After 'The White Shadow' was over, I did some more work, but then I wound up taking a year off to teach at Harvard. It afforded me the chance to have a variegated career - a very interesting one.
I have been at CNN my entire career. When I first started, I raised my hand and volunteered for everything. It allowed me to get a wide range of experience and learn from the best - whether it was a cameraman or an anchorman.
I'm the non-executive chairman of nine or so major companies, and on the nine companies, it's a little trying because you jump from one industry to another, as the case might be. But one had the reasonable knowledge of those nine activities, and it's been an exciting job.
I've considered myself a writer since I was 7 years old, but I've done a lot of jobs along the way. I enjoyed waiting tables and tending bar during college, especially when it got busy, so I might like managing a big restaurant. In fact, I might like managing many kinds of businesses or organizations.
Law became boring, but like every job I've done, it helped prepare me for a career in music.
I've been lucky enough to play many different roles from darker characters to family orientated shows to comedy.
Everybody brings their thing to their criticism. I bring this wealth of opinions and feeling and knowledge about race and gender and sexuality. I feel like I have it, I may as well express it, and if it's applicable to what I'm writing about and I'm not forcing it, I should try to use it, because it's interesting. It speaks to more than some people.
I've got cabinet experience, military experience, and private sector experience.
I hire a lot of waiters, waitresses. Someone who's successful has a background that's not predictable.
It's important to get well-rounded right off the bat. A lot of experienced dancers can get pigeonholed into one thing. I've been hired for a lot of different gigs simply because I can do a lot of different things with different levels of dancers. And it's sad to me that some dancers don't do more.
It's always interesting to me that we all hear music differently. It's an awesome experience to hear what other people hear.
Running for office is important, and you don't really need more than to be right on the issues, and to be able to articulate what it is you believe. You don't need a certain background. You don't need to be a lawyer. You don't need to have some professional degree.
I've called all sports. I was a radio DJ, club DJ, talk show host, hockey, basketball, football; you name it, I've done it.
I knew I wanted to be in music, but I didn't know my role, so I did everything from interning at Rolling Stone to writing heavy metal fanzines to playing in a high-school band, and I think all those things probably helped in a way.
Now peculiar scraps of knowledge were stuck to him like lint from all his jobs.
I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I've done it all. I've worked as a clown, literally, at children's parties.
For me, being able to work with somebody who I don't have to translate my experience to all the time - that's important, because I'm not having to walk someone down the path of racial understanding to tell a story about a woman of color.
American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.
From being a waiter, to a door-to-door salesman, to a car-washer, to a delivery boy - I have done it all.
I've primarily worked with actors the same age as me for the past four years, so working with somebody who is 10 years younger than me, you learn a whole different set of skills.
I don't feel pressure, I think there's fun to have. And I want to show that being gay and of color doesn't have to be a sob story all the time. It can actually be really jokes and empowering.
I've always basically done everything that's been offered to me. I'm one of the few actors who enjoy working a lot.
I did plays and movies and whatever all over the place.
I already am very satisfied by my career. It has been long, diverse and hugely rewarding.
I've directed web series, music videos, film shorts, and theater. It's just a hat I put on.
