It's that one thing that you're passionate about, that you end up developing tunnel vision for and everything else tends to fall by the wayside. Passion is appealing and universal.

I know a lot of incredibly, profoundly talented, skilled people that aren't given certain opportunities or any opportunities, and that aren't working.

Just selfishly, I wanted to be associated with something as synonymous with cool and cutting edge and artistic as CBGB. People are aware of that, at least, even if nothing else. That's something to be proud of, to be a small part of the association with something like that.

We've all seen great actors and actresses who are missing a certain chemistry. And it's not about getting along or not getting along.

I was a huge theater geek growing up, and that was not the easiest thing in the world, especially growing up in Chicago, where sports are really the norm. I was always off to the theater at night, from 7 years old on. Friends there in the Midwest who could talk to you about the idiosyncrasies of 'Pippin' were few and far between.

It's never been a priority for me to concentrate on the likability of the character.

Perhaps 'Big Bang' fans feel so protective of the show because it is, despite being a hit show on a big network, something of a word-of-mouth phenomenon.