For people to even think that I'd be considered or a good candidate for a supporting actress nomination is mind blowing to me.
It's funny because when I got 'Jarhead' and 'Avatar' and all those movies, 'Leprechaun' still to this day airs on BET. I was thinking, 'Will they just let it go? I finally have a body of work that can speak much better to what I can do than just Leprechaun.'
Sometimes people get really sniffy about the films you choose if you've done more dramatic projects or you're classically trained.
Keeping faith in my acting credentials, my mentor offered me a powerful role in 'Veerasaami,' which had scope for me to emote on the screen. Film-buffs have now welcomed my acting skills and appreciate me for my good performance.
I thank my directors who keep faith in my acting credentials and give me roles like I did in 'Uyir' and 'Dhanam.'
The crossover wasn't happening. TV actors were TV actors, and film and stage actors were a whole different thing. And now there's just a lot of crossover.
I've been working steadily as an actor since around 1998. I wasn't well known in the public, but I was a dependable working journeyman.
Sometimes it's hard to get people to take me seriously as an actor when they just see me as this WWE muscle head.
I'm a pro! No, what I mean is I have performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. I have been all over the place. I have studied theatre for seven years.
I always get a little uppity when I hear the phrase 'TV actor.' It's like saying you're a magazine reporter. I was in the theater for ten years before I ever had a TV audition.
I would be surprised if they gave Meryl Streep her third Oscar for a film as light as 'Julie and Julia,' although, of course, Katharine Hepburn's third Oscar came with a very light performance from her in 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.'
I'm getting to the point where they see me as a good actor, rather than just a good guy who can act.
It's so hard coming out of drama school to claim your right to be taken seriously and even get auditions.
Playing a plainer role means everything is dependent on the credentials of the actor, not the fact that they are as pretty as Julia Roberts. People start to look at their talent rather than their appearance. And playing the ugly part often means less time in the make-up chair, which is a great benefit on set.
I'm often confused with other actors. But the people who know my work don't have that problem.
Before I did 'How I Met Your Mother,' I was not considered a comedic actress.
I play very sweet characters, so people look at me like I'm the kid from 'The Wonder Years,' rather than Brad Pitt.
With a famous name, you have to work that much harder to get the part.
I think I have the finest body of work of any American actor.
Some of the things I've been in are comedic, but I don't get considered for true comedies because I'm a 'dramatic' actor.
You turn up on set, and somebody who has come out of Oxford, has done a BBC course, is telling you how to act. You think, 'Do me a favour. Go and make a coffee.'
Soaps are a great springboard for any actor but if you want to be taken seriously, you have to be careful.
