Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
Denzel Washington Quotes
FaithHappinessInner Peace My faith helps me understand that circumstances don't dictate my happiness, my inner peace.
LuckOpportunityPreparation I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you're prepared for it.
DutyFaithConflictPerspective Everybody has a job to do. There are people in Iraq on both sides of this war who do what they do for religious reasons, and they feel with God on their side. Some people are good at annihilating people. Maybe that's their gift.
EffortBehind the ScenesImpact Where I think the most work needs to be done is behind the camera, not in front of it.
SuccessCareerAchievementEarly Start I had a lot of success from the start. I never really was tested for long periods of time. I got my first professional job while I was a senior in college. I signed with the William Morris Agency before I graduated.
Divine RewardHumilityFaith My mother used to tell me man gives the award, God gives the reward. I don't need another plaque.
IdentityIndividualityHeritageSelf-definition I'm very proud to be black, but black is not all I am. That's my cultural historical background, my genetic makeup, but it's not all of who I am nor is it the basis from which I answer every question.
Seizing OpportunitiesSpontaneityLiving in the Moment You have to grab moments when they happen. I like to improvise and ad lib.
GrowthWisdomConfidence When I did A Soldier's Story, I was very young and green and thought I knew everything-now I know I know everything!
CommitmentSelf-improvementSobrietyWell-being I made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me - spiritually and financially.
ActingTalentYouthIdentity Dakota Fanning is a child, but she is a wonderful actor. I don't know what a child actor is. She's an actor who's a child.
RarityTalentOpportunityLuck Black or white good parts are hard to come by. A good actor with a good opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn't matter how good you are.
AdaptabilityCreativityInnovationTimelessness Any good piece of material like Shakespeare ought to be open to reinterpretation.
InequalityRepresentationOppressionDiscrimination I think the bottom of the totem pole is African-American women, or women of colour. I think they get the least opportunities in Hollywood.
PreparationTimingControl The time to worrying about flying is when you're on the ground. When you're up in the air, it's too late. No point in worrying about it then.
UnderstandingLearningWisdomStrategyAnalysis If you have an enemy, then learn and know your enemy, don't just be mad at him or her.
TalentInnovationVersatilityLegacyDedication Meryl and Katharine Hepburn are probably the two greatest actresses of this and the last century.
ResilienceHumilityHard Work I've worked in a factory. I was a garbage man. I worked in a post office. It's not that long ago. I like to think that I'm just a regular guy.
PerseveranceResilienceMaternal LoveEncouragement My mother never gave up one me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back.
FaithPrincipleUpbringingRestraint I wasn't allowed to go to movies when I was kid; my father was a minister. 101 Dalmatians and King of Kings, that was the extent of it.
Personal GrowthResiliencePassionPurposeChange The last few years I've been saying I was ready to quit. It wasn't that interesting to me. Now that I'm directing, it's all new again.
ControversyReactionSuccessProvocative When people protest and are upset with a movie, it becomes a big hit. They hated Passion of The Christ, it worked out pretty well for the box office. So let's get that going.
DedicationPassionEntertainmentSelf-ConfidenceIntegrity I work hard for the audience. It's entertainment. I don't need validation.
Self-RelianceIndividualityAuthenticity I played Othello, but I didn't sit around thinking how Laurence Olivier did it when he played it. That wouldn't do me any good.
PrivacyFameControlConformityBurden You don't know when you're being watched. That's one of the weird things about celebrity. It's my least favorite part of acting, celebrity.
MentorshipDaily BasisLearningInfluencePersonal Growth I think a role model is a mentor - someone you see on a daily basis, and you learn from them.
EqualityFairnessAgeismOpportunity Gap Michelle Pfeiffer hasn't been finding a lot of work recently because she doesn't like what a woman her age is offered. That's a real double standard. You get Sean Connery, who gets older and older, still playing opposite young ladies, but it doesn't work the other way around.
CollaborationCreationPerfectionismLegacy It's simple: You get a part. You play a part. You play it well. You do your work and you go home. And what is wonderful about movies is that once they're done, they belong to the people. Once you make it, it's what they see. That's where my head is at.
FaithGuardian AngelFamily WisdomTrustNostalgia When I was a child I thought I saw an angel. It had wings and kinda looked like my sister. I opened the door so some light could come into the room, and it sort of faded away. My mother said it was probably my Guardian Angel.
IsolationWorkRealism I'm not in the loop; I don't know any actors, really, just the ones I work with.
ActingPersonal GrowthTransformation My role 14 years ago in Richard III - that was the first time I played a bad guy and learned a lot about it - they have all the fun!
LaborResilienceIdentityPerseverance I still have my unemployment books and I remember when I worked for the sanitation department and the post office.