Jussie Smollett

“As an artist, you want to do roles that challenge you and say something.”

“I was working at a non-profit for five years. But I could always create music after work. All throughout those years, I was writing songs and recording music and performing around town.”

“Rob Hardy is such a great director.”

“There are projects I've done, such as 'Queen,' where I played Halle Berry and Danny Glover's son, where I'm so extremely proud of the work that I did that I will sit down and watch that any time.”

“'Mighty Ducks' was a great experience, and I don't shy away from that.”

“I would love to do a song with Janet Jackson. Janet was, is, forever will be, the ultimate. She's the ultimate dream girl for every guy - and for every girl.”

“I want to continue to be the same man I've always been.”

“My family is from Elmhurst, Queens, 54th Avenue, but I was born in Northern California.”

“I think that any actor - any artist, period - would love to work with an artist like Lee Daniels.”

“I went into a Whole Foods to buy chewable vitamin C and got tackled by, like, 15 girls who watch 'Empire.'”

“I know about homophobia in the music industry - not just in hip-hop. Obviously, we're dealing with homophobia in hip-hop; we're dealing with homophobia in the black community.”

“If you change because of fame, that's not the right thing. But if you change because of growth, that's normal... The whole fame thing hasn't hit me. And I hope it kind of doesn't.”

“Some of the greatest films and television have only been seen by the people that make them. And some of the greatest music is only heard by the people who make it.”

“I'm a sun and ocean guy.”

“My absolute idols growing up were Michael Jackson and Prince, and so, to get the stamp of approval from someone like Timbaland whom I know that these artists respect, that is a huge feat.”

“There will be a Jussie Smollett album. I signed to Columbia. So, darling, I'm label mates with Beyonce and Adele and Barbra Streisand.”

“It's been a blessing to work under Team Timbaland.”

“When a television show like 'Scandal' becomes the biggest show in recent history, suddenly advertisers and networks want to jump on that. And what it's showing is that people want to see diversity.”

“I have Jewish friends. I have Middle Eastern friends. I have Spanish and Italian and British and Scottish and German friends and Austrian friends, and guess what? They all deal with homophobia. It's an earthling epidemic; it's not isolated in the black community.”

“I keep saying that, if Samuel L. Jackson and Bette Davis could have a baby, it would be Taraji P. Henson. To me, she's one of the greatest character actors of our generation, let alone leading ladies. She's just phenomenal in everything she does.”