A biography for Bill Dukehasn’t been written yet.
“Pain is pain.”
“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.”
“I don't think God makes mistakes and I think that women have to not rely on men to define their worth.”
“I enjoyed 'Predator' a lot, and also 'Get Rich and Die Tryin'.' I really enjoyed that role and playing the O.G.”
“Colorism is unfortunately still an issue today.”
“I'm not interested in making 'black' movies. I'm interested in making movies that reflect reality as I perceive it.”
“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.”
“What I really plan to do is take the best scripts I get and consider them seriously. I can actually work as an actor and prepare a film as a director.”
“The fact of the matter is that when you're in pain emotionally about your life, the color of your skin does not matter.”
“I was the first black director on 'Dallas.' I drove my car into the studio lot and the guard asked me who I was delivering to.”
“Acting takes courage.”
“It's assumed that light-skinned women have no problems or issues, but they are judged before you know who they are.”
“My parents never let the color of our skin be an excuse for why we did not succeed.”
“I don't have all the answers. I'm just supposed to present what I think is an issue and have dialogue start.”
“I think the media and the Internet and all that stuff, has created this perception of black women as these mammy types, kind of angry, you know, full of pent up emotions and resentments. And that these women are people to feared rather than loved.”
“I meditate twice a day, T.M., and do yoga and tai chi.”
“I didn't come up in a culture or society that looked on me as a movie star. I was the bad guy. I was fortunate enough to be cast in some roles that weren't bad, were positive.”
“It really upsets me that the media insists on turning 'Do the Right Thing' or 'Boyz N the Hood' into 'black films.' They are American films. They may open the window on the black experience, but they had things to say to everybody. That's why they were so successful.”
“AIDS is a very, very, very vicious disease, particularly in the black community.”
“I love great writing.”