The guy who kills 38 people is not the guy you'd want to have over at Thanksgiving.

I have a bit of a bucolic kind of upbringing, and so I certainly bring an amalgamation of different people that I've met over the course of my life, especially before moving to Los Angeles, so I guess my childhood was my homework in a lot of ways for Harlan County.

I try to leave a light footprint. I'm involved with Global Green, which aims to educate people about sustainable building and the greening of schools. I try to be aware about the consumption of unnecessary things in a consumptive culture.

I'm kind of the funny guy that hopefully kind of wins your heart if I did my job.

You can go to a history class with one teacher and want to stick a pencil in your throat, and then go to another teacher who is able to contextualize it or deliver the message in a way that you're riveted.

There is something beautiful and permanent in the world, and that is the love that a person can have for another human being.

I think I've made a career out of making despicable people likable.