Theatre has been a part of my life since before I can remember - my dad is also an actor and a director and a storyteller who lives and works in the Twin Cities; my mom is a nurse practitioner, but she also grew up doing theatre - so, it has always been a part of my experience.
I really hope that I can continue to do classical theatre - it's something I am really passionate about and I'd love to explore.
I've actually seen a good amount of the shows at Lincoln Center Theater. I went to school right across the street at Juilliard, so some of the first stuff I got to see here in New York was at the Lincoln Center Theater. I've always been inspired by the work that they do.
A dear friend of mine always brings a pineapple instead of flowers when he comes to a show. I love it.
Every show you do, you have to do research, and I love to dig into things. I learned about World War II by doing 'Anne Frank.'
My weakness as an actor is that I think too much.
Theater has been my way of learning about everything.
Working with Al Pacino was an amazing experience. He's such an amazing guy. He's an incredible performer and actor - and, aside from that, just a generous human being.
Boxing is really an art form. It might just look like two people beating each other up, but when you look closer, it's actually quite beautiful and interesting.
If I could go back to my first year of acting school, I'd probably say: 'Relax. Stop taking yourself so seriously.'
I've played a couple of gay characters onstage, and it's always been something I'm comfortable with. I grew up in a family and a culture that doesn't have stigmas about sexuality.
I have never been able to hold onto a really strict gym regime because I get bored.
I'm always interested in storytelling and whatever form that comes in.
In theater, you get to rehearse several weeks, you memorize everything, and by the time you open, you know what the play is. In film, it's almost the opposite. You do your work on your own and maybe have a couple of minutes to rehearse. When the camera rolls, you generally don't know what's going to happen.
I don't think there should be a hierarchy of what is valid in the arts.
Boxing is a lot of preparation and then improvising, so there are parallels to being an actor.
When I was six, someone in my family gave me a yellow pencil holder that had my name printed on it. I still have it, and when I'm doing table work in rehearsal, I use it to carry my highlighters and other writing utensils. I love it.
Math was always hard for me, but my dad would come up with ways of making it fun. I remember playing 'Number Munchers' on our old Mac... That counts as math class, right?
During my childhood, I played just about every sport imaginable, which became less feasible at Juilliard... Although I remember our annual dodge-ball game as a highlight. The Juilliard 'Fighting Penguins' are a force to be reckoned with.
Next to acting, being in the great outdoors is my biggest passion.
