I spent the majority of my teenage years in hospitals, rehabs and halfway houses.

Sometimes you can just have a dialogue with an actor beforehand and shape the performance then, but other actors need more guidance on the set.

As a child I’m sure I was no different from any other human being struggling to navigate the difficulties and complexities of their childhood and adolescent years. I feel it’s a time when all of us need an escape, a place where we can leave the world behind and just disappear. For me, it was film."

I remember John Waters’s 'Pink Flamingos,' that was the film where I realized you could do anything you want - there were no boundaries."

I consider myself very fortunate indeed to have created a character which has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of so many children worldwide. They are my family, and Spot belongs to them all.

Music has always been a part of me and art in general. I love visual art as well.

Film is mostly a visual medium, and so the director has much more control in terms of painting pictures and painting a performance. For theater, the director does everything he can and then says, 'Out you go,' and the actors are in charge of that stage every night.

A place of freedom is the best place to have the most creativity.