All Quotes

"Strive for excellence all the time. Be responsible about the kind of work you do and the kind of a social impact it can make."

"Be good to people – the industry is surprisingly small and people remember. Stay humble and true to yourself. And most importantly, be fiercely brave!"

"The arts have always been a part of my life and they are in my blood. This is my God-given calling. I am just walking out my purpose and my calling in life."

"The main trust of Ramadan is about abstaining from eating, drinking and all sinful acts; however, this is meant to make us better people, better neighbors and more God-fearing believers"

"I’ve always had a very deep passion for social justice and social justice issues, being a black child born under apartheid in the 1980’s. That had a very deep impact on me and my heart. That passion was always also inside of me and I’ve also felt very passionate about empowering young people especially from under privileged backgrounds in particularly in my community through education and the performing arts."

"Actors need to really master the art of compassion and of non-judgement and in order to do that you have to have a very broad and diverse experience of the world."

"I have always been hungry for education and information and just really keen to understand the world better and I am really just fascinated by different people and different cultures and histories."

"I’ve always been very clear that I don’t want fame and fortune. I want diversity and longevity in my career and to really do work that makes a really meaningful impact on the world."

"As a Black actor, I have to do my job just like everybody else in the room, but half of the energy that should be spent focusing on excelling in my craft has to go elsewhere. I have the added burden of constantly having to fight with writers, directors, or producers to fix a racist script or to keep my character from being portrayed in a way that perpetuates age-old, racist stereotypes."

"I have to explain why certain terms are racially offensive. And then there are the humiliating fights over why I deserve to have a hairstylist who understands my hair texture because White stylists are damaging my hair or don’t know how to work with it. The same goes for makeup artists. They may be obviously painting my face the wrong color, but then they’ll get irritated and defensive when I point this out, telling me to bring my own foundation and powder because they did not care to invest in a broader range of makeup that would cater to actors of all shades"

"Or how about when they hire a White stunt double to do your stunts, whom they put in blackface? And then when you report these things to the higher-ups, you’re often met with arrogance and dismissal. There’s this attitude that you’re hypersensitive or just causing trouble and being an inconvenience. You’ll be told that no one else has a problem with the hair and makeup stylists."

"You are constantly having to defend why you are standing up for yourself when you are the victim."

"Black artists are tired of having to beg for crumbs from the industry’s table when we are just as talented, qualified, and worthy of opportunities as our White counterparts. We don’t need anybody’s crumbs; we have already earned our seats at the table."

"We are no longer asking for things to change, to be more just and equitable."

"As artists and storytellers, our work is to reflect humanity back to itself and to steer people’s aspirations. We are the doctors of the human soul. We are healers and educators."

"Acting was never a career choice for me; it was a calling. I couldn't see myself doing anything else. When you find that thing you are so passionate about that you would do it for free, that's what you should pursue."

"There will always be a hundred reasons why you can't do something. Your job is to find the one reason why you can, and hold onto it tightly. Believe in yourself even when no one else does, because that belief is your fuel."

"We have the stories, we have the talent. What we need now is more investment and belief in our own local content. The world is ready for Kenyan stories, told by Kenyans."

"Nice Githinji possesses a rare authenticity on screen that makes her characters instantly relatable. She doesn't just act a role; she embodies it with a subtlety and depth that commands attention."

"We made history on the first day of December. Our future starts tomorrow"

"To realize our national goals, youth involvement in national development is most crucial. As a result, our youth should undertake useful engagements that would bring out the best in them as productive and useful citizen"

"My government strives for nothing but the progress, prosperity and development of The Gambia and its people"

"The reality is that no matter what our worldview is, the outcomes of our thoughts and actions have to be constructive, productive, and progressive in the best interest of humankind"

"Any work you start, you become an apprentice first, but today I am the master"

"If someone gives you breakfast and lunch, when it’s time for Maghrib prayer, just pray—dinner will come"

"No matter how much higher your knowledge and status are, it is useless if you are not loyal"

"A fish and a goat cannot be friends. You know why? A fish likes water, and a goat hates water"

"We are accelerating efforts to ensure that every community, no matter how remote, is powered, connected, and exposed to the comfort of modern life"

"Let us draw strength from the past and march forward, confident and determined"

"You, the taxpayers, are the bedrock of our nation’s development"

"Corruption in all its manifestations brings about underdevelopment and deprivation, and that is what African leaders should fight against"

"The perennial problem of this country is mainly triggered by the lack of a sound and honest leadership"

"I firmly believe that every person, regardless of the situation or circumstances, has something to offer humanity"

"I reject any temptation of imposing pain, hardship, agony, and uncertainty upon our people"

"My love for country is more profound and intrinsic than my desire for the presidency"

"IN UNION STRONG SUCCESS IS SURE"

"What good is our freedom and independence when so many of our fellow citizens are struggling"

"For a country once defined by war, this is a powerful reminder that we are no longer seen only through the lens of conflict, but as a nation of peacebuilders, a voice of reason in a troubled world."

"We must rise to build a society that values knowledge over ignorance, unity over discord, and progress over stagnation"

"Our future cannot take root without unity"

"Any government would be really embarrassed to ban Shakespeare."

"The apartheid government was frightened of ridicule. Everyone is frightened of laughter."

"Theatre is a white invention, a European invention, and white people go to it. It's in their DNA. It starts with Shakespeare."

"Life and art get mixed up sometimes – it's what actors draw on."

"My sensitivity to prejudice is high because I was brought up in South Africa. My awareness of all this crap came earlier, and it's stayed with me, and it's why I'm militantly liberal."

"I remember being absolutely shocked in Australia at the absence of black people."

"The only times I saw black people were once in Adelaide and once at the other end of the continent, in both cases looking desperate on the street, sitting in huddles drinking beer. I realised what Australians had done to their indigenous population, to their other: they'd disappeared them."

"In South Africa we were criminal, beastly, vile and disgusting, but we didn't commit genocide."

"You can't envy something you can't be, can you? You sat and admired what was emerging."

"The whole purpose of an actor's life is to find great writing, and when it comes along you leap on it like a puppy on a slipper. You're avid – greedy – hungry – for great gobbets of good writing. That's all we live for."