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I've done a great job at being universal in my stand-up, which is why, for 'Let Me Explain,' I toured all over the world. These movies I have coming out - 'Ride Along,' 'Grudge Match,' 'About Last Night,' 'Think Like a Man Too' - are putting me in a position to become universal on an even bigger scale.

It's marvellous to be popular, but foolish to think it will last.

It is inevitable that popularity will fade. That's why I must always be prepared. I don't want a meteoric rise in popularity. I want to be an actor who can quickly get back on my feet after a fall. If I want to have a long-term career in acting, I must be careful about the choices I make.

You're an island no matter what you do. I think it's very dangerous to use popularity as your identity in life. So you have to really know who you are inside, the core person, and follow what is true rather than follow what is hype.

Originally, 'Popular' was going to be a movie.

I can't tell you if one day I'll be standing up there with an Oscar or directing, but I am going to be the best human being I possibly can.

I wouldn't overestimate the importance of my popularity in the country and abroad but at the end of the day it's not as important because I believe that my presence here could make some difference and it could encourage people.

It turns out that popularity is scary. I don't feel comfortable receiving so much attention from people; perhaps that's because I'm just a kampong boy.

Soon, I will be 'King of all Hollywoodland.'

Today, you're either very big or you're playing stadiums or you're not playing anymore. You're either popular where everybody will go to a 20,000 seat arena to see you or they won't go to see you at all.