I grew up in Newport, so I went to Boston growing up. The city holds a lot of special memories of my childhood, like the Swan Boats and Make Way for Ducklings.

I was born in Washington, D.C., where my father was working for the Federal Trade Commission, and my mom was editor for the National Council of Catholic Women, but my parents were simply awaiting my birth before moving back to their roots in Rhode Island to raise their family.

I kind of prefer bouncing back and forth between theater and films. It's like having the best of both worlds, both very different experiences.

When I attended Emerson College in Boston, it was confined to the Back Bay, but now it has taken over a lot of Boston, which is great.

When I do something, I consult my family, so that when you get me, you get my whole family.

My mother was a Sunday school teacher. So I am a byproduct of prayer. My mom just kept on praying for her son.

I was mainly influenced by the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and others like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash.

Asian people are very practical and come from a conservative world. The parents want their kids to be doctors and lawyers. There are casting calls for Asian children, but once the parents find out the children might miss school, they're opposed to it.