Sterling K. Brown Quotes

Powerful Sterling K. Brown for Daily Growth

About Sterling K. Brown

Sterling Kevyn Brown (born April 5, 1984) is an American actor known for his versatile performances in both film and television, earning critical acclaim for his portrayal of various complex characters. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Brown spent his early years in the church choir, discovering his love for acting during high school plays. He continued his passion at Stanford University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Acting. Brown's professional acting career took off when he joined the cast of the television series "Army Wives" in 2010. His breakout role came in 2016 as Randall Pearson on NBC's "This Is Us," for which he won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2017. His profound portrayal of a man navigating life while dealing with family secrets and personal growth has resonated deeply with audiences worldwide. Brown's film career includes notable roles in "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" (2016), Marvel's "Black Panther" (2018), and Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time" (2018). He has also lent his voice to the popular animated series, "American Dad!" Brown's influences range from Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Sidney Poitier to lesser-known actors such as Joseph Walker and Paul Robeson. His work often addresses themes of race, family, and identity, and he is an active advocate for diversity in Hollywood. Brown has demonstrated a remarkable ability to breathe life into characters that resonate with both contemporary audiences and those who value timeless storytelling.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Being American means, at its root, that everyone has a chance to be anything, to do anything."

This quote by Sterling K. Brown encapsulates the essence of the American Dream - the notion that any individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, can achieve success and realize their full potential through hard work, perseverance, and equal opportunities. It emphasizes the idea that America's identity is grounded in providing equal chances for everyone to pursue their aspirations and attain greatness. This ideal represents a fundamental aspect of American society, which values inclusivity, diversity, and the power of individual determination.

"I am grateful for my life and I'm also grateful for all of the people who love me and support me in everything that I do."

This quote encapsulates gratitude and appreciation for both personal life and relationships. Sterling K. Brown expresses profound thankfulness for his own existence, acknowledging the intrinsic value and uniqueness of his life. Additionally, he recognizes and values the support and love from others in his endeavors, indicating a deep understanding of human connection and its importance in his journey through life.

"I think one of the things that makes this country so great is that you can come from a lot of different places and still be American."

This quote highlights Sterling K. Brown's perspective on the essence of American identity, suggesting it is not strictly defined by geographical origins or ethnicity but rather embraces diversity as one of its fundamental characteristics. It underscores the idea that America is a nation built upon immigrants and their unique contributions, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry that defines its people and values.

"I feel like my job as an actor is to make people feel something. If I've done that, then I've done my job."

Sterling K. Brown emphasizes the significance of an actor's role in evoking emotions from the audience. His belief is that if he successfully makes people feel through his performance, then he has fulfilled his professional duty as an artist. This underscores the power of storytelling and acting in creating an emotional connection between performers and viewers, fostering empathy and understanding.

"The thing about acting for me is that it allows me to live other people's lives without having to completely give up my own."

This quote suggests that for Sterling K. Brown, acting offers a unique opportunity to experience diverse perspectives and emotions through characters, while maintaining his personal identity. Essentially, he can explore other lives without losing himself entirely. This process allows him to grow as an individual by gaining insights into the human condition, all within the context of his chosen career.

I have tremendous respect for Christopher Darden, and I recognize him as an individual of integrity, who did his job to the best of his ability, and I want to tell him thank you. Thank you for enduring hatred from his own community, for being ostracized and called an Uncle Tom and a sellout.

- Sterling K. Brown

Own, Uncle, Tell, Tom

Life has to be everything. It can't be all sad. It can't be all peaches and cream. Because the lows have you appreciate the highs. And the highs give you perspective on the lows. If it's not everything, it becomes flat or mundane.

- Sterling K. Brown

Give, Peaches, Cream, Flat

You can't really fake chemistry: either you have it or you don't, and you can't have a relationship on screen if you don't have one off screen. I love Sarah Paulson. I absolutely adore her. My wife has given me full permission to love Sarah Paulson, and I look forward to doing that for the rest of my life.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, My Life, Doing, Sarah

I go to Stanford, and I'm an economics major, not thinking I'm going to do anything with acting. A professor came to the dorm where I lived looking for people to audition for an August Wilson play, 'Joe Turner's Come And Gone.' I gave it a shot, got one of the lead roles in the play.

- Sterling K. Brown

Play, Joe, Roles, August

Don't become too attached to your own myopia. Just because you've found a way to do things doesn't mean it's the way to do things. There are so many different ways in which to navigate this so-called life. Be open to experiencing more than one.

- Sterling K. Brown

Own, Your, Different Ways, Attached

I think, for the first time, people are starting to say, 'That's Sterling K. Brown,' which is cool, which is uncharted territory for your boy. It's nice to be called by your name when you're not in character.

- Sterling K. Brown

Boy, I Think, Your, Sterling

I want to be remembered for a body of work so that when the next guy comes up, he could think of Sterling K. Brown in the same way that I think of Andre Braugher and James Earl Jones.

- Sterling K. Brown

Next, I Think, Andre, Sterling

Different roles call for different aspects or different faces of Sterling to emerge.

- Sterling K. Brown

Call, Different Roles, Roles, Sterling

I go to grad school at NYU, and I learn all these things about speech and voice and games. It's like camp for an actor, and I got a chance to immerse myself 12 to 14 hours a day in what I love.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Voice, About, Immerse

There's a time when it was an event for a black person to be on television. Where black households would gather around, 'Oh, you know, Sammy Davis is going to be on 'All in the Family' tonight! Let's go check it out!' It was a big, big thing.

- Sterling K. Brown

Big, Tonight, Around, Households

I can't let other people dictate how I see myself.

- Sterling K. Brown

See, How, Other, Dictate

Understand what you want, and want it as badly as you can. Make the stakes for yourself as life-or-death as you can.

- Sterling K. Brown

Want, Understand, Badly, Stakes

I've been able to pay the bills. I've been able to pay off my student loans. I was a homeowner before anything happened in the larger public eye.

- Sterling K. Brown

Student, Been, Larger, Public Eye

I think the therapeutic part of acting is allowing myself to step into another human being's shoes. It allows me the ability to release judgment, if I had any judgment to begin with. It's an opportunity to understand rather than to stand outside and point fingers.

- Sterling K. Brown

Release, I Think, Rather, Therapeutic

My mom, who is a very strong Christian woman, will often ask me how some of the characters I play glorify God. Her meaning is that she feels as if every character should be a good Christian character, which is not necessarily my interpretation.

- Sterling K. Brown

Play, Some, Very, Glorify

Immediately after school, I did a lot of regional theater. I was in Berkeley and Princeton and Minneapolis and all over the country doing wonderful plays for the local audiences.

- Sterling K. Brown

Doing, Country, Over, Princeton

It's a very frightening feeling to feel like you can have a busted taillight or wear a hoodie or be playing in a park, and someone can take your life away. To have two children, two black boys, you ask yourself a lot of questions about how do I protect my family. Is there anything I can actually do?

- Sterling K. Brown

Away, Wear, Very, Busted

I always thought that I would just be working in obscurity in perpetuity.

- Sterling K. Brown

Thought, Always, Just Be, Obscurity

I don't want to be a flash in the pan. I don't want people to just remember me for one thing.

- Sterling K. Brown

People, Want, One Thing, Pan

We all have our prejudices, and we may or may not be aware of them. Sometimes people walk by me and give me a wider berth. It happens. I wear hoodies all the time because my head gets cold. Something innocuous can be misunderstood.

- Sterling K. Brown

Sometimes, Wear, Wider, Misunderstood

The biggest compliment that I receive is when other black folks come up to me and say, 'You changed the way that I thought about Chris Darden.'

- Sterling K. Brown

Thought, Other, Receive, Changed

I went to Target once and picked up three seasons of '24' - what I call the Jack Bauer power hour - and watched 72 episodes in ten days.

- Sterling K. Brown

Seasons, Three, Target, Jack

I've always told my wife, 'Anytime I have an opportunity to be on something that I would watch even if I wasn't on it, that's when I get really, really giddy.'

- Sterling K. Brown

Wife, Always, Anytime, Giddy

I think I'll never stop doing theater because it's a more physical and athletic activity. You can't pull any punches; there are no short cuts, and you have to be physically present and committed. I love the excitement and the response of being in front of a live audience.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Doing, Punches, Live Audience

I grew up feeling unattractive, and it took a long time to grow into a place where I was comfortable with me.

- Sterling K. Brown

Grow, Feeling, Took, Unattractive

Busy is good, you know. Busy is better than bored, and there's more recognition. Like, I try to feign the anonymity which I had before 'O.J.'

- Sterling K. Brown

Like, Before, Which, Anonymity

One of my favorite things to do, when the ghost light is on and it's just an empty stage - I'll let my shadow spread right across the theater, and I just say to myself, 'For the next few hours, these folks are my responsibility. I get to share in something that is unique.' It's like church.

- Sterling K. Brown

Shadow, Church, Next, Favorite Things

The most fundamental important thing for me as an actor is maintaining a sense of play. It's so important.

- Sterling K. Brown

Important, Actor, Most, Maintaining

Johnnie Cochran was such a heroic figure for getting the acquittal of O.J. Simpson, and the acquittal was such a historical event because it was the first time that I'd seen somebody who looked like me have the criminal justice system work in their favor rather than against.

- Sterling K. Brown

Against, Historical, Rather, Criminal Justice System

I'm obsessed with how people talk! Accents, dialects... So whenever I go someplace where an accent is extremely distinct - Minneapolis, New Orleans, Jamaica, Vancouver - I always find myself trying to pick up the subtleties of their patterns.

- Sterling K. Brown

Dialects, Distinct, New Orleans

As a father of two black sons now, you ask yourself, 'What do I have to do to assure the safety of these boys?' It can be daunting.

- Sterling K. Brown

Father, Black, Two, Daunting

I have a certain memory of the way in which my father loved me until I was 10, and it was unconditional and eternal. I get to carry that for the rest of my life, but on a practical level after age 10, it's just me sort of figuring it out.

- Sterling K. Brown

Father, Memory, My Life, Unconditional

Whether the theater is 1,000 seats or 500 seats or 200 seats, you have to make sure the person in the back of the theater can hear you and understand you. So there's a lot of articulation and a lot of voice in theater that really just isn't necessary when it comes to dealing with the camera.

- Sterling K. Brown

Voice, Back, Seats, Articulation

Muhammad Ali was the greatest of all time. But what made him even greater was what he did outside the ring.

- Sterling K. Brown

Him, Ring, Made, None

Every time I'd do a play, my grades would get better because I was doing something that fed my soul. It took me a couple of years to recognize that the hobby was actually the calling.

- Sterling K. Brown

Play, Doing, Couple, Every Time

The beauty of theater is that you get to live the character from beginning to end without stopping. The natural momentum of the story propels you through in such a way that feels organic.

- Sterling K. Brown

Beauty, Through, Feels, Organic

The first time I went on a serious run was when I was 21 years old at Stanford University. From 21 to 30, I continued the tradition and ran 10 miles every year on my birthday.

- Sterling K. Brown

Birthday, Year, Old, Ran

As a kid growing up St. Louis, Missouri, I lived in a predominantly black neighborhood. Any time people talked about slavery, it was always something like, 'If I was a slave, I wouldn't have been putting up with that. I would have been out in a heartbeat.' And it's like, sure, it's a very easy thing to say.

- Sterling K. Brown

Been, Very, Putting, Neighborhood

I was at Stanford University up in the West Coast Bay Area, so the biggest song of my freshman year was 'I Got 5 on It' by Luniz, and the 'I Got 5 on It' remix was the joint that everybody was jamming constantly. And then it was also at that particular time that I became a fan of the Wu-Tang Clan.

- Sterling K. Brown

Bay Area, Everybody, Became, Stanford

When I got into Stanford in high school, I had some friends from school who told me that I just got in because I was black and whatnot.

- Sterling K. Brown

Black, Some, Whatnot, Stanford

As a freshman at Stanford University - a young black man - when O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murder, it was a joyful moment. I was happy, absolutely. It wasn't necessarily a matter of whether he was guilty or innocent, per se, it was a matter of finally seeing someone who looked like me have the justice system work in their favor.

- Sterling K. Brown

Young, University, Acquitted, Stanford

My family did a lot of road trips across these continental United States when I was a kid. Twenty or so of us would caravan in four or five vehicles and hit every corner of the connected 48.

- Sterling K. Brown

Kid, United, Continental, Trips

I remember the great work that Norman Lear did. That was an incredible heyday to be a black actor.

- Sterling K. Brown

Work, I Remember, Incredible, Norman

With any sort of entertainment, you hope people are entertained.

- Sterling K. Brown

Hope, Entertainment, Sort, Entertained

In my mind, I'm still this kid from St. Louis, Missouri, that nobody really knows.

- Sterling K. Brown

Mind, St. Louis, Still, Louis

I'm a little kid from St. Louis, Missouri, on the inside.

- Sterling K. Brown

Kid, St. Louis, Little Kid, Louis

I lived in St. Louis, Missouri, and now my kids are growing up in Los Angeles, so that's culturally very different.

- Sterling K. Brown

St. Louis, Very, Angeles, Louis

When I was a young man, I worked at the Boys and Girls Club in St. Louis, Missouri, and another boys club called Matthews-Dickey.

- Sterling K. Brown

Young, St. Louis, Another, Louis

I went to a college prep high school in St. Louis, Missouri. When I graduated from school, I owned this thing called the Headmaster's Cup, and the Headmaster's Cup is for the student who exemplifies the spirit of the institution and is recognized by the faculty and administration.

- Sterling K. Brown

College, Student, Recognized, Louis

Christopher Darden is a very passionate man. He wears his emotion on his sleeve.

- Sterling K. Brown

Emotion, Very, His, Sleeve

I have gay people in my family who weren't able to openly discuss homosexuality, and I feel like that's shifted, especially here on the coast.

- Sterling K. Brown

Here, Homosexuality, Like, Discuss

I never assume people are going to recognize me.

- Sterling K. Brown

Me, Never, Going, Assume

My first series regular was on a TV show called 'Starved,' which was so many years ago, and I was the only guy they brought in. So I go in, I read, it goes well. The next day I hear I got the job, and I rejoiced.

- Sterling K. Brown

Next, TV, Brought, Regular

I'm very cognizant of the image that's being put out there and the way in which people perceive me. I'm honored and flattered that they see me as being a decent human being. I try my best to be a decent human being, but I fall short of the mark like we all do on a regular basis.

- Sterling K. Brown

Best, Very, Decent, Regular

The prism through which you experience life is so unique. There is no objective experience.

- Sterling K. Brown

Unique, Through, Which, Prism

It's one thing to entertain, to educate, but to edify, to lift people up, that's - to God be the glory.

- Sterling K. Brown

People, Entertain, One Thing, Lift

I'm a spiritual person. I do believe in a higher power. I believe God placed me on this planet to be a beneficial presence.

- Sterling K. Brown

Believe, Planet, Placed, Spiritual Person

I catch myself every once in a while doing that weird thing that I see famous people do, where they have sunglasses and hats on and grow out beards thinking that they're fooling people. Dude, you're not fooling anyone: you look just like you.

- Sterling K. Brown

Doing, Hats, Weird Thing, Dude

I've spent so much of my career working intermittently, being busy and then with large swaths of time off, that it became the norm.

- Sterling K. Brown

Career, Became, Large, Norm

I do not believe that any particular religion has any monopoly on salvation.

- Sterling K. Brown

Salvation, Particular, Monopoly

It's always the case that the minority has to navigate two different worlds. Women have to know how to live in a man's world. Gay people have to know how to live in a straight world. Black people gotta know how to live in a predominantly white world.

- Sterling K. Brown

Always, Navigate, Worlds, Case

When I finally got the chance to do 'The People v. O.J. Simpson,' my peers embraced me with the same attitude. They didn't make me feel small or insignificant. They treated me as a peer. It was a wonderful experience.

- Sterling K. Brown

Small, Insignificant, Peers, Simpson

I think O. J. Simpson was a very prominent figure in the African-American community. He was sort of a manifestation of the American dream: 'If it can happen for him, it can happen for me.'

- Sterling K. Brown

Think, Happen, Very, Simpson

I've had people come stand in front of the treadmill and wait for me to acknowledge their presence so they can speak.

- Sterling K. Brown

Wait, Come, Had, Presence

The first trip I can remember would have to be to Marianna, Arkansas. My mother's parents are from there, and we'd go every year to visit the church where they were buried. We'd attend church service that day, put flowers around their tombstones, and visit with family and friends that still lived there.

- Sterling K. Brown

Year, Attend, Arkansas, Visit

When I walked up on stage at the Emmys, and when people stood up, it was a really sort of emotional, overwhelming moment. It was like I had been accepted.

- Sterling K. Brown

Emotional, Like, Been, Overwhelming

I see my friends and family who have a passion or a dream, but it's now a dream deferred because they were never naive enough or brazen enough to say, 'Let me do this.'

- Sterling K. Brown

Say, I See, Deferred, Naive

If you haven't done shows that are on everyone's radar, then you're something out of nowhere.

- Sterling K. Brown

Everyone, Nowhere, Shows, Radar

There's something frightening that comes with freedom. And there was something very frightening for a lot of slaves once they were free and were going through Reconstruction. It was like, what do you do now? There was nothing set up.

- Sterling K. Brown

Through, Slaves, Very, Reconstruction

My work schedule doesn't always accommodate my workout schedule, but I make do with what time I've got.

- Sterling K. Brown

Schedule, Always, Workout, Accommodate

In the gym, people's enthusiasm tends to get the best of them. They realize this is their opportunity to say hello or that they love my work... It doesn't matter how profusely you're sweating.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Work, Opportunity, Tends

It's the people who don't recognize the racism within themselves that can be the most damaging because they don't see it.

- Sterling K. Brown

Racism, See, Most, Damaging

I'm a huge fan of 'Predator.'

- Sterling K. Brown

Fan, Huge, Huge Fan, Predator

After six months of playing Chris Darden, it's very hard for me to separate my views from his.

- Sterling K. Brown

Six, Very, Months, Chris

It would be really cool to have my dad here to witness this, to see his grandchildren, to see this woman that I chose to share my life with, to just come walk on set and be like, 'Ah, this is how you make TV shows and movies.'

- Sterling K. Brown

My Life, Here, TV, Chose

If I can do quality work with wonderful writers and directors and producers... that's the cherry on top.

- Sterling K. Brown

Work, Cherry, Top, Producers

I like working. I think being on set is one of my favorite places in the world.

- Sterling K. Brown

Think, I Think, Set, Favorite Places

I think what Hollywood is learning at large is that there is profitability in stories that are culturally specific and that you can only address the universal through the specific.

- Sterling K. Brown

Through, Profitability, Universal

The work of acting, in and of itself, is something that is infinitely enjoyable.

- Sterling K. Brown

Work, Infinitely, Itself, Enjoyable

I'm always trying to find ways to evolve. Evolution, for me, is a very spiritual thing, getting closer to the creator, closer to God, and becoming a better version of yourself.

- Sterling K. Brown

Always, Creator, Very, Closer

Sarah Paulson is the most prepared and professional actor I've had the privilege of working with. I learned so much about preparation and attention to detail and speaking up when something is not right.

- Sterling K. Brown

Prepared, About, Learned, Detail

With any character you portray, you can never play the end in the beginning. You have to pursue and attack your intention as if they're going to be successful.

- Sterling K. Brown

Beginning, Play, Going, Intention

A couple of my favorite actors are Don Cheadle, Jeffrey Wright, and, may he rest in peace, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I've had an opportunity to see all of them onscreen and onstage.

- Sterling K. Brown

Rest, May, Couple, Philip

There is a reason that many African Americans have a healthy mistrust for law enforcement. We don't always feel protected or served by that particular institution.

- Sterling K. Brown

Reason, Always, Mistrust, Institution

Empathy begins with understanding life from another person's perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It's all through our own individual prisms.

- Sterling K. Brown

Empathy, Through, Individual, Objective

My wife and I will often have conversations about 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' and 'Sanford and Son.' They were doing incredible stuff that was very funny but also very socially conscious.

- Sterling K. Brown

Doing, Will, Very, Conscious

Sarah Paulson doesn't lie. Like, in life. But she doesn't lie onscreen, and you can't take your eyes off somebody who always tells the truth. She's the most honest person I've ever met.

- Sterling K. Brown

Lie, Your, Sarah, Met

Being in a Marvel film is the pinnacle of secrecy training.

- Sterling K. Brown

Training, Marvel, Secrecy, Pinnacle

I have a big family of big people.

- Sterling K. Brown

Family, People, Big, Big Family

On Twitter, there'll be fans of 'Army Wives' and people who say, 'I've been following you since 'Supernatural,' I loved you on 'Person of Interest,'' and it's really cool to get that love. To them, I'm not just an overnight success.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Been, Supernatural, Wives

I try to drink a lot of water - it hydrates, curbs appetite, etc.

- Sterling K. Brown

Try, Lot, Etc, Appetite

We're all trying to figure out what's next, what's best for our families, what's best for ourselves, and there's a certain sort of comfort in knowing that you're not in it by yourself.

- Sterling K. Brown

Best, Next, Figure, Families

I can't wait to see little white kids dressing up as Black Panther.

- Sterling K. Brown

White, Wait, See, Panther

What was so lovely about 'O.J.' and 'This Is Us' to a certain extent is that I got a chance to surprise people.

- Sterling K. Brown

Surprise, Lovely, Extent, Certain Extent

M. Night Shyamalan can draw quite a few people to quite a few things, and having the opportunity to work with him is very cool.

- Sterling K. Brown

Work, Very, Having, Few Things

The humanity that is given to other people isn't given to us. There is an expendability that comes along with being African American.

- Sterling K. Brown

African American, Given, Humanity

You can take your play seriously as long as you seriously play.

- Sterling K. Brown

Play, Your, Take, Seriously

Running gives me the confidence to be at my peak throughout the rest of my day.

- Sterling K. Brown

Confidence, Rest, Running, Peak

My dad passed away when I was 10.

- Sterling K. Brown

Away, Dad, Passed

I didn't grow up feeling very handsome.

- Sterling K. Brown

Handsome, Grow, Very, Grow Up

Any great art is meant to illuminate the human condition.

- Sterling K. Brown

Art, Condition, Meant, Human Condition

I don't want to try to fool people into thinking that I'm something that I'm not.

- Sterling K. Brown

People, Try, Want, Fool

At the highest level of your craft, you don't have to play games or make people feel small; you can just embrace.

- Sterling K. Brown

Small, Play, Highest Level, Highest

I discovered that I love being on stage in high school.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, High, Discovered, High School

I love basketball because it's social, and you're not even thinking about working out - you're just playing a game and getting great exercise at the same time.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Game, Social, Basketball

Before I was an actor, I was a fan.

- Sterling K. Brown

Actor, Before, Fan

I just try to do something to sweat at least an hour a day.

- Sterling K. Brown

Try, Hour, Least, Sweat

You can't play someone and judge them at the same time.

- Sterling K. Brown

Play, Someone, Same, Judge

Not every character that you play is going to be somebody that you like or love, but every character that you play has a story that is worth telling. If you're not the person to tell it, that's one thing. But if you don't want to tell it because you are afraid of the unpopularity of the character, I view that as a missed opportunity.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Play, Telling, Missed

You got to let the people know while they're here how much they're appreciated and how much you love them.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Here, Them, Appreciated

I do believe that for me, my own personal journey has been one in which my voice has also been appreciated.

- Sterling K. Brown

Voice, Been, Which, Appreciated

I love me some Kendrick Lamar, love J. Cole.

- Sterling K. Brown

Love, Some, I Love, Love Me

Always have an attitude of gratitude.

- Sterling K. Brown

Attitude, Always, Gratitude

I've always been of the mind that what's mine is mine, and nobody can take it away from me. So when it comes, great. When it goes, great.

- Sterling K. Brown

Mind, Always, Been, Mine

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