By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com

Derek Luke won an Independent Spirit Award, a BET Award and a National Board of Review Award for his breakthrough starring role in the 2002 release 'Antwone Fischer.'

The 34-year-old New Jersey native has also tackled meaty roles like depicting South African freedom fighter Patrick Chamusso in 'Catch a Fire;' playing Bobby Joe Hill of the 1966 championship-winning Texas Western men's basketball team in 'Glory Road;' and capturing star running back James "Boobie" Miles of the racially divided small town Odessa, Texas in the football film 'Friday Night Lights.'

Carving out his own niche in Hollywood by delivering tremendous performances in those impactful films, it appeared to be quite the departure for Luke to take on flamboyant hip-hop personality Sean "Puffy" Combs in the forthcoming film 'Notorious.'

Surprisingly, despite the protégé of Denzel Washington's stellar body of work, music blogs and hip-hop pundits have questioned if Luke could handle the larger-than-life persona of the man now known as Diddy.

Let me be the first to say that actor more than surpasses expectation!

I sat down with Luke for a candid conversation at The W Hotel in New York City, where he spoke about his contribution to 'Notorious,' working with Tyler Perry, and how he made a conscience decision to change his life for the good.

What was the process like for you to play Sean Combs in this movie?

The process for me was some of the research and some of the flaws they had. I think talking to Ms. Combs, it felt like I was talking to my mom. She was kind of giving me who he was and the experiences in his life including the loss of his dad which made him more human. I heard more stories about him working for Uptown and under Andre Harrell, getting fired and what his reactions were. It just seemed more human than it was caricature. I watched Diddy on 'Making the Band,' but I don't know who Sean is and I wanted to find out. I had a couple of conversations with him and I wanted to find out why he was interested in thinking that perhaps I was the best person for the job. I didn't want to ask but I did. It just made the pursuit more human in that sense.

You got his nuances and his little corny dance down. How long did that take?

I think we had a couple of choreography sessions. I was never poppin' in the club, but I feel him. It's just certain things that made me feel like I was connected to him. I felt like the dance was more than a dance, it was who he was. I felt like a rock star on the stage. I came out and Jamal [Woolard who played Notorious B.I.G.] was on the stage handling it and I was dancing and the crowd was screaming. I had a good time.

You're always so laid back when I see you out. But this character is so larger-than-life. How was it playing someone so very different from what appears to be your own personality?

I felt like I arrived at a place that 'Pac didn't get a chance to. I felt like I found out more and more about me, about spirituality and about God. I came from Jersey and had the gold grill, fake herringbone chain and Timbs and I just had this thing. I felt like what 'Pac did with music; I was going to do with acting. I became more relaxed because I used to feel on the edge and I was able to let all of the edge go. Many times when I'm in my Zen mode, I felt like I would have to do what I used to do because some of it was swag and some of it was negativity. People had to be in my world and I wasn't sure what that was. I don't want the comment to come out cocky, but I feel like now I can relax and I don't have to protect myself as much. When I found out that God has my back, I stopped defending myself. I was very protective when I first started out. When I first moved from Jersey to L.A. , I was totally different. Even my friends noticed it and that was interesting.

Tell me more about the old Derek Luke?

I used to just be the type that wanted somebody to challenge me. I wanted to be a part of something. I would be your Elliott Ness because I wanted my chance to honor somebody because I felt that life didn't honor me. I wanted to be good at whatever I was doing whether it was drugs, robbing you, hustling; I wanted you to understand that it wasn't about nothing else but doing my best.

What was it like having Denzel Washington discover you and then mentor you through the process of becoming an actor?

I always try to prove myself to other people. People use terms like, 'let go and let God.' I stopped auditioning and acting when I found out that I wasn't ready and I started presenting. My thought was that if I go in there and I'm impressed and I just want his autograph then I should just go ask for it. If I want to be an actor, I should feel like I pulled the chair from under him and then I met Denzel. Don't go in there thinking that this is my favorite actor, but go in there and say I have something to say so give me one minute to get myself together. That's what Denzel said to me on set. He told me, 'you have a chance to be your own man so be your own man.' The best advice that he gave me was to not try and do his career. He said, 'I want to look back when I'm old and say that Negro took it to a whole other place.' That's why I'm doing what I'm doing.

How does it feel to be a Black actor who is working consistently?

I'm just so thankful. When the country is like this, it makes you appreciate everything you have. Being Black is another thing. What I love about being Black and coming from the inner city is that the inner city had its own government. Some of the most inventive people are from the inner city. Tupac said that the inner city had its own import and export. It's like in prison, you can make a shank, you can make anything. You can get cable in the inner city and the cable guy never comes in the hood. I'm appreciative right now.

You star next in Tyler Perry's 'Madea Goes To Jail.' Tell me about it.

We just shot 'Madea Goes to Jail' and I was just so happy because I'm at place in my life where I want to give back to my hometown. I looked at Diddy and wanted to know how did this man create a new sound? I wanted to see how he really was and that was the portrayal. 'Madea Goes to Jail' was just really about being in Atlanta and seeing Black people. I had a toothache while I was in Atlanta and I refused to go to a Black dentist until my tooth got real bad. I called my Asian dentist and told him that I had to get back to L.A. He thought I was in or somewhere and when I told him I was in Atlanta , he was like, 'Those are some of the best dentists in the country.' He said it without thinking. I went to a 24 hour dentist and it looked like a clinic so I couldn't go there. Then, I went to another place and had a root canal. To this day, he was the best dentist I've ever had in my life so far.

What's next Derek?

I want what's mine. I see other actors who are doing very interesting roles and I just want to continue to do things that are interesting and things that people will go see in theatres because it's always a business aspect to it. The sky's the limit.

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'Notorious' is the story of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. The Fox Searchlight film opens nationwide on Jan. 16.