I didn't expect to have music as my main thing. I always thought I was going to be a lawyer. When I graduated, I was doing really well with my music in Malaysia. I had stable income, and I had really good momentum in the music industry, so I had to make a decision whether to stop that and continue being a lawyer.
I have no ambitions beyond being comfortable in what I do for a living - and earning a living.
I've never had to get a job as a waiter or anything. I've always been able to support myself in 'the biz.' Which is great. It's really fantastic to be able to say that, because I know it's hard to do.
I try to be prudent with everything and fortunately I have enough to support me in a nice middle-class lifestyle, while I try to do other things.
I lead a simple life. I get residuals. I have a family; we're doing alright.
I was always told as a kid the most important thing you could have was a job that paid you sick pay if you needed it and came with a bit of a pension.
Money means I can support my family and still do what I love. Not very many people can say that in this world, and not many writers can say that.
For the past ten years I have had no financial problems.
I haven't had to do anything outside of show business my whole life. I've never been a waiter. I've only worked and gotten paid. It hasn't been a classic example of someone slogging through the business.
Music is not a very stable business. It comes and it goes, and so does money, but your education stays with you for the rest of your life. When you have that education, and you have nothing to fall back on, you can get a get a job anywhere.
I am so blessed that all I've done in my professional life, since I was 17-18, is play music and somehow make a dollar here and there.
I was very lucky: I started acting in this highly subsidized German theater world, so there was not so much job insecurity. We had great working conditions, long rehearsal times, well paid.
I made a comfortable living for several years. I invested, and I protected myself, so I enjoy that freedom.
I got a rent-stabilized apartment in 1977, and that has made my life as an actor possible.
Sometimes people start making a change with without making sure the first the first source of income sticks.
There was a time, 2006-2010, where there was a roster full of guys that were making a full-time living and many guys in the six figures, and that's a good loving.
An annuity is a very serious business.
Let's be honest - you work at a big company because it's comfortable. You don't have to work 80 hours per week, and you get paid, have nice benefits, and the family is all happy.
I have nothing to complain about financially.
I suspect that writer's block afflicts mainly people who have some stable and ample source of income outside of writing. So far it hasn't been a problem.
If I can pay the bills, I'm happy.
Whether it's Bellator, OneFC, World Series, whatever, the door's open for me. Financial stability is the most important thing for me.
What I really, really love is writing. If I can just write and make a really nice living out of that, why would I change that?
The idea of having a steady job is appealing.
You just want to be able to have a nice career and make a living at it.
