Before Footloose, the things I'd done weren't cute. In Diner I was an alcoholic.

I think we all have a lot of darkness in our bellies. As an actor, the challenge of tapping into that, reaching down into that sadness or anger, is very therapeutic.

Part of being a man is learning to take responsibility for your successes, and for your failures. You can't go blaming others, or being jealous. Seeing somebody else's success as your failure is a cancerous way to live.

My dad was an architect, and he wasn't a rich guy, but in our little world in Philadelphia he was famous. He loved to see his picture in the paper. I wanted to be more famous than him.

Here's the thing - I mean, I don't act for statues. I really don't. The great thing about winning an award is that it creates opportunities.

If you look at films about becoming a man, coming-of-age movies are made with 12-, 16-, 40-, 50-year-olds... For a guy to feel like hes a 100 percent grown-up is almost like giving up. Like admitting that youre on your way into the grave.

I always watch rushes. They give me a sense of whether I'm going in the right direction. You work hard and hopefully get encouragement from what you see.