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In an interview with GQ, the Hayward native (he made the distinction that though he was born in Oakland he was raised in Hayward) said that he's done with House of Cards, which he considers his breakthrough role.
"I’m done with House of Cards. I’ve never talked about it. It’s time to go. I want to do more. There’s only so much space for you to stretch and develop and grow because there are so many characters. I think this is a good time to be an African-American in this industry. I think that the opportunities are shifting and changing because people have spoken out."
He's also very excited about Luke Cage. "It’ll just be amazing for people to get to see an African-American superhero, which there weren’t any when I was growing up."
On how sometimes being the only black person on set has shaped his identity: "[...]If we want to be at the highest level of whatever our field is, we have to be able to navigate both worlds.
We all just know that you gotta be able to put that suit on and have a conversation with people that don’t look like you or your family. But it’s interesting being able to step into some of these worlds with white people who will never come to your house. People who are uncomfortable when you’re in an elevator, but I can still be comfortable even though they’re uncomfortable.It’s also challenging sometimes because you don’t want to be the token either. We’re in a time now where if you’re going to be the representative of all things on a project, you want them to be written in a three-dimensional way where you’re a human being. Not a caricature or someone that’s passing through because they’re checking the diversity box. That’s the thing that I’m conscious of in 2016."
He also talks about how big of a hip-hop fan he is in that he named his cat Nas and has mental playlists for his characters.
Read about his playlist at the
sourceI'll always remember him for The 4400
