I had this thing about hanging out in dark theaters. My family thought I grew out of a rock.

I did tons of theater in school, and then when I was 16 and got my driver's license, I started driving to Los Angeles, along with my friend Eric Stoltz, who was a year ahead of me and was doing the same thing. So we had the same manager, and we started auditioning for things and doing commercials when we were 16.

Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was 16, and I've always been able to support myself since then.

So I was hugely thrilled that my first scene ever on camera was with Hal Holbrook.

People relate to things that feel real to them. All the good, happy, over-sexed and moneyed endings on TV are not the way most of us feel in our lives. The success of 'E.R.,' I think, is not relying on overly sentimental stories that are solved where people's lives wrap up nicely with happy endings.

To think one film makes a career is ridiculous. It's important to keep perspective and do things other than for money.

To be a good actor you really have to want to act first.