You have to have a personal connection. You have to really want to do it, because if you don't, investing yourself personally, your thoughts, your emotions, yourself into a part, is something you're not going to want to do as much.

When you're acting, you're subjective; when you're a director, you're more objective.You're kind of watching from the outside and helping others, and therefore I learn my mistakes through others, and also my assets through others.

Acting is so difficult for me that, unless the work is of a certain stature in my mind, unless I reach the expectations I have of myself, I'm unhappy. Then it's a miserable existence. I'm putting a piece of myself out there. If it doesn't do anything, I feel so ashamed. I'm afraid I'll be the kind of actor who thought he would make a difference and didn't. Right now, though, I feel like I made a little bit of difference.

Being with a kid always takes you to being a kid somehow, and they really are showing me a childhood I might not have had in some way.

The ambition, the drive, the wanting to be the center of attention, the wanting to succeed... They're all inside me somewhere.

Life's pretty funny when you're objectively on the outside looking at it.

When you're playing someone who really lived, you carry a burden, a burden to be accurate.