Once you experience Third World poverty, you're really changed forever, if you're at all open to it, because we're all united in our common humanity. And we are so made as to feel something for people who are in pain. It's not possible to be human and to be unaffected by what you see in the third world.

Jim Dean and Elvis were the spokesmen for an entire generation. When I was in acting school in New York, years ago, there was a saying that if Marlon Brando changed the way people acted, then James Dean changed the way people lived. He was the greatest actor who ever lived. He was simply a genius.

Stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.

Well, I think that Catholicism's basic foundation of faith is personal conscience. I think it's between you and God, not you and the Church.

No matter what is going on, everything is grace.

The key word about The West Wing is show. It is not a reality show. It has nothing to do with reality.

I sincerely believe that everything - everything - is grace, and you have to stick around long enough to see it through. I'm a very optimistic person.