I can't do movies where you start thinking "Where's the commercial appeal? How are we going to market this?" It's not that kind of party.

Every African-American I know has two faces. There's the face that we have for ourselves and the face we put on for white America for the places we have to get to.

I've dodged all sorts of bullets in Hollywood to get my movies made. I'm tough.

I was always intrigued with European cinema, and hated most American cinema. I didn't like the one, two, three - boom! style, with a neat and tidy ending. That was never my scene.

I don't want to sell my soul to Hollywood - to just make run-of-the-mill stuff.

I want to go to places that are unexpected of me, because people really think they have me pegged. I want to do something different, like maybe do a space movie or a musical.

Trust is hard to get from actors, and for me to give to actors.

I don't work with fear, and I don't work with actors that are fearful.

I'm not tough when it comes to people criticizing the people that I protect, and those are the actors. It makes them scared to do it again for another director.

My philosophy has always been, you don't put your name in front of a movie.

I think that when you have audacity, you will get polarization.

Never block that person who is always available for you all the time. Never block him because you may not know what he has done for you. It is the biggest mistake you do in your life

If you love no one, no one can hurt you, ” she whispered.

It was a very cool thing to be a smart girl, as opposed to some other, different kind. And I think that made a great deal of difference to me growing up and in my life afterward.

I always look old when I work because I get so upset and tense that my face wrinkles up like a prune, I can't stop it.

The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space; everything else is merely thought to exist.

America's criminal justice system has deteriorated to the point that it is a national disgrace.

I do speak to kids a lot. I am very clear with them that not all of them should aspire to be me and not all of them should be aspire to be LeBron.

I love New York, but I'd felt like an outsider here.

America, fortunately or unfortunately, is very polarized right now. People fall into their different camps. And people are, are concerned. And they, they want to see change.

Hiphop has remained in an infantile stage and has not been allowed to grow.