My first exploration through art was really through music - I've trained classically with piano for about ten years. Condola Rashad More Quotes by Condola Rashad More Quotes From Condola Rashad In L.A., being an actor is like a pastime, everybody there is like, "I was on this reality show; I'm an actor." It becomes a word that is loosely thrown around. Condola Rashad pastime actors reality When I'm in Los Angeles, sometimes I hesitate saying that I'm an actor because people are like, "Of course you are." And I'm like "No, not, 'Of course I am.'" Condola Rashad actors sometimes people I wanted to become an actor and I knew that if I was really going to do it, I needed the training. I was not one of those people that was like, "I got it." I was like, "No, I don't have it yet. I need work. I need help fixing myself." Condola Rashad training people needs I think even when I was little there was signs that I was an artist. I've always been an artist. Condola Rashad artist littles thinking The directors were often really nice and I was well behaved, so I would just sit there in rehearsal. That allowed me to see the process - not just the result, the red carpet, all of the wonderful, fun things that happen afterwards - the nuts and bolts, the nitty-gritty, "Let's try to build this character from the page," tech rehearsals. Condola Rashad nice fun character I grew up in the theater with my mom and that's how I knew I wanted to be an actor in the first place. Condola Rashad actors mom firsts There are a lot of celebrities that I think can get a little bit distracted by the way that our society views celebrity. All of a sudden, the film becomes about, "Come see this celebrity!" I'm not interested in that. I want to see a story. Condola Rashad views stories thinking My mom was really busy when I was growing up, but she did a really good job in terms of balancing her home life with her professional life. She basically took me everywhere. Condola Rashad growing-up mom jobs I really want to do film, but I want to do the right film. The truth for me is that I'm really driven by stories. So there are stories I want to tell, and if it's a good story then I want to do it, whatever genre it is. Condola Rashad story good me truth If I see something that's extremely challenging, I'm like, 'That seems really hard. Let's try it.' It's just my personality. Condola Rashad try see hard personality Paul Giamatti is truly one of my biggest inspirations, and even more so now that I've gotten to work with him. Every single thing he does, he completely transforms into it. When I watch a film with Paul in it, I'm not like, 'Oh, there's Paul.' I'm completely into whatever character he's in, and I'm not thinking about him as an actor. Condola Rashad single work character thinking I think, even when I was little, there was signs that I was an artist. I've always been an artist. My first exploration through art was really through music - I've trained classically with piano for about ten years. Condola Rashad think music artist art When I'm in Los Angeles, sometimes I hesitate saying that I'm an actor because people are like, 'Of course you are.' And I'm like 'No,' not, 'Of course I am.' In L.A., being an actor is like a pastime: everybody there is like, 'I was on this reality show; I'm an actor.' It becomes a word that is loosely thrown around. Condola Rashad i-am you sometimes people When I was born, that was right smack in the middle of 'The Cosby Show.' But what I remember is my mother took me with her... She exposed me to the world in such a way where I was included. And I didn't feel like she chose her career over me. Condola Rashad feel me mother world The truth of the matter is, I am a black woman, and I am an actor. I don't try to get caught up in being a black actor; I'm just an actor who is a black woman. It's not about forgetting that you're black, but you don't need to be hammered over the head, either; it just is what it is. Condola Rashad woman i-am you truth I do create songs and play the guitar. But my focus is definitely on acting. I think, if there's going to be singing involved in my career, it would probably be in musical theater. Condola Rashad think singing guitar focus Orlando is such a kind person. He's so generous and one of us, 'us' meaning a theater person. What a lot of people don't know about him is that, before 'Lord of the Rings,' he went to theater school like a lot of us. He is just really sweet and hard working. Condola Rashad know sweet people school I would never be in a film just for the sake of being in a film, so I am waiting for the right role to come along. Condola Rashad i-am never being waiting If I had seen a black woman play Juliet as a little girl, my idea of my place in the world would have been totally different. Condola Rashad woman black girl world I want the type of career where I can come back to theater. Theater is my home. Theater, to me, is like ballet for dancers. It's my foundation. Condola Rashad me foundation i-can home