When I was a senior in high school, I did an internship with a law firm. And it was very clear that I did not have what it took to do that kind of work.

I remember I was up for the role of Jim in 'Huck Finn,' and because I went to Harvard and Yale, they didn't think I would be able to play a slave. I said, 'Oh, please.' I had to go in there and prove to them that I wasn't too intelligent to play a slave.

From the outside, there's a lot of glitz. They see you on the red carpet, but they don't see what it takes to get there.

Courtney B. Vance Quotes