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" 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
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" 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
" I've gotten to travel all over the world and meet all kinds of people and do all kinds of great things, so it's, like, surreal. It just lets you know how time flies, especially when you're having fun. It seems like time keeps going by faster as I get older. "
Mekhi Phifer
Travel
Having Fun
Great
" There's no question that I'm African-American. OK? I'm a black man. We're not going to escape that. "
Mekhi Phifer
OK
Question
Man
" I've done 21 films in eight years, and I've said 'No' more times than I've done films. "
Mekhi Phifer
Years
Than
Said
" 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
" '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
" I've dated interracially a lot. I grew up in Harlem, so I've dated Latins, Dominican, Guyanese, Cuban, black, white. "
Mekhi Phifer
Black
White
Lot
" 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
" I'm a soccer dad at heart. I want five kids, and I want to get married. I want to coach Little League. "
Mekhi Phifer
Kids
Little
Soccer
" It's always a pleasure when you get to work with people that you actually really like. "
Mekhi Phifer
Work
You
Always
" If you go into something saying, 'I'm the bad guy,' you do yourself a disservice as an actor. It's always about trying to find the humanity in a character. "
Mekhi Phifer
Saying
Character
Humanity
" 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
" I want to see my family prosper, see my kids grow old. "
Mekhi Phifer
Old
Kids
Family
" 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
" 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 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 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
" 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
" A lot of characters I've played have a certain amount of strength, pride, and leadership. "
Mekhi Phifer
Characters
Leadership
Strength
" 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
" 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 love kids, outings, camping, sports, Legoland, all the Daddy stuff. I love it. I wish I could just do that, but I have to work, too. "
Mekhi Phifer
Just
I Wish
Work
" 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
" When you're working and making money, that's all good, but there has to be something that provides a substance, I think. "
Mekhi Phifer
You
Think
Making Money
" I tend to play more true-to-life characters in real situations. "
Mekhi Phifer
Play
Characters
Real
" 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
" Toronto is like a smaller, safe New York. "
Mekhi Phifer
Safe
New York
New
" 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
" Wales was great. The people were great, and I had a great time there. "
Mekhi Phifer
Time
Great
People
" I always try to bring a certain masculine presence to what I do. That is part of the dynamic. "
Mekhi Phifer
Try
Bring
Always