LaTanya Richardson Quotes

Of necessity, the autobiographical self is not just about one individual but about all the others that an individual interacts with. Of necessity, it incorporates the culture in which the interactions took place.

A character is a completely fashioned will.

I think I'm more European in personality.

You know, our sense of individuality is just the number one target of civilization.

Identity is an assemblage of constellations.

I've tried to write from my own understanding of identity in all my comics, whether it's about superheroes or historical conflicts or monkey gods.

I think I started writing about identity, and I used to believe that identity is the story. But now I'm not so much subscribed to that. I mean, with 'Mr. Fox,' it has a feminist agenda as well. And so, as I sort of been away from writing about identity, I still feel that kind of tug of roots and, you know, cultural background.

Cultural background surely plays a part in shaping identity; but it does not determine identity.

I create each character as an individual, coming from a certain place, sounding a certain way, having been introduced to things a certain way.

I'm more American than anything else. I grew up in China, but I was fulfilled at a young age by American music. It was my biggest inspiration.

I don't think Latino; I think like me. If that happens to be Latino, then I guess that's me. But it doesn't affect my comedy in any way.

My success is that I have these two great cultures behind me. One is Italian. I've continued to nurture that. But I also feel very American.

Our identities really are a constant negotiation between the story we tell about ourselves and the narrative our societies like to recite.

Personality, in our sense, is a Shakespearean invention.

As individuals, we are so different in our personalities, lifestyles, how we grew up, and our culture.

A lot of the things I do deal with my race, but my race is who I am. I'm an American kid who grew up listening to predominantly hip-hop. I will talk about hip-hop as the music I grew up listening to, and I think sometimes people like to put it as, 'Oh, well, he's talking about black things.' And, yeah, they are, but that's my American identity.

I do speak my mind a lot more than when I was younger. I guess that's just my Polynesian background. That's how we are: just sit back and try and fit in, try and make everyone else happy.

I was attempting to write the story of my life. It wasn't so much about plot. It was much more about character.

We all want to explain ourselves. Nobody wants to be forgotten.

Blue jeans have gone around the world. But that's a product. We market blue jeans better, just as we market film better. But you can't tell me that if America didn't exist, the culture of movies wouldn't exist. It's not a distinctly American art form.

It's only when an American steps outside of their own culture that you see how integral it is.

There is not a single human characteristic that can be safely labeled as American.

With any character, I try to focus more on who the character is and how they got to be who they are.

Character is not the enemy of self-expression and personal freedom, it is their necessary precondition.

I use bits and pieces of others personalities to form my own.