I feel like I missed my era, because I remember the time when black people uplifted each other and looked for the positives. I feel sorry for the people who live their lives in the negative default setting because they filter out what's good, and that's no way to live.

Michael Jai White

Categorized in : People Sorry Black

I am my own worst critic and I am hell to pay so I just have to d... by Michael Jai White

I am my own worst critic and I am hell to pay so I just have to do everything to my utmost ability.

Michael Jai White

hell worst pay

Since I do seven different styles of martial arts, I don't foresee myself fighting the same in any two movies. I think every fighting style should fit the character that's doing the fighting.

Michael Jai White

fighting character art

In reality, there are very few villains who view themselves as villains. They just have a certain agenda at a certain time.

Michael Jai White

agendas views reality

I feel like I'll be defined more so by ... when I get a chance to play roles where I'm the father/husband. I'd like to continue with the action stuff, but when I get to play the father/husband role, I think that will be the time where I'm playing who I really am. I look forward to playing those kind of heroic characters, the types that are usually associated with Denzel Washington.

Michael Jai White

husband character father

When you don't have much money, you get creative. There's so much money that gets wasted on big movie sets. But when you don't have much money, you improvise.

Michael Jai White

big-movie bigs creative

There's all kinds of depictions of black men. You have the Denzel Washingtons and the Will Smiths; that's wonderful, but that doesn't represent everyone. There's a Russell Crowe... well, you know, there's a black Russell Crowe.

Michael Jai White

black kind men

I don't cook. I think they named the 'Mike'-rowave after me. by Michael Jai White

I don't cook. I think they named the 'Mike'-rowave after me.

Michael Jai White

mike cooks thinking

To me, the responsibility of an actor is to recreate humanity honestly. I never feel like an actor, I always look at it from a blue collar perspective.

Michael Jai White

perspective responsibility blue

The first movie I ever saw was a blaxploitation movie. It was called 'Monkey Hustle.' Like I said, just listen to the name. That's a blaxploitation movie. It had these incredible, bigger-than-life images of people who looked like I did. Or who looked like I wanted to look like.

Michael Jai White

hustle names people

Most people say I look mean, and because I play so many tough roles and because of my size and my martial arts background, they think I am, but I'm really not.

Michael Jai White

mean art thinking

I enjoy playing real human beings after playing a lot of larger than life characters. I love playing true to life characters and that is what I intend to do for the majority of my career.

Michael Jai White

careers real character

It doesn't seem weird to me, at all. I'm in Baton Rouge getting ready to direct a movie for Sony, and I'm in the movie and I'm directing it. I know it's kind of this thing where some people find it difficult. I just finished a movie with Mario Van Peebles and he acted and directed as well too. I think we all feel similar that it just kind of seems natural.

Michael Jai White

kind people thinking

I go to gyms quite a bit, martial arts gyms, MMA gyms. I try to train with the best people, with who's who in the martial arts, just to keep myself sharp.

Michael Jai White

mma people art

Just by nature, I think in comedy. I think in sketches and what have you. In every drama or action movie I've been in, I have to make a concerted effort not to turn it into a comedy. Every shot, before action is called and after cut is called, I'm usually in some goofy head space. It feels natural to me.

Michael Jai White

cutting drama thinking

My favorite TV couple is Edith and Archie Bunker. Because they were such individuals that I can't imagine anyone else playing them. And I think that Archie was one of the greatest characters ever on television. Even with his flaws, you loved him.

Michael Jai White

couple character thinking

I love the '70s. I think the '70s had the best music and the best... by Michael Jai White

I love the '70s. I think the '70s had the best music and the best movies.

Michael Jai White

thinking

I enjoy logic and logic puzzles. And filmmaking is one fun logic... by Michael Jai White

I enjoy logic and logic puzzles. And filmmaking is one fun logic puzzle that you gotta win.

Michael Jai White

logic winning fun

I have a nineteen-month old daughter. I totally don't mind devoting time to her. When you have a kid, it's hard to go out to the movies. I really don't know what's going on with comic book movies.

Michael Jai White

daughter kids book

Recognizing absolutely depends on the public that I'm out with. If I'm in Atlanta, it's definitely Why Did I Get Married. If I'm in Seattle, it's Spawn or something like that. I'm known for a lot of different things. People will call me Bone a lot, the action aficionados.. People who like comedy, they call me Black Dynamite.

Michael Jai White

black different people

I'm a big fan of Steven Seagal early films. On Deadly Ground, I'll watch that anytime it comes on. That's one of the reasons I wanted to work with him. I remember that he's got a great eye for photography. There was a lot that I learned from that.

Michael Jai White

eye photography remember