When I was at my height on TV, I was always busy - rehearsing, practising my impressions, learning new material. When that faded, I had to find another way to be creative. Houses were something to do instead. They saved me.

As a family comedian, it is so wonderful seeing everyone from kids through to grandparents being entertained by you.

Too much comedy is filthy these days. There's nothing they won't say. I like Jimmy Carr, but I don't like the language he uses. I don't understand why he feels it necessary; I find it extremely offensive.

When work is going well, your home life struggles and vice versa. If my kids are OK - that is the most important thing. I strive for balance in my life, though.

The FA Cup has been good for me, and I have scored some goals, but I want to get better because I need to get better. Scoring goals is one of the things that I need to do better because a player in my position must do that. I want to achieve many other things, but that is the main one.

Even if you're unhappy, just pretend that you're happy. Eventually, your smile will be contagious to yourself. I had to learn that. I used to think, 'I'm being fake,' but you know what? Better to be fake and happy than real and miserable.

In rock music, you have a big success before you turn 30, then there is sort of a decay. Then there is the reunion, and everyone is waiting to hear what you were doing when you were 20, and nobody cares what you are doing at 50 or 60. But the more I continue, the more I produce, the more I play every year in bigger places.

I'm just a Chicago actor who's a playwright. Even with the success of 'August,' the people in town who come to our theater know me by sight, because they've seen me onstage so much.