I spent two years at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and then some New York types saw me there as Benvolio in 'Romeo and Juliet.' They sent me some enticing letters - about why didn't I come to New York? - and since it was well below zero that winter in Minneapolis, it didn't take much to get me to leave.
Acting is about covering up traces of who you are and just being the character. I think it's easier to accept people in roles if you don't know a lot about them.
The Guthrie Theater is a beast. It has 1,300 seats, and I couldn't act there. I always felt I was acting too small. I'd always have to fight to get the gumption to act bigger. There's a weird trick to it. You don't want to overwhelm the first six rows. You don't want to starve the back. I could never get it.
The hardest thing I do on stage is to self-induce amnesia. I want to go on every night and say, 'I've never sat in this chair. I've never been in this room.'
