Doing my first movie, I realized I could get into real bad habits. If you're the star, all you have to do is show up, and 20 people say, 'Do you want anything? What is it? Let me get it for you.' Believe me, you get spoiled very quickly. I saw some of my contemporaries allow themselves to have that fame, thinking they could handle it. It messed them up.

I was looking for projects, as you always are, and I read this scene . . . and I'm in the Hollywood Hills. So I thought, 'This is interesting.' You have this setup that seems to be based in some reality and you can only wonder where Black's going to go with this.

A lot of old guys in movies are like cowboys - they talk like cowboys and they dress like cowboys.

I think part of my reputation has to do with the difficult roles I've played. Actors do tend to get identified with their characters.

I just don't think I've ever been comfortable at public functions and selling myself as an entity.

So it`s always helped me to have a foundation, an ideal to strive for and goals. It`s hard for me to be disciplined and plan things.

I love that Bob Dylan asked me to be in the first movie he wrote.