I don’t necessarily put on an act when I go on Jay Leno or dress differently in public than I do in private. I’d like to think I’m the same person, more or less.
Honestly, after doing a TV show for eight years and a cartoon for more than a decade, you are, financially speaking, in a very lucky position where you don’t have to work for the sake of working. And I decided to take advantage of that.
I had such a great time doing commercials and things as a kid. My grandparents were on set with me all the time, and I loved that I got to hang out with them, so I will forever be grateful for that. But I just loved every minute of it.
I feel like every role that you take there’s a part of you that obviously feels like you can do it. I don’t know if perfect is the right word because I don’t believe in perfection and I don’t think it exists but I think striving to do something well is in every single part.
I wanted to just surround myself with people who I think are better than I am, whether they’re actors or directors or producers, so that I could learn from them.
When it’s a comedy or drama or horror or romance, it’s all the same. You want to be honest with the character. You want to play truthfully and you want to be genuine with your character.
I didn’t get the Russian Jew part because they didn’t think I looked Russian or Jewish enough – and, mind you, I am both Russian and Jewish – so I was cast as the racist Mexican.
