I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I would play a devil worshipper, and I would fill myself up with whatever devil worshippers believe. Then, as myself, I empty that out and become Nelsan.
- Nelsan Ellis
Myself, Play, Devil, Worshipper
Whenever you have a character in which one of his defining qualities is his sexuality, it's always challenging, because you don't want to bring in someone who's going to play that in a phony way.
- Nelsan Ellis
Play, Always, Which, Defining
'Interview with a Vampire' is my all-time favorite. I also loved 'An American Werewolf in London.'
- Nelsan Ellis
Loved, London, Werewolf, Interview
Boot camp was the first time I got a heavy dose of discipline. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
- Nelsan Ellis
Best, Discipline, Got, Dose
When you act with phenomenal actors, it makes your job much easier because all you have to do is react.
- Nelsan Ellis
React, Makes, Your, Phenomenal
I went from unknown to having no anonymity.
- Nelsan Ellis
Unknown, Having, Anonymity
Let gay people get married.
- Nelsan Ellis
People, Get, Married, Get Married
If you want to get married to a man, then get married to a man. If two women want to get married, they should get married. It's not hurting me.
- Nelsan Ellis
Want, Two, Then, Get Married
When you deal with Alan Ball, you're dealing with a person who is a genius in terms of how art imitates life.
- Nelsan Ellis
Art, Deal, Dealing, Alan
Alan Ball, he's good at challenging his actors, I'll say that.
- Nelsan Ellis
Say, Ball, His, Alan
Although I can be a leading man, you wouldn't look at me and go, 'He's a leading man.'
- Nelsan Ellis
Me, Leading, Although, Leading Man
Anna Paquin is marvelous, and she brings so much experience to the table.
- Nelsan Ellis
She, Brings, Marvelous, Table
I was quiet, and I was artistic. I liked writing poetry, and that was very strange, so I was bullied a lot.
- Nelsan Ellis
Writing, Very, Lot, Bullied
The beautiful thing about this country is that I can be a Christian and feel free to do so. Or somebody cannot be a Christian and do whatever that entails. Or somebody can be a Christian and still be gay, and I support it.
- Nelsan Ellis
Country, Still, Entails, Beautiful Thing
The ultimate part that I want to play in my life is Jimi Hendrix, so I guess I'm drawn to music even though I can't sing or dance very well.
- Nelsan Ellis
My Life, Play, Very, Hendrix
The sci-fi fans in America... they are die-hard. They will follow you to the ends of the Earth. Once they attach themselves to a show and believe in the show and love the characters, they're there forever, and they're unshakeable.
- Nelsan Ellis
Love, Will, Show, Attach
There were not many black students at Juilliard, unfortunately. So when you get there, you become very good friends, in particular, with the other black students.
- Nelsan Ellis
Black, Other, Very, Good Friends
The arts are suffering amongst public schools, but also, minority theater companies are struggling, and I firmly believe in freedom of expression through the arts.
- Nelsan Ellis
Through, Expression, Firmly, Minority
My mom's side, they're southern Baptist Christian.
- Nelsan Ellis
Christian, Southern, Side, Southern Baptist
I think, in this country, anybody can do whatever they want to do as long as it's not hurting anybody else or violating the laws of society.
- Nelsan Ellis
Think, Country, I Think, Hurting
At some point in my life, I wanted to be in a vampire movie.
- Nelsan Ellis
My Life, Some, Wanted, Vampire
Everybody kept saying, 'I just don't know how to sell you.' I'm odd. I don't think you can put a finger on me.
- Nelsan Ellis
Think, Finger, Everybody, Odd
When I moved to Chicago, I was coming from a school that didn't have any arts in Alabama. I essentially came from a town where the arts didn't exist and the desire for education didn't exist and wasn't valued.
- Nelsan Ellis
Education, Desire, Town, Chicago
I rejected being a lot of things that I grew up in, and yet I didn't. I got all my tactics from where I grew up... I can talk about all the people in those environments more than I can talk about the teachers at Juilliard or anyone else.
- Nelsan Ellis
Got, Rejected, Environments, Tactics
I am a vampire/werewolf and sci-fi fanatic. God is so good! I get to play in a series that has all that!
- Nelsan Ellis
Good, Play, Am, Fanatic
My idea of horses is from when I grew up on a farm. They were big, and they were dumb.
- Nelsan Ellis
Big, Idea, Were, Farm
I had no intention of being an actor.
- Nelsan Ellis
Actor, Had, Being, Intention
When you're in a position that you can comfortably give, you need to pay it forward.
- Nelsan Ellis
Forward, Give, Need, Comfortably
When I wanted to become a serious actor, this girl told me, 'You should go to Juilliard.' And I said, 'Okay.'
- Nelsan Ellis
Girl, Go, Okay, Juilliard
With 'True Blood,' you don't know what to expect. You don't know how wild it's gonna get.
- Nelsan Ellis
How, Expect, Gonna, Wild
I love working with Alexander Skarsgard. He brings such gravity to a scene.
- Nelsan Ellis
Love, I Love, Brings, Alexander
There are homophobic people in my family. They're deeply religious.
- Nelsan Ellis
Family, Religious, Deeply, Homophobic
I can play a doctor, and I can play a thug.
- Nelsan Ellis
Doctor, Play, I Can, Thug
Domestic violence is an epidemic, and yet we don't address it. Until it happens to celebrities.
- Nelsan Ellis
Domestic, Address, Epidemic
I was raised by women.
- Nelsan Ellis
Women, Raised, I Was Raised
You go back to my town, it's like going back to the 1960s... just not a great place to grow up.
- Nelsan Ellis
Grow, Town, Great Place, Grow Up
I see a project, and I say I want to audition for it, and people let me audition for it. There's a lot to be grateful for.
- Nelsan Ellis
Grateful, Project, Want, Audition
It's hard to get an education when teachers spend 70 percent of their time trying to discipline students.
- Nelsan Ellis
Education, Percent, Students, Teachers
Fiona Shaw is a goddess to me.
- Nelsan Ellis
Me, Goddess
Acting is the only thing that makes me happy.
- Nelsan Ellis
Happy, Only, Makes, The Only Thing
I was quiet. If I really wanted to say something, I would. I just wasn't interested in saying anything.
- Nelsan Ellis
Say, Something, Really, Quiet
I can't approach a character with judgment.
- Nelsan Ellis
Character, Approach, Judgment
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