Mekhi Phifer Quotes

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Mekhi Phifer

Profession : Actor

Birth : December 29, 1974

I don't really like hospitals that much. People are sick; sometimes it can be depressing. There's people going through a lot of pain in there. It has that funny smell.

Mekhi Phifer

Anytime you join a show that's been successful, there's a certain responsibility. And a lot of anxiety that, you know, you're bringing the character to life, respecting the show and doing your part. So that you are not the weak link in the chain.

Mekhi Phifer

Wales was great. The people were great, and I had a great time there.

Mekhi Phifer

I think, in any artist's mind, you can't just be into yourself. You have to look at the world in an objective view.

Mekhi Phifer

I'm a big road trip guy. I'm the guy who gets in the RV and drives across country. And when you do that, you really get to see small-town America.

Mekhi Phifer

Being from New York, living in L.A., being in Chicago, you kind of get more of the big-city, melting-pot sort of thing. But when you drive through the country, there's so many small pockets of people that don't experience people of different backgrounds. So what they've seen on television is their baseline.

Mekhi Phifer

I always try to pick and choose projects that will be impactful to someone. From films like 'Clockers' to playing a doctor on 'ER' to doing '8 Mile,' where I'm in charge of the hip-hop battles, I think it affects all kinds of different audiences. And I just try to keep that in mind, to keep people entertained.

Mekhi Phifer

I do like sci-fi, absolutely. I've watched everything from 'Star Trek' to 'Star Wars' to 'Terminator' - the list goes on and on.

Mekhi Phifer

If you go into something saying, 'I'm the bad guy,' you do yourself a disservice as an actor. It's always about trying to find the humanity in a character.

Mekhi Phifer

My agents usually get a breakdown of all the projects that are out there. When I got 'Divergent,' they hadn't finished the script. They knew they wanted the leader of the Dauntless to have a certain demeanor and energy. They had me read a short monologue, and I got the part.

Mekhi Phifer

I almost turned down '8 Mile.' I was due to start 'ER,' and I learned they really wanted me to be in '8 Mile.' I didn't know Eminem; I just knew he was a rapper and saw what everyone else saw in the media. I thought they were just trying to capitalize on his popularity.

Mekhi Phifer

A lot of characters I've played have a certain amount of strength, pride, and leadership.

Mekhi Phifer

I love character-driven, well-written, great storytelling types of films, and I think that 'My Cousin Vinny' just hit the nail on the head with everything. It's one of those movies that, if I'm flipping through the channels, no matter what part it's on, I can watch it. It's just one of my favorites.

Mekhi Phifer

I loved the extended version of 'Aliens' because it shows just a little bit more that you don't see and what they always show on television.

Mekhi Phifer

When I did 'Clockers,' I didn't even think about having a career in acting, I just thought, 'Wow, this is cool. I get to do a little movie.'

Mekhi Phifer

I want to see my family prosper, see my kids grow old.

Mekhi Phifer

I definitely applaud Netflix and all of those guys, whether it's Hulu or whoever, for doing original programming.

Mekhi Phifer

It's nice to always have been able to remain consistent. I'm very thankful for that and to work on shows that I can be proud of, and films.

Mekhi Phifer

I'm from Harlem, born and raised there.

Mekhi Phifer

When you become an actor, at some point you look for something that brings you back to your roots. You find something that people around your neighborhood can relate to. People that you're close with can relate to.

Mekhi Phifer