What's gratifying about West Wing is that everybody told us that it couldn't be done - that the man or woman on the street didn't care about politics. But if you set things up correctly, people don't have a problem with it.

I have other obligations now - the show, my family, my life... though I know that without my sobriety I wouldn't have any of those things.

Sobriety was the greatest gift I ever gave myself. I don't put it on a platform. I don't campaign about it. It's just something that works for me. It enabled me to really connect with another human being - my wife, Sheryl - which I was never able to do before.

We always reminisce about how everyone tried to get Diane Lane's attention, to very little success.

Show me someone who doesn't have some sort of experience that they would be uncomfortable for people to know about and I'll show you a dullard.

I wouldn't go back on my old days, though; everybody needs to have their wild years. It's just a question of when and I'd rather have had them early than be doing it as a mid-life crisis type thing.

Directors are not worried about casting beautiful women, but they are not sure that they want to cast great-looking men. My looks have prevented people from seeing my work.

Sampling, statisticians have told us, is a much more effective way of getting a good census.

The '80s were about trying to establish myself as an actor with a career. And being a teenager enjoying the fruits of being successful with lots of what I think is appropriate for that age.

I have been looking forward to this age of my life for a long time. In my twenties, I marked the days on the calendar - I was sick of playing high-school kids.

When I hear that I realize how quickly time passes and how everybody goes on their journeys and they're always unbelievable and they never go where you think they're going to take you and, quite frankly, it also makes me feel a little old.

I have never felt at any point in my life, good or bad, any ill will ever from the man or woman on the street.

I have a lot of great memories, but I can't imagine anything more exciting than the life I have now.

I'll be sober ten years and married nine soon.

Temperamentally, Sam and I are very much alike. He's a lawyer, my father's a lawyer, and I always wanted to play one. On so many levels the role just felt right. I fell in love with it as I would a woman.

I liked being a teenager, but I would not go back for all the tea in China.

I have, on the other hand, felt ill will from various people in the industry and the press.

I like the tradition of ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances and how they react to events which force them to be heroic in a way that is not in their natures.

What's gratifying about West Wing is that everybody told us that it couldn't be done - that the man or woman on the street didn't care about politics. But if you set things up correctly, people don't have a problem with it.

A few years ago, I got to a point where I realised that the only way you can tell someone's age is how they live their life. The candles on the cake mean absolutely nothing.

After my parents' divorce when I was 4, I spent weekends with my dad before we finally moved to California. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was incapable of enjoying the day's activities, of being in the moment, because I was already dreading the inevitable goodbye of Sunday evening.

As a person navigating the waters of public scrutiny, you are often unable to hold on to personal heroes or villains. Inevitably you will meet your hero, and he may turn out to be less than impressive, while your villain turns out to be the coolest cat you've ever met.

As an actor and a fledgling director, I'm used to making snap decisions that I'll have to live with.

Before you could actually have face-lifts, they would pull your skin around the back of your head with rubber bands, where they would tape it. And then you'd have to wear a wig over it to hide the rubber bands. It was not the most comfortable.

Being in a successful marriage is no different than being cast in a successful movie. It's all about who you pick; in that first moment, did you pick the right person? I think you need to pick somebody who's more interested in being married than in getting married.

Belonging to one party is acceptable. But my days of just ticking the party box are long over. I judge the candidates for who they are.

By making more people aware of lymphoma, Worldwide Lymphoma Awareness Day hopes to save lives by increasing early diagnosis and suitable treatment.

Cannes is a little bit like French wine. There are certain years that people prefer over others.

Comedies always need to be provocative and catch your attention in a way that dramas don't have to.

David Blum burned a lot of bridges. He burned people early in their careers. He took on the wrong people, though. He's not Hunter Thompson or Tom Wolfe, he's David Blum living in a cheap flat.

Eleven days before 9/11, I was on a plane with the 9/11 hijackers who were carrying out a dry run.

Equality for everybody is great. That would be amazing.

Every relationship has its complications.

Fame is not a natural condition for human beings.

Feng shui isn't open to interpretation.

For guys, I don't think you're ever ready... I don't think you wake up and go, 'You know, today's the day I'm going to get married. By God, I'm ready. My house is in order, and it is time.'

For me, the battle is finding the balance between wanting to spend time with my boys and then having enough perspective to still be the disciplinarian and, like, not be in the best friend business.

For sure, without question, the writing is better on TV pound for pound than movies because the businesses have changed so much. So all the great writers would rather work for TV, and they do.

Getting married isn't going to make your relationship better. It's just a ceremony.

Guys are really lucky. We become our authentic selves the older we get.

Here's my theory: If a person gets worldwide fame at a young age, they're emotionally frozen at that moment. For me, that's 15 to 18, so you find yourself in your mid-20s being a glorified 15-year-old. What could possibly go wrong?

I - you know, I loved politics more as a younger man.

I always like stories where the egg ends up on my face.

I always wanted that house where everybody wants to go, full of energy, dogs, music, fun.

I am still in love with my wife.

I am terrible with people's names.

I am the guy dressing up in, you know, the caveman outfit for the kids' birthday parties.

I believe in ceremony. I think ceremony is important, pomp and circumstance, tradition. I'm into those things.

I couldn't have gotten sober without rehab because I needed the science.