Bill Duke Quotes

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Bill Duke

Profession : Actor

Birth : February 26, 1943

Acting takes courage.

Bill Duke

Meryl Streep doesn't care how she looks. She just surrenders to the truth of the character. Not everybody has the ability to do that. They look good and they can pretend to be that person, it's not the same as being that person. And there are not many actors who will surrender to that.

Bill Duke

You determine your reality.

Bill Duke

It's great working with great writers and directors because you're getting paid for something you love and want to do.

Bill Duke

It's very important that we give a voice to the voiceless in terms of media; because media is a global phenom and it portrays you dependent upon what controls you have and the writers are doing great work.

Bill Duke

I love great writing.

Bill Duke

I come up in a segregated 1943 atmosphere of segregation.

Bill Duke

On the way from church one day when my sister and I were 7 or 8, I was beaten by some white bikers.

Bill Duke

I saw the things that my sister went through - she's dark skinned - with boys not considering her attractive in her youth and the pain that it caused her.

Bill Duke

I don't have all the answers. I'm just supposed to present what I think is an issue and have dialogue start.

Bill Duke

I had studied at the NYU School of the Arts under Lloyd Richards, who also worked with the Negro Ensemble Company.

Bill Duke

Part of the training you get in theater is that you're never going to give up.

Bill Duke

Pain is pain.

Bill Duke

I'm hoping to see some minorities in executive offices in positions of power, people who see the merit of projects with minority themes. That may or may not happen.

Bill Duke

There is no reason why excellent pictures can't be made for $4-5 million.

Bill Duke

The only chance for a guy like me is to make a decent picture for a reasonable budget. If it brings in a profit for investors, maybe I'll have the opportunity to make something else.

Bill Duke

We need people with foresight who are willing to make films with smaller budgets and accept smaller profits.

Bill Duke

I don't think God makes mistakes and I think that women have to not rely on men to define their worth.

Bill Duke

No individual should rely on any other human being or system to define their worth as a human being. You have to begin to find that within yourself.

Bill Duke

Well, in the '80s and '70s, with the exception of Sidney Poitier and Brock Peters, maybe Ivan Dixon, if you were as big and black as I am, you were a bad guy. Simple. Because in real life, I scare people.

Bill Duke