Everybody dropped their hands but me. When he had exhausted all the possibilities, and all means of discouraging me, he said ok. I wanted to express myself by being an actor. I felt the need to. I love my family dearly and I am dedicated to and protective of them, but I came from a dysfunctional family.
Poverty is a disease of the mind, and a disease of the spirit.
Acting was a way to express myself with permission. Acting allowed me to express myself and my beliefs, and it was very liberating to express myself. There have been many enlightening moments. The most enlightening spiritual experience may be when I went to Africa in 1981 on a scholarship from Juilliard. The whole purpose of the trip was to see the power of art in the natives lives and how it changes, educates and transforms people.