When I'm at the premiere and I see the film in its entirety, I forget plot, I forget the story, I forget what my character goes through, because I really do just let it go. Tavis Smiley More Quotes by Tavis Smiley More Quotes From Tavis Smiley We're all cracked vessels, and we're always in process, I think, every one of us. Tavis Smiley vessel process thinking Having to try and going through the trials and tribulations to actually overcome, to get there to win, to triumph, that's what makes life interesting Tavis Smiley winning trying interesting Competition's always been a product of American lifestyle Tavis Smiley lifestyle competition products I love the fight. I don't - it's not a negative, it's a positive, and I love the challenge. There's that little part of me that I love proving someone wrong in that way when they have an image of me or something, or they think they have me figured out or they think I'm a certain way. Tavis Smiley fighting challenges thinking For me, like when you've put yourself out there emotionally, physically, and you've really put yourself on the line, for me, that means I've really done something. Tavis Smiley lines done mean We think of - there are too many wars, of course, in the world as we speak, but my read on this suggests to me that water is going to be the resource into the future that we're really - that countries, nations, are going to be fighting for control over. Tavis Smiley fighting war country I grew. Going outside my comfort zone is a big one for me. Tavis Smiley grew bigs comfort It's hard these days to have a conversation, at least it is for me, about [Truman]Capote without "Good Night, and Good Luck" coming up in the same conversation. Tavis Smiley truman good-luck good-night Struggling to stay in the middle class, and I love that. That's me and my dad and my family. Tavis Smiley dad struggle class Fear, fear, breeds hopelessness. When you're afraid, you don't know what to believe in, you don't know what to hold on to. You're struggling to find something to believe in. Tavis Smiley hopelessness struggle believe I just find in our world that forgiveness is becoming more and more a difficult thing for us to do. Tavis Smiley difficult our-world becoming I fear that we are living in a society, living in a world where forgiving people is becoming more and more difficult to do. Tavis Smiley forgiving people world I think a lot of people who go to drama school have this ease with the text and they all have five monologues that they know by heart, and I never had that. I've done Chekov and I've done Moliere and I've done classic stuff Tavis Smiley heart drama school I wanted to be a theater actress, and initially, I wanted to work in musical theater Tavis Smiley actresses theater musical Troubled times do call for troubled songs, songs that unsettle our souls and our spirits unapologetically. Tavis Smiley soul spirit song There are enough bad films coming out of this town already without the process being more democratized. I'm a guy who loves democracy. I'm all for democratizing any process, but I think there is a price to pay for that. Tavis Smiley democracy guy thinking [In a blogosphere] everybody has an opinion now, but I don't really freaking care about - all opinions ain't created equal, because everybody can go out there and express themselves and hide behind some character we don't know who you really are, a bunch of cowards. Tavis Smiley coward care character I think, for most of us is that once you get to a certain place in your career you're not having to elbow and knock people around and audition for parts. Tavis Smiley careers people thinking I use the phrase "fellow citizen" all the time when referring to the - people always say, "The American people, the American people." I prefer the phrase fellow citizen because there's a power in that, there's a responsibility, there's a duty in using that phrase fellow citizen. Tavis Smiley citizens responsibility people I love my cross-sectioned, cross-cultural audience. Some of them are doing better than the average guy, but my audience has always been people who are struggling to stay in the middle class. Tavis Smiley struggle class average