Dennis Haysbert

The intolerance of people against other people is growing and growing. And the thing is, this is not anything that's changed. This has been going on for years. ”

I took one thing to heart that I heard from Sidney Poitier in 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.' And it resonated so much with me. He says: 'Dad, you always looked at yourself as a black man. I look at myself as a man.' ”

I grew up in Northern California, and theater is all there was. I didn't know how to go about starting a career when I was 10. ”

I look at Facebook a fair bit. I see what's posted. I see the travesties and illegalities of what police forces do. And I also see and understand that it is sanctioned by the general public - or we would do something. ”

I really do believe that was what I was put on this planet to do: to give to people and, through my performances, show them another world - in the case of '24,' to show them what a politician, black or white, should be. Basically, I wanted to be a service to others. ”

There are always different roles and questions to be asked about certain characters. ”

I've studied theater since high school. Of course, it's a different story altogether being on Broadway, but it's still theater, and you have to be in front of a live audience, and that's very exciting. It's something I've definitely wanted to do, but I got involved in movies and television, and then it became a luxury to get back on the stage. ”

When you're playing a good character, you have an idea that you're playing the hero and the good guy. Actually, I think you're more stymied playing the good guy than you are the bad guy. As the bad guy, you have no inhibitions. Nothing stops you from doing what it is you feel you have to do. You do it because it's what's required. ”

I pride myself on being limber. ”

I like to think I'm multi-faceted. Actually, my favorite roles are roles like in 'Far from Heaven.' Y'know. Soft people. Loving people. ”