That word, fan, has always kind of bothered me.

People don`t want to pay eight or nine dollars to go see a problem that they have in their life, on screen. They pay to get away from that. That`s why they watch soap operas.

The only limitations that I can have are the ones that I set on myself.

I`ve been writing since I was a kid. Short stories, poetry, and all of that, and acting is just an extension of that. It just came naturally. So it`s coming full circle.

The world is as it should be.

It`s natural for any actor that segues into directing to be an actor`s director. You know how to relate to the actors.

Before "ER" (1994) a lot of people knew my name and some people knew my face. I saw big difference after "ER", like, wow, I didn`t know television was that powerful.

[1999, in an interview in "Newsday"] I`m going to be the first black President of the United States. If [Ronald Reagan can do it, I know I can.

A lot of directors are overbearing and tend to make you doubt your instincts.

The only way to ensure a film is going to sell is put Will Smith in it and you open it in 3,000 theaters and make sure we have all the top promotional spots in each venue.

I like boxing movies. One of the hardest things for me to watch as far as boxing films, is the boxing. The actual boxing usually sucks.

People are realizing that color has no bearing on what`s known as brotherhood.

I`ve never taken myself too seriously.

I spend 90 percent of my time saying no, and my accountant yells at me for it, but when I started in this business, I wanted my career to have legs.

People don`t want to pay 8 or 9 dollars to go see a problem that they have in their life, on screen. They pay to get away from that. That`s why they watch soap operas.

There`s show and there`s business. Business is a whole other beat.

If someone saves your life, you develop a brotherhood, no matter what your race.

You want to live your own life, but when you have fame, there are certain things you can`t get away with.

I believe success is preparation, because opportunity is going to knock on your door sooner or later but are you prepared to answer that?

The whole Black Hollywood thing doesn`t exist for me anymore. Once someone says that to themselves, they subject themselves to those rules.

Boxing, for me, it`s the beginning of all sports. I`m willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight, so I think that`s something innate in all of us.

Writing is the beast unto itself.

Whatever art form you`re working in, it`s crucial to see it clearly, to feel it clearly, and not to worry about the results, or how someone else will see it.

We were all Romans once, I guess.