I was shying away from acting for the longest time - because of having such big shoes to fill.
I never really wanted to be No. 1 and a big shot, have people playing up to me all the time. I wasn't comfortable with any of it.
Writers are not obliged to deal with current events, but it happens that the big story of our times - the al-Qaida attacks on New York and the Pentagon, and the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - is being told in some of the greatest books of our time.
If you look at the common denominator of all the comics who have had big success, it's being true to their nature... that's what takes a long time to learn.
There will always be different opinions. Some might argue you should retire after a big success and others that the best time is after a big defeat.
If I ever had to choose between having a good mind and good health with having big success, then there's no contest: I'd put my health first every time.
With 'Believe' bringing really big success for me outside of the U.K. for the first time, it meant I have been touring around the world and that led to a gap from the studio. I really feel like the gap has done me the world of good. Throughout that time I was able to collect songs that I really loved.
Sometimes, you don't know what's going to happen to your character until the night before you shoot the scene. So, sometimes, you get a great big surprise at the very last minute, which is scary sometimes. You don't have a whole lot of time to prepare.
Christmas means a great deal to me. I was reared in a family that celebrated Christmas to some extent, but I married into a family that celebrated Christmas in a big way. And my wife always made a big thing of Christmas for the children. We have five children, and we had a terrific time at Christmas.
When I was writing the Destiny's Child songs, it was a big thing to be that young and taking control. And the label at the time didn't know that we were going to be that successful, so they gave us all control. And I got used to it.
When I first starting making money, when I first made my first six-digits, I was - my big thing was I went to put super unleaded in my truck for the first time.
I wish for a world where people understand that life is short. So today's the time to do big things.
You can't jump from little things to big things. It just takes time and patience.
My first job was singing on the Cas Walker radio show in Knoxville, Tennessee. I was about 10 years old, and I thought it was big time.
Raise hell - big time. I want y'all to get out there and raise hell about damned near everything. My word, there's a world out there that needs fixing. Get out there and get after it.
Egos turn me off, big time.
It wasn't until I was 14 and watched the 1976 Olympic games on television that I really started to dream about the big time. I remember seeing Evelyn Ashford in the 100 meters, and she was going to UCLA.
Joining another big time rock band was the last thing I was looking for, but as the tour went on, I really dug playing to a lot of people, the band sounded great, and just being out there again, got me over my depression and so I decided to hop on board.
Sixth grade was a big time, in my childhood, of hoops and friendship, and coming up with funny things.
I think it's really strange for somebody that's probably never been in the public eye. All of a sudden I was 'big time' - boom, it all just happened.
