Mahershala Ali Quotes

I wanted to act; wherever that was, I was happy. It just happened to be in America for me.

It's not like I had big dreams to go to California and become an actor. I loved doing my shows at school and community theater, and I probably would have settled in New York because it was closer. I was going to go to NYU.

Without In The Company of Men, I could still be teaching, so who knows if this would've existed.

I moved to Manchester to join a band and ended up getting into acting, and I moved back to London to become an actor and ended up joining a band.

When I ask the young people from California why they want to go to New York, and the ones from the East why they're determined to go West, I hear what you'd expect: new challenges, different weather, boyfriends, girlfriends, to make a name... They laugh when I say, 'But your poor mother.'

I'm in that lucky percentile where I can worry about how I want to shape my career. That's a wonderful place to be.

I knew I had to be on stage. I always felt like there was something bigger and better for me. If not that, I would be a hair stylist for sure. I almost enrolled at Vidal Sassoon hair academy in Santa Monica.

We are so grateful we are given the chance and the freedom to do what we want, what we want to create, what's on our mind, and that's honestly what we asked for in the beginning of our career.

It's nice to be able to be whoever you want to be. I moved to New York for that reason. I think I am a very good example of how you really can do whatever you want to do without having any kind of prerequisite experience of any of kind of connection. None of my family members came from this world.

I love acting. And if there's a niche that needs filling, I'm happy to get in there and try to fill it.

I was in the projects dreaming about doing music and now I've done music. When I had nothing to when I had something I still have this driving force that's fueling me every day and that's making ideas reality.

You only get a chance to live your dream once, and I'm living mine right now.

I went to New York out of college, and in my day, we were told that was the way you became a good actor. You don't go to Hollywood, you go straight to New York and work in the theater. So that's what most of the people I knew did.

To work - to work! It is such infinite delight to know that we still have the best things to do.

I know how lucky I am. I never take it for granted. In this country [USA], anything can happen - anybody can be what they want to be. All I ever wanted was to be a good husband and father, a good chef, and to have my own restaurant. And the celebrity was never expected. Wouldn't have even dared dream of it. And here I am. So anyone's dreams can come true. And I'm very, very grateful for everything that's come my way. I thank everyone who enjoys what I do.

Going on stage and doing ballet, for the first time, was even more verification of, "This is what I'm meant to do. This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to make it somehow."

I absolutely miss dancing. Don't want to do it for a living, I'm getting old, I can't move like I used to. If I had the opportunity to do something on Broadway or a musical, I would jump at the opportunity.

One of the biggest things I think we all can do is just try to live the best lives we can, and seek the best.

I feel joy when I do a great show. I get fun out of making other people happy. I'm a terminal people-pleaser. I suppose that's why I'm a frontman.

It comes down to finding something you love to do and then just trying to be great at it

Every night I get up on stage, I love it. I never get like, 'Oh, I'm bored, I want to go home.' I never, ever get like that.

I want to win and I feel that pressure, but my career will not be a disaster if I do not win there. It is a dream to fulfill.

Acting is kind of a calling for me so I'm just happy to be there and do great work.

I love working in film and television, but I do miss singing on stage. You can't find that anywhere else, so I hope this opens up a whole new concert world for me. I had so much fun and it went so well, I hope it leads to more.