Terry Crews is like a giant fountain of energy wrapped in a blanket of charisma. Terry’s enjoyed plenty of success, but he’s currently killing it as a sensitive tough guy on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It’s also difficult to forget those Old Spice ads from days past.

Terry is an unabashed feminist. Last year, he published a memoir called Manhood, which detailed his awakening to the need for gender equality. Along the way, he also stomped all over the traditional clichés of masculinity. Terry has a new interview with Dame magazine where he covers so much stuff — his feminine side, the misogyny of sports culture, and how male pride is a terrible thing. Oh, and he believes 50 Shades is truly dangerous:

Embracing his feminine side: “One thing I love, and that I’m starting to understand more, is that we really are both. Every man and every woman has both sexes in them. As manly as I am, with a one chromosome difference, I’m a woman. We have to embrace the duality that we are. When you’re in touch with that feminine side, you can empathize, along with having the strength. You become protective of people who are being wronged. When you’re too manly, there’s no grace, there’s no empathy. It’s all judgment. When you embrace either side of who you are, if you’re a woman and you embrace that manly part of you, or if you’re a man and you embrace that female part of you, it makes you a really whole, wonderful person.”

Misogyny, sports culture & 50 Shades: “Coming up in the sports culture, I saw it was nothing for guys to say things like, ‘Oh, you know she wanted it.’ I knew guys who had the attitude of, ‘You know you shouldn’t have walked out the door looking like that, girl,’ thinking they had the right to feel on her or to rape her, because of what she was wearing. Once I realized that I was part of that culture, I knew that I had to change it. This is the truth — thinking is the hardest thing you can ever do. For example, 50 Shades — can you just think about what it’s saying? Every art form has a message, and the message I’m getting from 50 Shades is that it’s OK to dominate and control women. And not only is it OK, it’s sexy. And even worse, deep inside, she wants it. That’s the most dangerous mind-set you can have, and our mind-set will determine where we end up. We can do something about this. I’m very optimistic because right now, we have more ways to go than we did before. Before, as a man, it was that Mad Men type of misogyny or nothing.”

On male pride: “My message to all men is that you have to kill pride. You’ve been taught that pride is a manly thing, that pride is a good thing. But the problem with pride is that it stops you from growth. When you’re so proud that you won’t change, you’ve got problems. Male pride causes wars; millions of people have died because of male pride, because one man would not back down. Male pride will say, ‘I’d rather blow up my whole family than have everyone look at me as though I’ve lost.’ That is so dangerous. I go back to the biblical story of Solomon. I look at male pride in that respect: a man who is proud would rather cut the baby in half and destroy it all, rather than save his own life and his own future. When you kill that pride, instantly, you become a better person, because now you’re listening. Now you don’t know it all. Now you’re humble. Now you can grow and get smarter.”

[From Dame magazine]

The whole interview is an engrossing read. Terry discusses the “pimp culture” he grew up with and how came to reject it. He also details his role with the Polaris Project, which aims to eliminate human trafficking.

What’s interesting about Terry’s views is that he’s changed over the years. During an interview with The Agenda (last year), Terry said, “I have been that guy where I felt I was more valuable than my wife and kids.” He grew ashamed of that attitude and learned from his mistakes. Terry vowed, “I’m not going to be silent” on issues of gender equality. Did you know he’s been married for 25 years to Rebecca King? Dude is doing something right at home, which isn’t hard to believe.

Photos courtesy of WENN