I studied Japanese language and culture in college and graduate school and afterward went to work in Tokyo where I met a young man whose father was a famous businessman and whose mother was a geisha.

The F-word is 'famous ' the C-word is 'celebrity' and S-word is 'star ' in my book. The other three words are fine - you can say those. But 'famous ' 'celebrity' and 'star ' I think are misused.

I also want to go to an Italian island and do cuisine properly with some famous Italian chef and like his mother.

There aren't many downsides to being rich other than paying taxes and having relatives asking for money. But being famous that's a 24 hour job right there.

The records of adopted children are sealed in California. That seal is considered inviolable... The judge ruled that because I was famous he didn't have the same rights as other kids.

I don't know if this is the kind of retrospective analysis that people are fond of applying to their work or actions but it feels like I knew I was going to be famous and I knew that an element of that would be traumatic so that if I could make myself something big and otherworldly it would be a kind of defence.

I really don't know anything else because my brothers were famous when I was two years old. So I know nothing else no other life.

I know I have this level of celebrity of fame international national whatever you want to call it but it's a pretty surreal thing to think sometimes that you're in the middle of another famous person's life and you think to yourself 'How the hell did I get famous? What is this some weird club that we're in?'

You aren't famous until my mother has heard of you.

I don't go to premieres. I don't go to parties. I don't covet the Oscar. I don't want any of that. I don't go out. I just have dinner at home every night with my kids. Being famous that's a whole other career. And I haven't got any energy for it.

The fire in the belly is essential otherwise you become Michael Buble - famous and meaningless.

Why am I so famous? What am I doing right? What are the others doing wrong?

I became famous I think really because of the interpretation of other people's songs way back when and that's what I enjoy the most. And I'm a lazy bugger.

Other famous men those of much talk and few deeds soon evaporate. Action is the dignity of greatness.

I think it's useful as a famous person to have as little separation between the perception of you and how you really are - because otherwise I'd be sitting here thinking I'm keeping secrets and wondering when you're going to find out.

I was never very interested in boys - and there were plenty of them - vying with one another to see how many famous women they would get into the hay.

The thing about being famous is it's weird. The only people who get how weird it is are other famous people.

I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: 'try being rich first'. See if that doesn't cover most of it. There's not much downside to being rich other than paying taxes and having your relatives ask you for money. But when you become famous you end up with a 24-hour job.

You're not famous until my mother has heard of you.

More than any other setting - more than battlefields or boardrooms or a spaceship headed for intergalactic travel - I'll put my money on the family to provide an endless source of comedy tragedy and intrigue.

I've always been part of comedy. One of the things about our family was that if we were reasonably funny with each other particularly my two brothers and myself when my father was upset with something you'd want to make sure in some way you made him laugh. Because when he didn't laugh you were in trouble!

When I was growing up in Mississippi - it was good Southern food... but I also grew up with a Greek family when other kids were eating fried okra we were eating steamed artichokes. So I think it played a big part in my healthy cooking.

I think with motherhood and child-rearing in general everyone's going to tell you how to do it and why. I've always said to other mothers and women when they've asked me that you have to find your own way and find out what works for your family at all costs.

With the counseling of my family doctor my mother ended up turning to Weight Watchers and their children's program. I went to weekly meetings got counseling and would exercise with my peers who were my size. It was the first time I saw a proper children's portion size and it wasn't two burgers it was one.