Our thoughts are to the individual as our art is to the community. Wendell Pierce More Quotes by Wendell Pierce More Quotes From Wendell Pierce I worked at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, lived there for three years, and lived in Baltimore for 12 years. Wendell Pierce san-francisco three years Be your true self. Because if you're not, there are consequences to be paid. Wendell Pierce paid ifs self What thoughts are to the individual, art is to the community as a whole. That's where you reflect on who you are, who you hope to be, what you've gone through, and where you hope to go. Wendell Pierce community gone art Culture is the intersection between people and dealing with the journey of life itself. How to deal with life, how a people deals with life is literally manifested in its culture, in its food, in its music, in its art, in the way you dance, the way you communicate. Wendell Pierce journey people art The whole idea of jazz came about was the interpretation of the human dialogue, trading fours. When someone's soloing and someone picks up the solo and plays it back at 'em, it was the imitation of the human dialogue. It was how people spoke, through music. Wendell Pierce play people ideas The people of Baltimore are great. I love Baltimore. What I looked forward to, every year, was getting a new apartment in a different part of town and hanging out. People started to see you in the character that you were, so everyone thought I was real police. Wendell Pierce real character years Whenever an actor was going to die, I tried to help them understand not to take it personally. It wasn't about them. It's the story. Wendell Pierce actors stories helping I come out of journalism, and then book writing. There, it's just you and your editor and maybe a copy desk, looking over your editor's shoulder, and that's the story. It's right there. I can show it to you because it's on paper. Wendell Pierce editors writing book Stories work, if they have a beginning, middle and end. Wendell Pierce beginning-middle-and-end ends stories People forget that art is not just a piece of entertainment. It is the place where we collectively declare our values and then act on them. That's one of the most powerful things we have as a community: our culture and our art. And it's the intersection between life and how people deal with life. It's the most important thing we do. Wendell Pierce powerful people art When you're doing comedy on stage, it's great because you have the audience there and they're like another actor in the scene. You feed off of them, laugh. But in film when everyone's quiet, it's all about timing. But the key to that is to be authentic. Be in the moment, and if you play the moment truthfully, the humor will be there. Wendell Pierce keys play laughing I always wanted to be a journeyman actor. I wanted to be able to do comedy and drama, classical and contemporary. I like to do film and theater. And I pride myself on that diversity of being a journeyman actor. Wendell Pierce diversity pride drama Your actions are not in a vacuum. They impact other people. It may be in a way that's less obvious than in mainstream movies, but it comes to an understanding of who those people are. It also leaves it open to interpretation. And that's what art is, a form in which people can reflect on who we are as human beings and come to some understanding of this journey we are on. Wendell Pierce impact journey art I understand that we should never lose our right to be offended, so I accept it. But for me it was always a study of human behavior because if we just demonize it, it becomes unreal. Wendell Pierce accepting behavior study I'm so thankful when I have a job. I would say the worst job I ever had was the one I quit after the first night. I was an overnight restaurant janitor. And it wasn't because of the job. We had to do four restaurants in the night, overnight. But I was working with a den of thieves. I just quit the next day. Wendell Pierce next-day jobs night The real question is, Why do you feel as though that's emasculating? A man can't have a conflict? When you try to do art, it's how it lands on people, and hopefully some people will see it the way that I saw it, which is all of these awful choices come from the place of a man who's damaged. Wendell Pierce real men art Art imitating life and life imitating art, and it's beyond the job - it will always be a marked period in my life. Wendell Pierce periods jobs art There's no greater honor, as an actor, to be a part of a project that changes lives, and awakens and enlightens and entertains. Wendell Pierce life-changing actors honor The world, post-Katrina, was a hard time for my city. The hardest time. For people who didn't live through it, no words can fully express the pain, the rage, the grief, and the futility we New Orleanians felt. For the people who did, words seemed like a feeble protest against a relentless night without end. Wendell Pierce pain time night people In our house, my dad had a chair. It was a Barcalounger, big and comfortable. If we missed him or wanted comfort when he wasn't home, we'd just climb into the chair and let it envelop us. Wendell Pierce climb dad house home
