Quotes

I scared them to death in the audition. I had no idea what I was going to do. I read the script; I read the book; I tried stuff. I met Jonathan [Jonathan Demme] in Los Angeles, and we just talked, and I got a sense where he was at about it. He called me back; I went to New York to talk some more, and I just read. I sort of copped something on the way, which is something you have to do, whether it's right or wrong. Actually I think my audition was better than my performance, by far. -on how he got the part of Buffalo Bill in Le silence des agneaux (1991)

It was hard. I'll never do a character like this again. I would have loved to just have done the part from the script, and not deal with the book, it would be so much easier to work that way, and there are so many images in the book that aren't in the film. On the one hand they can be useful to you, on the other hand you can end up working too hard, which is something I think I did. I drove myself nuts with this character. I lived with this son of a bitch. Something that is very consistent with serial killers is they look at a lot of pornography, and I did that too. That will make you fucking crazy. -on his character in Le silence des agneaux (1991)

Generally you have a month of rehearsals and a couple months of productions. You know that, so you have a nice framework. That's one of the beauties of it. Your balls are on the line. There's no slacking off. It comes down to the wire, and you're up there. You're going to do the whole thing in a number of hours, so prepare for it, relax and stretch, and then you do it. It's a very physical thing as well. You've got to be bigger on the stage. You have to be heard for one thing, which is something I've always had trouble with. It's one of the reasons I like film, because I can mumble. I've always felt my person is more effective on film than onstage. I'm just not a real extroverted person. Not that film is easier, it's just an easier place for me to be. -on theater acting vs acting on film

When I read [The Bridge] and saw the source material, it was just smart. I think that's what drew me to this. I guess that's how I end up in this milieu. Plus I'm on the other side of it, and it took me a number of years to get on the other side. I'm immensely grateful that I am. ... It's really pretty cool that people see me from other things now and they aren't saying, 'Hey, say that line you said in the thing.' That baggage isn't as heavy anymore. -on playing a good guy in The Bridge (2013)

I don't live in Los Angeles; I might have to in order to be near it. I love the Midwest. LA is like a porno without the sex. It has about that much allure for me. Is this film going to make me or break me? The typecasting thing is very frustrating. I do get cast as bad guys, and I'm not. I love my children, I'm a good father, I've got a pretty strong sense of right and wrong. That's probably the hardest thing in doing the roles that I do, that's really rough.