“We live in a world of strange priorities, where Kim Kardashian buying a Lamborghini creates international headlines, but children in Niger suffering from drought and children in Britain suffering from leukaemia go unnoticed.”
― David Harewood
“I love New York. New York is busy. It’s dirty. It’s smelly. I’m a real urban animal: I love cities. I like being in the middle of it all.”
― David Harewood
“My parents are very proud of my success but still worry, as I’m in a profession where there is no guarantee of work. They have always supported my decision to go into acting, but there have been tough times work-wise.”
― David Harewood
“You always want to look your best at events like the Globes, Emmys, or Oscars. It’s a part of the business that I am not particularly comfortable with. I would prefer to turn up in a pair of jeans and an old shirt, but it’s all about image – the studio wants you to look your best.”
― David Harewood
“I was in a number of school plays, one in particular, when I was 13 or 14, entitled ‘Illusions.’ It was put together by one of the teachers, and was about famous historical figures. I had to do the Martin Luther King ‘I have a dream’ speech, and some black women in the audience were clapping and crying and whooping.”
― David Harewood
“On ‘Supergirl,’ there are huge characters with huge mythologies behind them. What’s important is that you don’t lock yourself into something.”
― David Harewood
“For all its problems, I found South Africa a beautiful country, interesting and inspiring.”
― David Harewood
“British people are surprised that I’m British!”
― David Harewood
“I loved working with Mandy Patinkin, I have to say.”
― David Harewood
“I always get this feeling on my last day of work that I’m never going to work again.”
― David Harewood
“Everybody can, you know, go online, read about something, and have an opinion about something.”
― David Harewood
“There are countless fantastic actors out there who are being denied the opportunity to play Broadway because they’re not a name, and I think that’s kind of wrong.”
― David Harewood
“British people are surprised that I’m British! It’s extraordinary, I get tweets every day from British people saying, ‘I had no idea you were British.’”
― David Harewood
“When my agent told me I had an audition for ‘Friar Tuck,’ I burst out laughing. It actually brought a bit of sunshine to my day. I was thinking: fat suit. I was thinking: shaving my head. It was so outlandish, such a crazy idea.”
― David Harewood
“I’ve done so much different stuff, people kinda go, ‘Do you live in Islington?’ ‘Did you used to go to so and so school?’ And when I say I’m an actor, they don’t believe me!”
― David Harewood
“It would be extraordinary if the BBC were to make me the first black ‘Doctor Who;’ it would be extraordinary.”
― David Harewood
“When I was in South Africa, I went for dinner with some friends, and I knew more about their history than they did – it just hasn’t been told.”
― David Harewood
“You have to have a certain single-mindedness if you want to reach the top of the profession, and I’m not sure if I’ve got that cold-eyed egomania that perhaps is needed to get to the top. So as long as I can keep paying the mortgage and keep myself interested, I’ll be happy.”
― David Harewood
“I do enjoy acting, but it is such a game. So for that reason, I don’t think I’ll ever leave London.”
― David Harewood
“I remember coming back to the U.K. after spending five months in Charlotte for ‘Homeland,’ and I just found myself just wandering around London. There’s nothing like it – the buildings, the architecture, the sense of history, the sense of culture – there really is nothing like it.”
― David Harewood
“When I was sent the script for ‘Homeland,’ I didn’t think anything of it. Three months later, my manager rang and said: ‘They are interested in you.’ I read it and I realised, ‘Yes, I do want this.’ Then I got an email saying I’d got it.”
― David Harewood
“At school, I was the classroom clown – I was always being thrown out for being naughty. Before I left, a teacher called me in and suggested I became an actor.”
― David Harewood
“I love the stage, but it doesn’t pay the mortgage.”
― David Harewood
“Art is all about the experience. I could say I don’t really relate to opera, but then you watch Placido Domingo, and you go, ‘Blimey, look at that.’”
― David Harewood
“I remember when I first came to Los Angeles being staggered by the range of roles open to me. These were leading parts in shiny new projects, and what always excited me was knowing there was a possibility that I could actually get these parts. I always had the impression that I had a chance.”
― David Harewood
“Before recording my ‘Homeland’ audition on my iPhone in my bedroom in Streatham, I hadn’t worked or had an audition in the U.K. for nine months.”
― David Harewood
“I grew up in Birmingham, but my parents are originally from Barbados. My dad, Romeo, was a long-distance lorry driver, and my mother, Mayleen, worked in catering.”
― David Harewood
“I am the youngest of four children – three boys and one girl. I don’t think becoming an actor had anything to do with seeking attention, though. My relationship with my siblings when I was growing up was close and playful.”
― David Harewood
“Fatherhood is a joy. I feel very lucky to have a family. It gives you a perspective on things.”
― David Harewood
“I do know in the 1960s comics, Martian Manhunter took on the form of a black man – that could have been influenced by the political climate back then.”
― David Harewood
“American television, for all its faults, still has a black presence in shows and even in commercials. You’ll see black people in automobile ads, black women starring on their own television shows. We don’t see that on British television.”
― David Harewood
“Without a doubt, the majority of historical period dramas tend to be told from a certain perspective. At least in America, black people have some visibility in period dramas, although it’s usually in the form of slaves or servitude.”
― David Harewood
“We’ve yet to deal with the uncomfortable history of England being involved in the transatlantic slave trade, whereas America has at least made some movies dealing with its racial history.”
― David Harewood
“Before ‘Homeland,’ I had ã80 in the bank and no idea what I was going to do. I seriously considered giving it all up and getting a job as a lorry driver.”
― David Harewood
“In England, you feel like a member of the revolutionary guard the minute you even mention race. But I do think that the OscarsSoWhite phenomenon will have to reflect back on England. What people are essentially saying is that they want to see more diverse stories. It’s not about putting three black people in the back of the shot.”
― David Harewood
“Studio heads seem to be getting the message that there is not only an audience out there, but there is a desire for people to see people of colour in central roles and in authoritative roles.”
― David Harewood
“Everyone in America thinks I’m American – and everyone in England seems to think I’m American.”
― David Harewood
“I’ve been acting for 27 years, and anonymity has always been a part of what I do. Of course you get recognised every now and again, but ‘Homeland’ pushed me into a completely different strata, and that took me by surprise.”
― David Harewood
“You don’t just win an Oscar because you’re a great actor. You campaign for that Oscar: you engage with it; you go on the David Letterman show, and you do the interviews, and that’s how you get out there.”
― David Harewood
“I’m a nut for these ‘crime reality’ shows. Things like ‘Forensic Files,’ ‘Forensic Detectives.’”
― David Harewood
“I grew up in an environment in Birmingham that was really multicultural, with black kids, Irish kids, Indian kids.”
― David Harewood
“I can only appreciate the kind of work that goes into being a top drag queen. Ru Paul looks just astonishing as a woman. And he’s got this fantastic turn of phrase. I find him hilarious.”
― David Harewood
“I’ve been on ‘Mastermind’ – I tied for first place and then lost on the number of passes. My subject was the ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy by Philip Pullman. If I did it again, I’d choose Shakespearian tragedies.”
― David Harewood
“On the red carpet, one tip is to suck in your cheekbones – apparently it looks better on camera. I don’t know, though; I think a nice smile is best.”
― David Harewood
“I hope my kids can experience the seasons and a climate that’s sustainable. The idea that things are going to be so very different for them is slightly scary.”
― David Harewood
“As an ambassador for the aid agency Cafod and the Anthony Nolan Trust, I need to be sure that my public support for those charities is a help for their work, not a hindrance.”
― David Harewood
“Support for charities takes many forms. Some people give their money, some their spare time. I give my name and my voice. We give what we can to make a difference to the people and issues that matter to us. But what’s most important, especially for celebrities, is giving our genuine commitment.”
― David Harewood
“Back in 2005, the Anthony Nolan Trust could have asked me just to speak out about the lack of ethnic minority donors on the bone marrow register, but that would have meant nothing if I wasn’t prepared to join up myself.”
― David Harewood
“When I first played Othello, a reviewer absolutely slaughtered me.”
― David Harewood
“I watched the night unfold from beginning to end on my own here in my flat in Budapest where I’ve been working for the last six months, and when it was announced that Barack Obama was indeed president-elect, I wept.”
― David Harewood
“My black hero is and always will be Martin Luther King, not just because of the strength of his oratory but because his vision was very much the reality that I’d come to take for granted.”
― David Harewood
“Everyone wants to be James Bond, and there’s a queue of guys ahead of me – but I will throw my hat into the ring. Bond is such an iconic role, you would have to seriously think how to approach it.”
― David Harewood
“Working with Olivia Colman has probably been the highlight of my career so far.”
― David Harewood
“Growing up, I really looked up to the classic Hollywood actors like Spencer Tracy, Robert Mitchum, and Peter Falk. I love character actors – I’ve never wanted to be the leading guy.”
― David Harewood
“If you’re black and have leukemia, the chances of finding a donor are drastically reduced. I added my name to the register, and lo and behold, six months later, I was asked to donate. I had a week of ‘conditioning’ where I had to take these pills and injections to create new stem cells in my body.”
― David Harewood
“’12 Angry Men’ has a truly great collection of actors giving fantastic performances. It’s an acting masterclass.”
― David Harewood
“I’d love to talk with Martin Luther King, just to hear his voice up close and be with someone who had such faith. He had such power.”
― David Harewood
“We all have insecurities, but some of us are better at covering them up.”
― David Harewood
“We live on a planet of limited resources – an abstract notion for some of the world’s population, but for many of the poorest and most vulnerable, those limits are all too real.”
― David Harewood
“When there is enough food to feed everyone, why are 870 million people going hungry? We must learn to share what we have; no one race or nation has a greater right to life than another.”
― David Harewood
“I’m the only member of my family who dared to move away from Birmingham – my brothers and sister are still here, along with my mom.”
― David Harewood
“After ‘Homeland,’ I was offered a lot of very authoritarian, square, angry boss types, but I wanted to do something different. Casting directors are surprised when they look at my CV and see all the work I’ve done, from Shakespeare to playing Nelson Mandela.”
― David Harewood
“Birmingham people are the salt of the earth, and I’ve carried that with me all around the world. People respond to a certain down-to-earthness that I have, and that’s purely as a result of coming from Birmingham.”
― David Harewood
“I loathe the word ‘celebrity,’ and I hope I’m not a diva. Whenever I see diva-ish behaviour, I just leave the room; I find it appalling. You should always try to be civil to people.”
― David Harewood
“If you don’t register to vote, politicians don’t really care about you: politicians aren’t really caring about what you have to say, what you have to do, anything.”
― David Harewood
“We have a generation of black actors playing leading roles on film and TV – Idris Elba, Chiwetel Ejiofor – which is great and is breaking the mould.”
― David Harewood
“We all know the wonders of Skype, but there’s nothing like getting a hug from your daughters or taking them to school.”
― David Harewood
“I like America; I enjoy being there. Some people can’t stand the insincerity – I love the waiter asking me how my day has been, the can-do culture there. I love the fact that again, you are visible in America. You turn the TV on, there are black politicians, black policemen, black soldiers.”
― David Harewood
“It’s been interesting seeing how vulnerable Obama is: not the secure president I thought he was or the strong leader that many people hoped he would be. He’s a conciliator. But I’ve been listening to the Republican primary debates, and they’re a bunch of lunatics. Just crazy.”
― David Harewood
“Giving kids the chance to see live theatre should not just be free, it should be compulsory.”
― David Harewood
“I’m very fortunate. I loved school and, when I went there, race, gangs and violence were not issues. There was a feeling, gone now, that you had to be presentable. If you hadn’t combed your hair, older black ladies – complete strangers – would come up to you in the street and pull out a comb and straighten your tie.”
― David Harewood
“I was always the classroom clown, and the teachers allowed me a certain latitude. The assemblies were good, and the headmaster used to tell little stories; I loved the idea of communal storytelling.”
― David Harewood
“Two years after drama school, I had a nervous breakdown: I heard voices, and the voice I heard in my head was Martin Luther King’s.”
― David Harewood
“I have always been reasonably anonymous, but I suppose that has gone with the success of ‘Homeland.’ I feel a lot more visible, which is good and bad. Good because I am getting recognition, but I am slightly apprehensive because I always enjoyed my anonymity.”
― David Harewood
“The idea that people are watching me now is a bit unnerving, but I suppose it comes with the territory. It is, perhaps, the modern side of celebrity.”
― David Harewood
“Let’s just say I like acting, but not necessarily all the stuff that comes with it.”
― David Harewood
“I try to ensure my daughters are not spoilt. They are very aware of how lucky they are and appreciate it. We have had some lean years, so they know it’s not all about luxury, travel, and hotels. They are grounded, and I’m grateful for that.”
― David Harewood
“We don’t like talking about race in the U.K. – it’s a very sensitive subject. People get extremely defensive and run for the covers, but I believe we have to talk about it.”
― David Harewood
“My parents came over from Barbados in the late 1950s and early ’60s.”
― David Harewood
“The area where I grew up in Birmingham was very diverse – I was aware of my race but not overly aware of it – and there seemed to be an understanding that we were all very much in the same boat.”
― David Harewood
“I was lucky to get into drama school and become a professional actor. No-one ever mentioned the colour of my skin. It’s only when I came out of RADA – the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art – that I suddenly realised people started to refer to me as a black actor.”
― David Harewood
“The idea that American producers and directors are choosing black British talent to save themselves a buck or two is ridiculous – it’s because we’re damn good.”
― David Harewood
“There are structural problems within the industry that are preventing us from displaying aspirational black roles.”
― David Harewood
“There was the ‘Cosby Show’ in America in the 1980s, which was a doctor in a beautiful Brownstone middle-class house. We just haven’t created a role like that in the U.K.; it’s always gangs and crime. We need to be brave.”
― David Harewood
“To be on set with Tom Hiddlestone and Hugh Laurie is just fantastic. But during ‘Homeland,’ I was on set with Claire Danes and Damian Lewis, so I’m used to working with big hitters.”
― David Harewood
“It’s pretty hard to stand in the queue auditioning to play a gynaecologist on ‘Holby City’ when you’ve just played Mandela. You think, ‘Actually, I want to challenge myself.’”
― David Harewood
“If people of colour do not exercise their democratic right to vote, they will remain an invisible, voiceless, and largely ignored part of the electorate.”
― David Harewood
“In the U.S., these sights are no longer a surprise to me. I see army generals, captains of industry, and politicians of all colours and creeds on American television.”
― David Harewood
“I’m very, very used to feeling anonymous, you know?”
― David Harewood
“People come up and say very nice things about my work, like, ‘You were great in ‘Blood Diamond!’”
― David Harewood
“I always tell younger actors that if they want to learn the ropes, there’s no better place to do it than right here in the U.K.”
― David Harewood
“Myself, I believe that black theatre continues to evolve, and the success of writers like Bola Agbaje and Rachel De-lahay is proof that fresh voices continue to emerge.”
― David Harewood
“As soon as you become of interest to the media, the charity requests start rolling in, and it’s not easy saying no. But if you endorse every charity that asks you, you’re not really endorsing any of them. It has to mean something.”
― David Harewood
“If people see that I’m fully committed to my chosen charities and fully engaged in their issues, maybe they’ll click a link to find out more.”
― David Harewood
“For the charities, their relationships with celebrity supporters should be as deep and purposeful as the ones they have with any of their supporters and volunteers, based on a genuine understanding of the issues they’re tackling.”
― David Harewood
“When filming for ‘Beowulf,’ we were close to Hadrian’s Wall; there was no phone signal, and the scenery was spectacular.”
― David Harewood
“I didn’t go abroad until quite late. A friend drove us to Amalfi, Italy, for his sister’s wedding when I was a teenager. It was exciting driving through Europe.”
― David Harewood
“As an actor, whether I’m playing Othello on stage or David Estes on ‘Homeland,’ that ability to give into your imagination is something that I enjoy.”
― David Harewood
“I started reading DC stuff much later in my life. You realize that there’s a huge difference between the Marvel universe and the DC universe and the characters that own it.”
― David Harewood
“I used to read comics as a kid, and now I’m reading them for research. It’s great fun. It’s not bad homework.”
― David Harewood
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