Jasmine Cephas Jones Quotes

I would have never thought when I was a young actor that I would want to direct.

As an artist, we have a big influence, and we should always think if we are doing more harm than good to our viewers. We should serve as a model to them.

I had to focus and create a character in Bagger Vance, not just do my 'Will Smith' thing and get paid.

The roles I was lucky enough to get were real stretches for me: usually a character who was older, or a little weird, or whatever. And it was hard, not just for the lack of work but because you have to face up to how people are looking at you.

Switching the public's perception and view of me was, and still is, kind of a challenge to get them to see me outside of a character that I played on TV for so long.

I'm very, very lucky to be a working actor, but I've also been careful. I don't just take anything. 'Durham County' came to me. You have to look at the quality of work you do, and 'Durham' set the standard. I wait for things that keep me really interested.

I was looking to show people I could act. I was looking for something that would take me away from the whole hunk riding off into the sunset thing that people wanted me to play after Brown Sugar.

All one needs to do is read - books, magazines, research the Internet - and pay attention to the influencers in their lives to discover the myriad people of strong moral character who have and still are making positive, meaningful contributions and differences in our world.

I had to work out where I was going, what type of films I wanted to make. For that reason, I decided to choose independent productions, less important roles, and I tried theater, too.

I've played a prostitute now three times. I don't know how it's come about that way. It's just a matter of me growing up.

I just want to work with good filmmakers and do good projects that mean something to me and play interesting characters. That's really it.

The roles... the deep roles that I've gotten to play have turned my course. They've changed my life experience.

Well, with each character that I play in my life as an actor, I try to figure out how to find the challenge.

I do a lot of media work, I've been investing and I'm involved with real estate. It's totally different from what I had been doing but I find it challenging and fun. To be honest, I really don't miss the track. I pretty well accomplished what I set out to do and it was time to move on.

It took me a few years to realize I might want to get into acting as a profession.

It is not enough to show people how to live better: there is a mandate for any group with enormous powers of communication to show people how to be better.

I had done Shrek as a Canadian and I'm very proud to be Canadian, but I knew I could give more to it.

People have said, You've turned your back on pediatrics. I said, No. It took me until I was in my 60s to realize that politics was a part of pediatrics.

I'm not a writer; I'm an actor. My job is to take whatever character I'm given and - especially because I have the responsibility of being a black actress, and I know young black girls are looking up, and everyone's looking to what's on television - to just try to give whatever character I'm playing as three-dimensional a portrayal as I can.

Being in a kids' show... taught me so much about who I am as an individual, and I learned a lot through the writing and different directors that came in, and I evolved as an actress and human being, and I really created a circle of friends who helped shape me who I am today.

I feel like I've done Pete Hornberger, and that is a painting I have signed, and I don't need to play that character anymore. So I'll get offers for panicky, pathetic guys, and while it's a great compliment to get them, I feel like I don't need to play that again.

I just really want to continue to play those roles where I really have something to do, and mainly, above all, work with people that I can learn from - directors I think are so great.

I'm conscious to know who I am as a young man and what I want to be off the field and how I want to impact other people.

I started out mainstream and then literally made a conscious decision, like, 'I don't have that core black audience on my side.' And then I literally started looking for projects to get involved in.

The person I've worked with most is Morena Baccarin, and from her, I've learned to stand up for your character.