Nelsan Ellis

Nelsan Ellis: Violence, in reality, is strikingly different than from what you do on the set. I can walk down the street and see someone with that energy. They don't have to be physical at that moment, but if I see that same look I saw in people when I was growing up, that will shake me a little bit.

Nelsan Ellis: (on performing in plays during high school) It was my first experience being at a school where you had teenage black men who were serious about stuff, and you had these teachers who cared about the students and paid attention. I was, like: 'I'll do this because people seem to be serious.' My years at Thornridge probably changed the course of my life.

Nelsan Ellis: (on working with his "The Soloist" co-star) Robert Downey Jr., I fell in love with the man. He's – I mean, my goodness, he's an extraordinary actor, and he's an extraordinary person. 'Cuz I was fairly new then, in movies, and he took me under his wing. And every step of the way he was showing me a better way to do things. And I thought that was marvelous of him. 'Cuz you know, when you work with mega-celebrities, they don't typically have time to - to really (laughs) deal with anybody, you know what I'm saying?