I was hiding behind athletics and all my jockitude, so I didn't have to deal with being ostracized as the weird art kid.
In America, the word art has become like the word adultery. It's this big scarlet letter. When you say you're an artist, people are like, "Ugh."
In our community, we are encouraged to take up professions like medicine or engineering that offer consistency and job security. Acting is not a 'real' profession.
The great thing about 'Hamilton,' for me, is so many people have been exposed to and are more open to hip-hop and certain artists, despite the stigma that had before been attached to it.
My father didn't think being an artist was a respectable or worthy goal for a man.
Acting has been gentrified. It's become part of the bourgeoisie. But there was a time when it would be a great scandal if you announced you were going to be an actor.
Ive spent my whole life working in a medium that was regarded with contempt largely because of historical reasons.
Remember I'm an artist. And you know what that means in a court of law. Next worst to an actress.
It's embarrassing to be involved in the same business as the mainstream comic thing. It's still very embarrassing to tell other adults that I draw comic books - their instant, preconceived notions of what that means.
