I do not purport to be a professional politician.

There's a view in Russian society that there are 'male professions' and 'female professions.' The women should be looking after the home and children. It makes me sad. But the only thing you can do is fight it.

You know, in Russia we say there are three things you can't choose: your parents, your gender and your president.

My burden is my past as a TV star. But, you know, pasts cannot be a life sentence.

Herman Melville was supposed to be an accountant. Van Gogh was meant to be an art dealer. I was meant to take the train into New York and work for a bank. To be an artist, you have to say goodbye to your family.

My agents and my managers are very good at whittling things down to the things they think I would be good at and that I'd respond well to, and that includes theater, TV and film. Whatever it is, if the material is right for me, then I'll go for it.

Maybe I should get back to the music-writing phase and write one on tax reform.

Painting is self-discovery. Every good artist paints what he is.