True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.

After World War II great strides were made in modern Japanese architecture not only in advanced technology allowing earthquake resistant tall buildings but expressing and infusing characteristics of traditional Japanese architecture in modern buildings.

When I write now I do not invent situation characters or actions but rather structures and discursive forms textual groupings which are combined according to secret affinities among themselves as in architecture or the plastic arts.

I probably spent the first 20 years of my life wanting to be as American as possible. Through my 20s and into my 30s I began to become aware of how so much of my art and architecture has a decidedly Eastern character.

I don't think I could play a character that I couldn't relate to somehow. I'm not unfamiliar with frustration anger shame helplessness and a load of other emotions that make up our psycho-soup. I try to focus on that frustration that sense of unfairness and multiply it.

My character had been in the chair for seven years. He had gone through his anger depression drug and alcohol abuse. He had gone through everything now he was up he was happy he was filled with his dream.

I think for business reasons fiscal reasons I think these cable networks can take greater risks and I think with a risk comes better programming. And I think USA has got an amazing identity to it now that is clearly defined with its 'Characters welcome' tag.

I really enjoyed being Peppy Miller. She was an amazing character and her energy followed me everywhere. When I talk about her I want to be her again.

It was amazing that during rehearsals without any of the costume on the character was there complete. It just happened. Half the time I didn't know I was doing it.

I think I came across Cecil Taylor a bit later in 65 or 66. That really impressed me - Cecil Taylor is an amazing character... Both his music and the way he approaches the instrument are astonishing.

Definitely they write themselves. It's an amazing experience. It's like the characters have come alive and are sitting on my shoulder talking to me telling me their tales.

I think one of the coolest things about the job is the level of trust we have for each other. The actors fully trust that the writers will write amazing episodes and the writers trust that the actors will follow their instincts with the characters.

Moby Dick - that book is so amazing. I just realized that it starts with two characters meeting in bed that's how my book begins too but I hadn't noticed the parallel before two characters forced to share a bed reluctantly.

'Aladdin' was probably my favorite Disney animation when I was a kid. The animation was great and Robin Williams was unbelievable as the Genie. 'Aladdin' was an amazing adventure and the lead character was a hero for guys which I loved. It wasn't a princess or a girl beating the odds it was a street rat. That seemed really cool to me.

With most British actors it's amazing. I think they start with the character on the outside and work in.

We start 'The Butler' in June and that's incredibly exciting for me because I get to work with the amazing Forest Whitaker again. It's a phenomenal script and a great great role - I play his son. Oprah Winfrey is his wife and my mother. My character is a radical civil rights activist.

I filmed 'Albatross' before I got 'Downton.' It's a coming-of-age movie about this girl who leaps into this family's life like a whirlwind. She's ballsy and brash and wonderful it was such an amazing character to play.

I decided to give acting a serious committed try and soon after I read the script for 'Lovely and Amazing.' The story was beautiful and honest and the characters struggled with the same insecurities many women - including me - face. I didn't think I had a chance in hell of being in the film but I knew I had to go for it.

My size has helped make me an amazing performer too. The cliche of the Funny Fat Friend: I absolutely was that character - I am that character... It's a complicated bag of tools I acquired and I've put them all to work onstage.

As a kid I always loved serialized books. It's the reason why people love 'Harry Potter.' Serialization is amazing. It works in television. It works in film and it works in books. Especially when you're a young kid you get attached to these characters.

For the last 20 years of my life I've had the mantra to do amazing parts with amazing people in amazing projects so I'm attracted to good story writing and character and good people. That's what I'm always searching for and I don't think that's ever going to change.

I didn't need clothes. I was allowed the opportunity to act out moments you don't get the opportunity to experience in your own life let alone as a character in a film. I didn't feel naked.

When I was working on Eye of the Beholder I played a character who is so aloof that my whole lifestyle became very aloof. If someone knocked on my door there was a part of me that went into a rage because I wanted to be isolated and alone.

Highly educated young people are tutored taught and monitored in all aspects of their lives except the most important which is character building. When it comes to this most universities leave them alone.