I get a kick out of being an outsider constantly. It allows me to be creative.

People in the U.K. share my bemusement with the United States that America doesn't share with itself. They have a sense of irony, which America doesn't have, seeing as it's being run by fundamentalists who take things literally.

I don't like anything in the mainstream and they don't like me.

And if I can take part in it by transforming my own consciousness, then someone else's, I'm happy to do it.

Over the long hours of taping 5, 6 or 7 episodes a day, we develop a great sense of family.

Becoming a father has made my life a lot more interesting. It's like everything slows down because time goes slower, and you notice that you're actually awake for so many more hours. Your waking hours elongate because you're doing things at a child's pace.

This bizarre industry presents so many paths of temptation. If you don't have some kind of foundation, typically from family, then it will be difficult to deal with.

I grew up in the once segregated South. I experienced forced integration during my formative school years. I lived the sacrifices, burdens, and tears. I also lived the moments of understanding, of acknowledgment, of fellowship and success. I saw my parents and grandparents coming home beaten down - and some of my friends beaten up.