While you're learning guitar, figure out the drums, too. Not only does it help you have great timing, but it helps you understand how a band works.

Everybody used to be busy writing songs - great songs - that became hits. Now everybody's writing hits. Everybody's desperately writing a hit because they know they can't survive if they don't have a hit. Where in the past, we were writing a song like 'More Than Words' on a porch, not really believing it was gonna be a hit.

When you are in this business and this career, it's hard for any one thing to engulf you.

You don't really write a hit song - you write a great song, and then, if the public decides it's a hit, they take over from there. The song becomes its own monster.

I grew up in a family with five kids.

I don't have an anti-Hollywood feeling. It's just I'm a New Zealander. I was born in New Zealand, and it's where my house is, and my family goes to school there. My interest is to remain in my homeland and make films. I don't really want to relocate myself to other countries in the world to work.

Every character I've played is like family to me.

My competition keeps me driven. My family and son and being home in Chicago keeps me humble, and my fans. They're the reason why I'm going hard and making sure everyone knows how to say my name.