As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at the beginning of my career - the problem of identification. In The Conversation I played a character who was gay, so nobody recognised me from American Graffiti. When I did Apocalypse Now, after Star Wars, I played an intelligence officer of the American army. George Lucas saw the footage I had done and didn't recognise me until halfway through the scene.

Because the character is a fiction, he's a composite of other contributors to the science that brought this enzyme therapy through the process. We had the opportunity to make him up out of those things that helped tell the story. We wanted to create both ally and antagonist for John [in the Extraordinary measures].

My goal was just to work regularly. I didn't ever expect to be rich or famous. I wanted to be a working character actor.

Am I grumpy? I might be. But I think maybe sometimes it's misinterpreted.

My occupation is assistant storyteller. It is not "icon."

I don't do a huge amount of physical activity. I play tennis, I work out sporadically, and I eat well and take care of myself.

The only ambition I ever had going into and committing to wanting to be an actor was to live my life.