“As a kid, I would push my shoulders forward in order to hide my heart from being hurt.”

“Classical pianist Awadagin Pratt. I first heard this eccentric and introverted performer when I was living in the Midwest. He was playing Brahms ballades - haunting.”

“I fell in love with acting. I thought, 'This is what I want to do.'”

“I grew up in Germany for a little while, and all my German friends said that Seattle, weather and energy-wise, is a lot like West Germany. It's true.”

“I started doing impressions of Steve Urkel and Ed Grimley as my way of getting through the fear of rejection.”

“I think art is more glorious than life but not more real.”

“I think that the major message in 'Shrek: The Musical' is be who you want to be. I think that it is about being your true self in this world.”

“I think that there are a lot of elements and events that will make you scared in life and make you not want to sort of show your true self.”

“I think that what we were doing with the live musical version of 'Shrek' was taking the ideas and the structure of the movie and not necessarily reinventing it but reimagining it. It is a very different medium to perform.”

“I'm the youngest of four, but my closest sibling is 10 years older. I had a lot of imagination. I was running around playing little games by myself. But I never thought I was going to be an actor.”

“Juilliard's mission statement is learn about the classics so you can use that as a springboard to anything that comes your way.”

“Stevie Wonder's 'Songs in the Key of Life' was on constant shuffle throughout my childhood. I remember my dad playing some stellar Max Roach albums as well.”

“The last time I was in a gym, Dukakis was running for president.”