Exposure to the arts and culture is enormously valuable.

I was terrible in my first play. After that experience, I had to face that I wasnt good enough to play with the big boys. I had to go away and learn, so I worked in regional theater for three years. I even understudied at the Kennedy Center.

A couple of clues came my way of what I might be getting myself into when I sat down with a number of actors who had played Richard III in the past. And I was hoping of course, that one of them or all of them were gonna give me the magic key, the secret way in to play Richard III but none of them did that.But every one of them did say the following, "Be careful."

I dont categorize characters into one syllable. These are fully-rounded characters that I dont judge; I just play them.

I've never heard of a situation where, because somebody had a particular political belief, they didn't get a part. I think it's a bit of a myth.

Whether thats positive or not, people are talking about the Old Vic Theater again with passion and commitment and controversy and debate.

I've been around politics a long time. I've seen it at its best and its worst, been at so many events, listened to private conversations versus public speaking, understood the game of it, and in many ways the theatrics.