At fifty you realize that you are no longer a kid. I ignored forty. It was like I was almost at middle age. Maybe it's the baby boomer thing. But undeniably, I am a man. I have to accept [mortality].

Good writing is good writing, but that doesn't mean you can't orchestrate it or tweak it.

I try to balance independent films with commercial films, and I've done a pretty good job of it over the years.

Even if the script's well written there's something about the life of an improvisation that resonates better than a written word, sometimes.

I never in a million years thought I would be starring in Hairspray, ever. Because if you think about my past, it's been 30 years of playing a macho leading man, so when I was offered it, I said: "Why? Why me? What have I done to deserve that you think I should do this?" After much convincing, over a year and two months, I was convinced they wanted to make a great movie.

I think aerobatic flying is athletic. I don't do aerobatic flying, but I would put that in a category of a sport. I would put regular flying in the category of an art or machine-type thing.

There's no rule that everyone has to change.