Lincoln is me. He is America. He is what makes us a great nation and a dangerous nation, all wrapped up in one man.

Abraham Lincoln was a melancholy man, so he had a dark side that appeals to horror fans.

I love swimming in the darker seas, so even if I play a noble guy (well, like Lincoln for instance) I am pre-disposed to try and show the conflict; the regret; the less-than-perfect choices that any human faces. That's what I like and it seems to be what the camera likes to see me do.

All you have to do to be a camera actor is tell the truth.

If someone asked for advice on being an actor I'd say "Don't. It's a hard life." And if they walked away I'd be happy to have spared them years of misery.

Ask questions. Listen. Be quiet. Be willing to make a fool of yourself. Be willing to be completely exposed and to give all you've got and to be rejected for your troubles. But expect magic to happen. It just might. And don't worry about winning the audition, just win the room.

The fact that Abraham Lincoln ever, ever became President is either a freak accident of history... or destiny; God's providence to America.