Quotes

With music, I get to feel real ownership with what I do. I write it, I perform it and even if it is crap, it is mine. With acting, you are a small part of the creative process, and sometimes it is hard to feel like you are making an impact.

[on being an Asian American actor] It's difficult having to hustle for jobs. Not knowing when the next job is coming in. It's hard. There are not enough roles out there. I try not to get wrapped up in it or I'll get depressed.

I am interested in people who are on top and how they stay on top. In a vague way, it's a bit like athletes and how they stay on top of their game. You know, I always root for the older athlete. I root for the second album. I root for solo careers after the rock star breaks the band apart. I've become more interested in second and third acts, and a lot less interested in that splashy debut. For me, the most interesting thing is longevity and sustaining a career, because that's what's truly difficult.

[observation, 2012] Thankfully, I'm not sweating too much about how to climb the ladder, and I'm not sweating too much about the money. I'm trying to think of making work that I'm proud of. And I think everything falls into place after that.

When I was starting out, it was really hard. I tried to do things like turn down auditions I thought were stereotypical. That sort of thing, small as it was, was difficult. Now it seems like I don't even have to make those decisions anymore. People understand what I do.

[on avoiding Facebook] I have this nightmare that one day I will have to look at every picture I've ever taken with people in an airport or in bars or restaurants, and it will make me very sad. It will be like the Vietnam memorial in Washington - a descending wall of sadness.