"I can't go back and label myself as an outcast because I was a pretty well-adjusted kid, but I can certainly relate to the feeling of being an outsider."

"I love improvising."

"I always need a couple of highlights to really spark the passion for a project."

"It was important on The Shipping News to have my house far enough away from each location so I had this time in the morning to think about my shots and still remain open to surprises once I got to the set."

"Education has for its object the formation of character."

"The traditional Christian attitude toward human personality was that human nature was essentially good and that it was formed and modified by social pressures and training."

"Two things I do well in books are sex and violence, but I don't want gratuitous sex or violence. The sex and violence are only as graphic as need be. And never included unless it furthers the plot or character development."

"I think that each character has fascinated and interested me enough to want to play him."