The vision of extraordinary achievement is,by definition, a few steps beyond consensus and conventional logic
'Do the Right Thing' was like the first film where I really felt comfortable working with actors.
I believe in destiny. But I also believe that you can’t just sit back and let destiny happen. A lot of times, an opportunity might fall into your lap, but you have to be ready for that opportunity. You can’t sit there waiting on it. A lot of times you are going to have to get out there and make it happen.
I think black people have to be in control of their own image because film is a powerful medium. We can't just sit back and let other people define our existence.
You gotta make your own way. You gotta find a way. You gotta get it done. It's hard. It's tough. That's what I tell my students every day in class. I've been very fortunate. Some people might call me a hardhead, but I'm not going to let other people dictate to me who I should be or the stories I should tell. That doesn't register with me.
It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are.
I may have been born yesterday, but I stayed up all night.
It's not fair to compare one artist to another because they all come with their own sort of elements to the picnic, you know.
Get your emotions under control and your life under control. Work really hard and don't make a big deal out of yourself. Have humility. Believe in yourself. Don't get a fanatical fixation on a teacher.
What's the use? The people are too stupid. They do not understand.
It's difficult to get your creative juices flowing if you're always being practical, following rules, afraid to make mistakes, not looking into outside areas, or under the influence of any of the other mental locks.