I basically was a precocious little kid.

I'm a director's actor; I'm a storyteller's actor.

I like to play bad guys, since good guys are always beaten up several times during the movie. Bad guys are beaten only once, in the end.

It's kind of a strange world when you can trust a game format or platform more than the network news.

One of the young production assistants (on 'Terminator: Salvation') stepped over to my chair and said, 'Mr. Ironside, are you any relation to the Ironside who was in 'Top Gun'?' And I said, 'I am, yes.' And she grinned and said, 'I knew it! Talent must run in your family!' And she walked away. And all of the producers and directors kind of looked at me uncertainly, and I said, 'What are you guys so uncomfortable for? That's an incredible compliment. I do look like the father of that guy, for Christ's sake!'

I'm never going to be the lead actor guy. I'm real quiet and real happy and real fortunate to keep working. It's what I do. It's like the circus. I ran away and joined it a long time ago.

I took acting lessons when I was 19, 20, and I had my writing.