I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can't truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.

You hear the best stories from ordinary people. That sense of immediacy is more real to me than a lot of writerly literary-type crafted stories. I want that immediacy when I read a novel.

Stories aren't the beauty of what did happen. They're the beauty of what could happen.

My father always taught by telling stories about his experiences. His lessons were about morality and art and what insects and birds and human beings had in common. He told me what it meant to be a man and to be a Black man. He taught me about love and responsibility about beauty and how to make gumbo.

What a stupid attitude we have in this country to personal stories.

My dad was a journalist. He was in Rwanda right after the genocide. In Berlin when the wall came down. He was always disappearing and coming back with amazing stories. So telling stories for a living made sense to me.

I think 'Game of Thrones' was extraordinary. I want to do some period pieces. It would be lovely to tell great stories that is my main ambition. And to be working with amazing creators.

Stories are amazing and powerful because they can resonate with people depending on their needs and experiences and speak truths we need to hear in that moment in time.

I'm no actor. And I wasn't like George Lucas or Spielberg making home movies as a teenager either. But I would go back and watch certain movies again and again. By the time I saw 'The Graduate' I was aware of how these amazing stories could be told.

It was a wonderful experience to work with Sylvia. She pushed me to be more powerful with my acting and she told me scores of the most incredible stories I've ever heard. She is amazing.