However my parents - both of whom came from impoverished backgrounds and neither of whom had been to college took the view that my overactive imagination was an amusing quirk that would never pay a mortgage or secure a pension.

Every time I've done comedy in like traditional comedy clubs there's always these comedians that do really well with audiences but that the other comedians hate because they're just you know doing kind of cheap stuff like dancing around or doing like very kind of base sex humor a lot and stuff like that.

I'm going to do a lot of weird stuff that's not going to be like me prancing around like an insane 12-year-old. I showed everybody that side of me and I think it's time to do different stuff even when it comes down to the type of humor. I want to do some drier weirder stuff.

Back in 2004 Kellie Overbey handed me her play 'Girl Talk' to read. I fell in love with her brutally delicious humor and the fearlessly deft way in which she drew her characters. They jumped off the page and begged me to give them a space in which to stomp around.

I think I'm too cynical for L.A. My sense of humor doesn't go down well here which probably affects my love life. I need to have a laugh track following me around so people know I'm trying to be funny.

But if you don't watch me I will try and sneak in some humor. I see humor everywhere in life around me.

Anyone in the humor business isn't thinking clearly if he doesn't surround himself with idea people. Otherwise you settle for mediocrity - or you burn yourself out.

When you meet someone new who instantly gets you your sense of humor and your attitudes and your worldview even if theirs are different - and you get them in return. You both talk and talk and agree and laugh and nod and yes yes of course you should get another round of drinks.

Bathroom humor fart and poo poo humor in movies gets a laugh. It's a pretty easy audience and that's been around for ages.

I remember when humor was gentle pokes. I used to call it 'arm around the shoulder' humor. Now they go for the jugular and they take no prisoners. It's mean mean stuff.

Humor does not diminish the pain - it makes the space around it get bigger.

You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything even poverty you can survive it.

I think as a rifle platoon and company commander your view is about 1 000 meters in front of you and you hope you can cover that ground and not have to back up and give it up again.

Being an artist is a very long game. It is not a 10-year game. I hope I'll be around making art when I'm 80.

Pope John Paul II brought hope to all corners of the world to people of all faiths and backgrounds with his powerful belief in the human spirit.

There's hope for everyone. That's what makes the world go round.

I hope to be around past the 90's. I don't want to just be categorized as one of this era. My goal is to have a career that stands.

I do sometimes strongly hope that in a past life my most recent life before this I was absolutely horrible evil hideous. Because otherwise - well hell to even things up next time around I'm going to have to pay for this one am I not?

Americans appreciate the way our friends around the world are sticking by us and we all hope for their continued support in what's going to be some very trying times.

I hope to work harder than ever to help people around the world.

Hope is a feeling that life and work have meaning. You either have it or you don't regardless of the state of the world that surrounds you.

Whether you've seen angels floating around your bedroom or just found a ray of hope at a lonely moment choosing to believe that something unseen is caring for you can be a life-shifting exercise.

But groundless hope like unconditional love is the only kind worth having.

Acting is something I love. It's a great craft that I have a lot of respect for. But I don't think it's any greater challenge than teaching 8-year-olds or any other career. In my life I try not to make it more important than it is and I just hope that rubs off on the people around me.