that perspective. Through my research, I obviously lear…

- Stephan James

I grew up on basketball, volleyball, that sort of thing. For me, track and field was a whole 'nother beast.

- Stephan James

Jesse Owens had to be a very strong person. There were a lot of protests, but I think that he knew, despite the pressure on both sides, the pressure …

- Stephan James

That was my goal in portraying Jesse Owens: bringing that level of humanity so people could understand who he was as a person.

- Stephan James

I realize the importance of retelling those stories is so that, one, we don't forget what our ancestors had to do so we can be where we are, and two,…

- Stephan James

I knew [Jesse Owens'] name, but I really didn't remember what it is he had done, so I felt like I had to get refreshed. So I read the script and I re…

- Stephan James

What I've learned about that word is context, where the world is coming from - in the era the film is set, it obviously is used derogatorily. In 'Sel…

- Stephan James