I remember very clearly someone saying, 'Don't shake hands with the cactus,' and I thought, 'Well, why not? What could possibly go wrong?' Shaking hands is a friendly gesture.

Maybe it's because I was an only child, but I've always wanted kids.

I love the idea of playing something stupid or romantic. I'm not the smartest man in the room. I listen, and I learn, and I observe, but I'm always playing characters with intellects profoundly superior to mine. That's great fun, even though it's as much a fantasy for me as for the people watching me.

It's the same thing, I think, whether it's breathing or meditation or yoga. And running is a great way of doing it.

I can’t stop traffic on Fifth Avenue, not unless I walk in front of an oncoming cab.

I don't wear a mask, I don't have a suit. It's not some CG double or a stunt double. The suffering the character [Doctor Strange ] goes through is immense!

I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book.