If a mother is sitting in a chair at the office, someone needs to be at home with her child. In some cases, that is a father. Much of the time, the material manifestation of the conflict is a nanny.

My first job was to run a concessions cart. Later, I found a position at the Pacific Film Archive. Thus began a long series of jobs, each one slightly better than the last, that continued for a decade, until I sold my first novel, and still goes on, even now.

I felt like any other American kid. I already worked at a steady job as an ice cream scooper, but I didn't feel less in any way than my more affluent friends from school.

The more you learn about animals and animal rights - it's an intriguing, fascinating world.

My kids are fanatical about 'Scooby-Doo', and I think that the creators of 'Scooby-Doo' somehow tripped across some kind of magical hypnotic formula that lures children. It's far more fascinating to them than anything else on the air.

It felt natural. That is what I remember most about becoming a father halfway through my 20s. As if Mother Nature was giving me the big thumbs up.

I think what I'm gonna do is keep being international and not being grounded to any one particular thing. As long as I'm entertaining people in one way or another and maintaining some sort of adventurous life with my family in tow, then I'll be happy.

I moved to California in 2011 to be a writer. A family friend told me to take acting classes so I could do commercials and actually make a little money.