I think my parents undoubtedly influenced me on some level.
Miguel Ferrer
I think I was never home when I was directing, because you're either prepping, shooting, or editing, and then acting at the same time. It's really time-consuming, but it was great fun.
'Traffic' was so good, and I really don't want to take a step back.
I think villainy just comes naturally to me. I get to work it out naturally so I can be a nice person in life.
First and foremost, it's got to be on the page. It starts with the writing.
I've been so fortunate in that people respond to what I do.
We were given clear concrete tools. The course did a great job demystifying the art of fiction writing and fostering confidence. The instructor brought complex concepts down to earth. I will miss coming here every week.
My mother was loved by so many people, famous and not so famous.
I thought 'ER' was a really good script, but I didn't have any inkling that it would become the phenomenon that it did, and I don't think anybody did back then.
I don't know what it is that I do, but when I play a really bad guy, I'm able to bring some level of likability to it.
My boys have both said they want to be in the movies or on TV, and anytime I hear that, I say, 'That's wonderful; you're free to do it right after you graduate from college.'
Came to acting pretty late. It looked wonderful, but I guess I was intimidated by my father. I look a bit like him, and he was so much bigger than life and so great, it took me a bit longer than most people to have enough confidence in myself.
I was a musician for years before I started doing this stuff. Show business was the only thing I ever considered.
You can have too much reality.
Maybe I was intimidated by my father's talent and success.
I didn't sing, but I did play the drums.
Having grown up around the theater, I've been moved by so many plays. Being a part of it, however small, is special.
My favorite place in the whole world is Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
If everything else falls apart and I'm broke, in 20 years I'll still be able to do 'Twin Peaks' conventions.
I made an enjoyable living as a very young man, but I think as I became more comfortable and knowledgeable about myself and what I wanted, I moved into acting.
'RoboCop' was maybe the best summer of my entire life.
I think if you're a competent actor with a good imagination, and if it's on the page, it makes your job a lot easier.
I'm not one of those people who writes a biography or tries to figure out what kind of ice cream the character liked when he was 10.
I think 'On The Air' was a little too bizarre for TV.
I'm not really a guy who draws on things from my own past. I think if you're a competent actor with a good imagination, and if it's on the page, it makes your job a lot easier. If it's well written, it allows your imagination to run wild and draw inspiration from that.
If your attention is on superfluous aspects that are not part of the story, then you can't be concentrating on the human realities of the piece.
I was a musician and did moderately well at that. I made an enjoyable living as a very young man, but I think as I became more comfortable and knowledgeable about myself and what I wanted, I moved into acting. I came to it rather late - later than most. I just really wanted to try my hand, and thankfully, it worked out for the most part.
I was drawn to it much to my father's dismay. He wanted me to be a pianist like he was, but I had coarser tastes - like that old joke: What do you call a guy who hangs around with musicians? A drummer.
I wanted to stay on TV because I've got kids who are school-aged, so I get to see them most days as opposed to going away for movies months and months at a time.
People sorta know my face, but I can still go out to the supermarket, and nobody pays much attention.
My dad won an Oscar in 1951 with an un-Anglicized name, the first Hispanic to ever win an Oscar, and the Academy is so intractable to this day.
The first several years I was an actor, I sort of eked out a living playing thugs almost exclusively until 'Robocop.'
I've played the drums for so long, I can't imagine saying goodbye to it.
'The Stand' was great. Adapted by Stephen King from his massive book.
Big Stephen King fan. I think he's dismissed often as a hack probably because of his prolific body of work, but he's anything but. I think he's a terrific writer. And not just a genre writer; he really approaches a number of complexities in everything he writes. So I'm a huge fan.
In most cases, I think most executive producers and studio executives really do their best to accommodate you. At least, that's been my experience in most cases.
