One truth I know for sure is that I am so blessed in my life.

Accepting new challenges makes me come alive.

It's important to have a fallback and other activities that keep you interested. I started acting when I was about nine or 10 years old. My father was a midtown firefighter so I always wanted to be a firefighter, but then acting came along. I have to have a plan B.

It is important for me to truly understand the people I am portraying and their struggles, in order to give an honest performance.

A general message to "everyone" on the planet would go something along the lines of, "Make Love, Not War."

Nobody can ever be fully prepared to deal with a new, painful situation. Sometimes I react with patience and sometimes I react by doing something impulsive. But I always learn from such experiences.

I always feel a bit vulnerable when I begin a new project, especially when I am playing a character with either a troubled past or unique personality.