Dulé Hill on the "powerful" value of artists and why "The West Wing" "still rings true today"

Actor Dulé Hill's big break was in 1999 on Aaron Sorkin's "The West Wing," where he played Charlie Young, the personal aide to President Jed Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. The show inspired a generation of political hopefuls and helped shape modern politics. For Hill, the award-winning show launched a 25-year multifaceted career in TV, films and Broadway.

Hill was an artist long before "The West Wing" came along. He started tap dancing at three years old and was cast in the national tour of the Broadway show, "The Tap Dance Kid," with fellow tap dancing great Savion Glover. I talked to Hill on "Salon Talks" about his ability to transform into different characters. He shared, “I don't really have a step-by-step plan. It's really a spiritual thing, an emotional thing." He continued, “I say, ‘Who is this dude? Why is this person the way they are?’” Hill continued, “That's really the first question I ask."

Hill's latest project, "The Express Way with Dulé Hill" on PBS, taps into those early creative roots and aims to shine a light on the localized power of art. Over the course of the series, Hill meets artists from all walks of life across America. Hill stops in San Francisco, Chicago, Texas and Appalachia. “When you take the time to travel the vast lands of this country," Hill explained, "You realize we're all pretty much seeking after the same thing. We want to be seen. We want to add value to the world around us.”

Much like Hill's experiences as a young dancer, many of the artists featured in the show are happiest when they are lost in their art. The idea of going big or making it is not often the goal. “You get caught up in the celebrity of it and the magnitude of it.” Hill said, talking about Hollywood. “But the people that I met were trying to affect where they are right there like, 'I'm passionate about this. This is my square. This is my circle of influence, and I'm trying to give all of myself to influence my circle.'"

Watch my "Salon Talks" episode with Dulé Hill here or read a Q&A of our conversation below to hear more about "The Express Way with Dulé Hill," the colorful way he balances family life as a working artist, his transition from actor to host and learn why his love story with his wife actor Jazmyn Simon is so special.