CHRIS BAUER

The actor in me always wants to link himself to a leader who's inspired.

Frank Sobotka in 'The Wire' on HBO was one of the greatest characters I've ever played. They cut his throat at the end of that season. There's something about creative coupling that seems to go with great characters, and the fact that you can never play them again once you're done.

I am the kind of actor who will do just about anything.

I would have to say that because I've lived in so many cities, by no means do I feel it's fair to call myself a 'fan' of any particular teams. I've lived in New York for a long time, and I did this movie about the Yankees called '*61.' I found out a lot about the Yankees during that time, so I love the Yankees, I've watched the Yankees.

I'm not one of those actors who sits around the table and intellectualizing anything, or discusses much of anything. Everything for me is intuitive and instinctive.

Every angle that I looked at was somebody who I admired and was better than me. So it made me very afraid.

The hardest thing in the world to play is something close to myself.

I'm the kind of guy who would say, "Yeah, I'll do that!," and then, when it came down to it, I would be absolutely petrified. Those days have passed me by, but I would do it. If it meant that I was in a scene naked with a woman, or anybody romantic, I'd be into it.

In my experience, it tends to be a real reflection of someone's intelligence, confidence and sensitivity when they can just be real.

The Emmys seem like an entity unto themselves that have an agenda that sometimes corresponds to quality, sometimes doesn't.

I would have to say that because I've lived in so many cities, by no means do I feel it's fair to call myself a 'fan' of any particular teams. I've lived in New York for a long time, and I did this movie about the Yankees called '*61.' I found out a lot about the Yankees during that time, so I love the Yankees, I've watched the Yankees.

I really feel like 'True Blood' is a big, giant slice of cake for the audience every week; it's offering people 60 minutes of sometimes thought-provoking entertainment. If you're gonna give an Emmy out, you should probably give it to the audience of 'True Blood.'

Frank Sobotka in 'The Wire' on HBO was one of the greatest characters I've ever played. They cut his throat at the end of that season. There's something about creative coupling that seems to go with great characters, and the fact that you can never play them again once you're done.

The Emmys seem like an entity unto themselves that have an agenda that sometimes corresponds to quality, sometimes doesn't.

I am the kind of actor who will do just about anything.

I love college football and I love pro football. This is how fair-weathered I am. I used to be a Giants fan, but my son who's turning 12 has really gotten into football, and he likes the Jets, so I totally jumped ships so we can root for the same team.

I've always felt like we're all human beings and we're all basically given the tools to make whatever choices we want to make. How we treat other people. How we treat ourselves. Just the whole philosophy of that and the philosophical logic of that is that we're all capable of great acts of evil, and we're all capable of great acts of good.

The actor in me always wants to link himself to a leader who's inspired.

In my experience, it tends to be a real reflection of someone's intelligence, confidence and sensitivity when they can just be real.

I've just always been a fan of really fringy, outsider things, and I've always been a balloon in the wind, in terms of where that takes me.

I think it's hilarious when middle-aged white men try to take themselves seriously. It makes me laugh.

Every angle that I looked at was somebody who I admired and was better than me. So it made me very afraid.

I'm not a guy who likes cliches. I don't think that stereotypes and cliches are the end of the line, when it comes to a performance.

The hardest thing in the world to play is something close to myself.

I love being a clutch member of the team, but I hope, in the future, I get a little bit more story on my shoulders and a little bit more responsibility to keep the world of a story up in the air. I really, really welcome that challenge.

I'm the kind of guy who would say, "Yeah, I'll do that!," and then, when it came down to it, I would be absolutely petrified. Those days have passed me by, but I would do it. If it meant that I was in a scene naked with a woman, or anybody romantic, I'd be into it.

You shouldn't need 60 full minutes to create a portrait that an audience doesn't forget. You should be able to make an impression that's lasting and resonant with one scene.

You can always find contradictions and hope, in hopeless circumstances, and a sense of redemption in somebody who makes the same mistake, over and over. So far, so good. That's how I put it.

I'm not one of those actors who sits around the table and intellectualizing anything, or discusses much of anything. Everything for me is intuitive and instinctive.

I love any challenge that comes my way, and I've been lucky to have many.

The idea of a regular-looking guy who is the lead of something - whether it's a movie or a show - is something that I really hope I can grow towards.