Quotes from Malik Yoba

As I kid I watched 'Star Trek' and 'Battlestar Galactica.'

From a genre perspective and a character perspective, you know, sky's the limit.

It took me until my 40s to realize the five essential areas that are important to at least have a real dating chance. Obviously, beyond the physical compatibility, which is where we all start in junior high school, I think that intellectual compatibility and spiritual compatibility, emotional intelligence, and financial compatibility are important.

My father kicked me out of the house by the time I was 16.

I'm a dad; I started a program for young men when my first child was born.

No matter what your dream is, first you have to think that anything is possible.

When I'm doing a role the one thing I ask is 'Is this believable? am I being truthful?'

Baltimore and Detroit - they are solid cities.

One of the reasons why I started creating my solo show is so that I have a place to put all of the accents that I do.

People think that it's ok to degenerate and disrespect someone just because they're in the public eye.

It's not all about starring in a TV show for me. It's about being able to provide opportunity and employment for other people.

I never like to be the person trying to hard sell, saying, "This is why you should watch it." I know that my fans, who have followed me for years, want to know what I'm doing.

I knew that I wanted to create a restaurant like Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood that celebrated not just music or Hollywood, but who we were as people of color, as Caribbean, African, Cajun and Southern people.

In my experience on 'New York Undercover,' where I played a dad, I was 26 years old, and I didn't have kids then. And at that time, it would blow me away that people said they became a better parent because of watching my role on that TV show.

Even when I did 'New York Undercover' I put together a five-year marketing and promotional campaign to maximize the exposure of that show.

We live in a world where mental health is real. Emotional health is real, and people feel like no one cares.

To me, acting is simple. People put other things in front of it, but it's staying in truth.

I personally don't prefer acting and directing in something because I don't have the same objectivity.

It's always nice when you see an email in your inbox that says 'offer,' then you read the email and go, 'Oh, okay. Who's doing it, what's it about?'

For me, 'Cool Runnings' was amazing because I always wanted to bobsled and go to the Olympics.

A lot of the shows I have done, I'm often the only black guy and I have often had to play second or third fiddle. It isn't necessarily a bad thing if it is a strong ensemble cast. But I feel people have overlooked my abilities.

At the end of the day, if you are an actor, you definitely know that you're just work-for-hire.

As a black man, you learn at an early age the police are not your friends.

For me, I've always been an entrepreneur.