I don't mind close-ups, I like them, but they're kind of forceful - you see a lot, you get a lot of information in a close-up. There's less mystery.

When I was a kid I ate sports books up, like "Winners Never Quit" by Phil Pepe. That was like my bible.

The only problem with Mitch [Pileggi, the actor who plays Skinner] is that his bald head means there's nothing to hold onto when he starts to buck.

Maybe with "Californication" the character was partly based on Rick Moody. I read him and Jay McInerney, the templates for this bad boy novelist.

Approaching a part or thinking about taking a part, I never think, 'Is that person like me?'

If you're smart, you'll always be humble. You can learn all you want, but there'll always be somebody who's never read a book who'll know twice what you know.

When I grew up, I was in Manhattan the whole time. But my kids have been all over the world.