Comedian

I started out as a stand-up comedian. And that's what I'm most comfortable doing.

If you're involved in with something that's original, you know, you'll always go back and try to rehash it.

'SNL' is part of my history. I got on the show as a kid. That's the show I got known from.

I'm 42 and the age of a guy who has kids, so I guess I'm playing right where I'm supposed to be. I'm comfortable with that, but in the same breath I'd do something edgy. If someone came to me and offered me an edgy and funny story, then I'd do it.

I haven't read a newspaper in 20 years. I don't look at the computer or anything. You have to have a filter on what you let in.

If you interact with anyone, ultimately, all people are the same. However they're dressed, when you're in the house with a person, they're going to be a regular human being.

I never hated hip-hop. It became the new rock and roll. It became the biggest thing that Africans have ever done in the history of the Americas. Hip-hop put more black Americans on than anything before it. It fed more people. It allowed them to diversify into clothing lines and billion-dollar headphone companies.

I don't think more concentration is required for Robert De Niro to do what he does as for Jim Carrey to do what he does.

If I don't die in a plane crash or something, this country has a rare opportunity to watch a great talent grow.

Getting divorced didn't sour me on the institution of marriage. I'll tell you what I'll never do: I'll never get divorced again.

If you have a flop movie, so what? And if you have a hit movie, it's 'so what,' too - it's on to the next movie.

I used to be the hippest of them all. I used to know everything about everything. I used to read about everything that was going on, and I knew everybody's name and anybody in pop culture. Anything that was written about me, I would read.

After all these years, I've done well and I'm cool. I feel comfortable in my skin, I've saved some paper, everybody's healthy, my kids are beautiful and smart, doing different things, it's all good.

From the very beginning, I always tried to make dialogue flow comfortably; I always did that to make it seem more authentic.

The studios gotta start making more stuff where black folks get quality stuff. But I can't trip about that because I've been making movies for 35 years, and I've played everything from an old lady to a donkey, so I can't be on here talking about, 'They don't give us enough roles' and diversity.

Music has always been around with me.

In a movie like this, the relationship between the two guys is crucial. It sinks or swims on how these two guys are together. I think we did a good job.

I started out as an impressionist and that's all about observing - how people move, their voice quality, their attitudes and quirks.

You know, making a movie is a collaborative effort and sometimes all the ingredients don't work out. I know that every now and again I am going to make a movie that won't work.

I had a band before I did standup - I've always done music. I got known for being funny, and that's how I make a living - and from acting - but I never stopped playing and producing and recording music.