Brian Stokes Mitchell

That's what I love about New York. So many people crowded together, pushing against one another. And that's what I hate about New York. So many people crowded together, pushing against one another. ”

I love the theater, and I just don't love television like that. ”

I started out on the stage, then I had a great career in television for quite a few years. The good news about a TV series is that they give you a certain amount of fame and money. The bad news is that you're in people's living rooms every week and get associated with a particular character. ”

That's the magic of art and the magic of theatre: it has the power to transform an audience, an individual, or en masse, to transform them and give them an epiphanal experience that changes their life, opens their hearts and their minds and the way they think. ”

Through most of my life, music has been like a radio that plays and plays in my head. ”

I'm the chairman of the board of the Actor's Fund. It's an incredible organization. It helps anybody that has made their living in the performing arts and entertainment: actors, singers, dancers, film producers, agents, managers, ticket takers, writers, anybody in times of need or crisis. ”

It's nearly impossible to make a living in the arts. ”

I'm one of the few lucky actors in the world. I've never waited tables. I never pumped gas. I've always earned a living. I never had to borrow from my parents. I was the first in our family to own a new car. ”

I always call myself the luckiest actor in the world because I made a living solely as a performer from the time I left home at 17 years old. ”

The first time I really had an influence on a show was during 'Ragtime.' It's still the most magical show that I've ever done. ”