If I've been an architect of my own career in any fashion, one thing that I've attempted to do is not get typecast, in order to be able to play all different kind of characters. I think I've done a pretty good job of that over the years.

I made career decisions that came from the part of me who wanted to shun the limelight.

Seeing what happens when you rip yourself open is what your job is all about.

I am not one of these guys who works job after job after job.

Race, class, childhood experience, the books I found on my mother's bookshelf, the albums I found in my father's basement - these things are all part of who I am and will always be a part of my work.

When you look at Michael Jackson, there's nobody who loves him in that family, nobody. If they did, they'd tell him he didn't have to do all that in order to be famous. All he has to do is keep doing his music and be himself. Michael's been a little touched for about 20 years, but somebody needs to pull him aside and tell him they love him.

I spend a part of the year in New York when based in L.A. and vice versa. It's the only way I feel balanced. Outside of theater and my community of friends out there, my family is still in N.Y., so I have a lot of reasons to spend time out there as well. I guess I'm bi-coastal.

We are a big family; we are all very close, and we always want to talk about what is going on with each other.