I'm basically nocturnal.

I had saved a lot of money working at Mrs. Fields' Chocolate Chip Cookies, ushering at the Golden Gate Theatre, and doing odd jobs so I could live in New York for a few months. If it ran out, I would have to give up and go home. It turned out OK. I got my Equity card and started working.

I am fine playing 'Law & Order' and even the 'Jurassic' movies to be straight up, as far as the characters being portrayed there, but I never want to stay in straight-up land too long. I always wanted to do something where the character's world gets to be explored.

I always knew I'd be more of a character actor than a leading man, and I always wanted to take that and run with it.

If I were to limit myself to the opportunities that were presented playing only Chinese-American parts, I would be virtually without a career.

In television, a sitcom is probably the closest thing to what it's like working in the theater.