You can't just replace someone with a regular-looking guy who didn't say any of the lines.

Actors are always looking for ways to build a character.

Before I started studying martial arts, I had temper problems. I could definitely fly off the handle. Being raised in the south in 1956 definitely gave me some memories to latch onto for negative emotions.

That's the worst thing for an actor: when you say to someone, "Yeah, I was in that movie," and they say, "You were?"

I used to be a street performer, and performances on Venice Beach, it's like playing the Apollo: They let you know if they don't like you!

I was excited about working with Richard Gere. Oh, and Joan Allen! Oh, my God, she is such a force of nature, it's mind boggling.

To suddenly be working with one of the top-10 directors in the world, plus the film was in China, I almost blurted out, "How much do I have to pay?" It was just like a dream come true. That was an amazing experience.