Okieriete Onaodowan

“As you get older, you grow and you revaluate.”

“Hip-hop was born of people who did not have a voice. They were not heard. And those people exist and are a part of a framework of life... as long as that's true, people will gravitate to hip-hop.”

“I knew nothing of American History because I didn't pay attention to American History in school. Because I did not see myself in American History in school.”

“I don't want to be anyone but me, but as a versatile as possible.”

“It was just really exciting to see dark people in white people's clothing, or what is perceived as white people garb.”

“The arts was always a place where I could be present.”

“If people feel strongly and passionately about something, I'll let them speak strongly and passionately - I'm not going to tell them not to.”

“It meant the world to see kids excited about theatre. That's the great thing about 'Hamilton' for me is to see young people who wouldn't normally think theatre is cool being really excited about how it works and getting involved.”

“You have to cultivate diversity for it to work, and I feel the 'Great Comet' didn't take the time to cultivate it. They didn't want to invest in it.”

“Despair is despair, sorrow is sorrow, death is death. It's not about who is experiencing it; it's about building a bridge of empathy across these experiences.”

“What we do in theatre is unlike film or any other medium. We can never really truly see the work that we made because we're in in.”

“All that acting and all that stuff and emoting and crap will come after you know what you're doing. So when you get - when I get on stage, I don't have to think about it.”

“The great thing about 'Hamilton,' for me, is so many people have been exposed to and are more open to hip-hop and certain artists, despite the stigma that had before been attached to it.”

“I just loved listening to hip-hop, I love the words. The angry words resonated with me.”

“I played Pierre, a white Russian aristocrat, and my co-lead was Denee Benton. Two black leads playing not black people - it was an important moment for the Broadway community to say diversity is possible and it's here.”

“Broadway needs to let go of any fear that it won't succeed and take a knee. There's this rhetoric about being grateful and happy that you're getting paid for your art. We are told to put our own stuff aside, but doesn't everyone have a job they should just shut up and do?”

“The finances of a smash hit do not affect the actors in any way shape or form, it's the attention that comes with it. If it's a financial hit, then a lot of people are seeing it.”

“I never worry about whether or not I'll find a job.”

“With 'Hamilton,' what's cool about the show is that even super-old white people come to see the show and hang on every word, it's that good.”

“I want to exercise all my muscles. I want to do plays. I want to do everything.”