Andre Braugher

I'm in love with low-rated shows. That's true of 'Men of a Certain Age,' 'Thief,' 'Gideon's Crossing.' I fall in love with projects that are almost freighted with prestige.

As an actor, I'm allowed - encouraged! - to explore emotions that have been basically unacceptable in my life. I have a huge well of emotional stuff, and once I give myself permission as an actor, it all comes to the surface. But I'll be damned if I can give myself permission to bring it out as a man.

As a father, I've tried to encourage my children to have a broader and deeper emotional life than I've had. I want my sons to be able to express their feelings about things.

One of the great upsides about comedy is that you're dealing with really lovely, fun material.

The distinction is large in my mind. The gay police captain is eventually going to be wearing hot pants and singing 'YMCA.' The police captain who happens to be gay is going to be a huge collection of personality characteristics and motivations.

I knew that in order to make a more lasting impact, to be on a show that people would watch on a regular basis, I would have to change my thinking.

It was good to travel to the other side of the world.

For me the march was a labor - a labor of love - but I was busy handing out flyers for the National Association of Black Social Workers, so I really wasn't standing in the crowd listening and observing. I was busy.

My family life and my ideals, my commitment to the community and to other people - all people - has been improved. I think less about myself and more about my community today.

Once your network has lost confidence in you, you're headed for the dustbin of history.

And I thought that was the best way for me to participate, because standing in the crowd and listening is a fantastic education, but it's not my nature. I need to be involved. So I did that instead.

Unfortunately, in television today there are very few African-American characters who are human beings. They are typically two-dimensional stereotypes, cookie-cutter types.