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" I want to see my family prosper, see my kids grow old. "
Mekhi Phifer
Old
Kids
Family
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" I know a lot of people who are weak, who are in a perpetual cycle of poverty and being locked up. There are guys from my neighborhood who are in jail or who are dead. It does take a certain strength to know your environment and say, 'I can grow beyond it.' "
Mekhi Phifer
Environment
Strength
Poverty
" I always try to pick and choose projects that will be impactful to someone. From films like 'Clockers' to playing a doctor on 'ER' to doing '8 Mile,' where I'm in charge of the hip-hop battles, I think it affects all kinds of different audiences. And I just try to keep that in mind, to keep people entertained. "
Mekhi Phifer
People
Doctor
Doing
" My agents usually get a breakdown of all the projects that are out there. When I got 'Divergent,' they hadn't finished the script. They knew they wanted the leader of the Dauntless to have a certain demeanor and energy. They had me read a short monologue, and I got the part. "
Mekhi Phifer
Got
Me
Energy
" Wales was great. The people were great, and I had a great time there. "
Mekhi Phifer
Time
Great
People
" When you become an actor, at some point you look for something that brings you back to your roots. You find something that people around your neighborhood can relate to. People that you're close with can relate to. "
Mekhi Phifer
Look
People
Roots
" When I did 'Clockers,' I didn't even think about having a career in acting, I just thought, 'Wow, this is cool. I get to do a little movie.' "
Mekhi Phifer
Think
Cool
Career
" I hated how Sam Rothstein got manipulated by Sharon Stone's character in 'Casino.' I mean, I just hate how he gets manipulated; that just gets ridiculous to me. I know it's historic, but I hated that. "
Mekhi Phifer
Hate
Character
Know
" With my first son I cut his umbilical cord and everything, so I'm a hands-on father, to say the least. "
Mekhi Phifer
Everything
Cut
Father
" Being from New York, living in L.A., being in Chicago, you kind of get more of the big-city, melting-pot sort of thing. But when you drive through the country, there's so many small pockets of people that don't experience people of different backgrounds. So what they've seen on television is their baseline. "
Mekhi Phifer
Experience
New York
People
" I almost turned down '8 Mile.' I was due to start 'ER,' and I learned they really wanted me to be in '8 Mile.' I didn't know Eminem; I just knew he was a rapper and saw what everyone else saw in the media. I thought they were just trying to capitalize on his popularity. "
Mekhi Phifer
Media
Start
Thought
" In the early '80s, it was hard to find celebrities you can identify with if you lived in the hood. There weren't any rap videos at the time. "
Mekhi Phifer
Early
Find
Hard
" I love working with Sally Field, and Steve Buscemi is one of the most giving, talented actors I've ever worked with. "
Mekhi Phifer
Ever
Giving
Field
" It's always a pleasure when you get to work with people that you actually really like. "
Mekhi Phifer
Work
You
Always
" Once or twice a week, I try to do some kind of boxing. I'm hitting the bags and jumping rope - all that stuff. "
Mekhi Phifer
Week
Boxing
Kind
" I do like sci-fi, absolutely. I've watched everything from 'Star Trek' to 'Star Wars' to 'Terminator' - the list goes on and on. "
Mekhi Phifer
Like
Goes
Everything
" I grew up in a rough environment. You want to be strong and have your presence felt out there. That attitude reflects how people see you. "
Mekhi Phifer
You
Be Strong
People
" I love character-driven, well-written, great storytelling types of films, and I think that 'My Cousin Vinny' just hit the nail on the head with everything. It's one of those movies that, if I'm flipping through the channels, no matter what part it's on, I can watch it. It's just one of my favorites. "
Mekhi Phifer
I Can
Great
Love
" I'm a big road trip guy. I'm the guy who gets in the RV and drives across country. And when you do that, you really get to see small-town America. "
Mekhi Phifer
See
Road
America
" I don't really like hospitals that much. People are sick; sometimes it can be depressing. There's people going through a lot of pain in there. It has that funny smell. "
Mekhi Phifer
Sick
Funny
Sometimes
" Anytime you join a show that's been successful, there's a certain responsibility. And a lot of anxiety that, you know, you're bringing the character to life, respecting the show and doing your part. So that you are not the weak link in the chain. "
Mekhi Phifer
Life
Character
Responsibility
" 'Mekhi' means, sort of, one who loves water, and the relationship with water and how water is important to life... It's a sense of being needed and purpose - you know, we have a purpose on this earth, and we're here to fill that. "
Mekhi Phifer
Relationship
Water
Purpose
" A lot of characters I've played have a certain amount of strength, pride, and leadership. "
Mekhi Phifer
Characters
Leadership
Strength
" I love anything that really pushes the envelope as far as where it takes your mind. When it's well written and brings you into a world that possibly could be, I think that's the most entertaining for me - to see something that could actually take place and causes you to think. "
Mekhi Phifer
Think
Love
Me
" It's nice to always have been able to remain consistent. I'm very thankful for that and to work on shows that I can be proud of, and films. "
Mekhi Phifer
I Can
Thankful
Nice
" I tend to play more true-to-life characters in real situations. "
Mekhi Phifer
Play
Characters
Real
" Rap is definitely a youthful expression. "
Mekhi Phifer
Definitely
Expression
Rap
" I loved the extended version of 'Aliens' because it shows just a little bit more that you don't see and what they always show on television. "
Mekhi Phifer
See
You
Television
" I'm an avid watcher of the Nat Geo channel, where I watch shows about how the planets are formed, and shows about moons, quasars, black holes. "
Mekhi Phifer
Planets
How
Watch
" Actors look at life in a different way. When I meet people, I know that one day I may portray that person or someone like them. It may be a cop or a homeless guy. It helps you to pay more attention to people. Everyone I meet, I retain something from them, something from their personality. It helps me to portray realism in my work. "
Mekhi Phifer
People
Personality
Work
" When break dancing was out, I break danced. When rapping was the thing, I freestyled rap on the street and battled and all that kind of stuff. "
Mekhi Phifer
Out
Street
Break