I did Air America for two reasons: to be in a movie with Mel Gibson and to make a bunch of money. And then underneath there was the hope that in doing this formulaic thing I would be launched into a whole new realm of opportunity to do A-list movies. By the time we were done, the only positive thing was meeting Mel Gibson.

Acting is always a challenge.

Sometimes you just gotta be drop-kicked out of the nest.

When you have a good script you're almost in more trouble than when you have a terrible script.

Sometimes everything you need to know to be an actor in your mid-forties, you learn before you were 15 years old.

I would say that among my many huge emotional miscalculations was my taking a film career for granted. It is the most awesome privilege to be able to use one's imagination and wit, physicality and musicality, conscious brain and unconscious instinct in the service of a work that has a chance to move and excite and amuse and delight people all over the world, including long after we're dead. What a noble calling! And I felt it was just there for me as a kind of given, some sort of inherited birthright-when in reality it's the most magnificent luxury.

I felt like a fighter who was training for a title bout that had not been booked yet.