I couldn't deal with playing a character who rides motorcycles and has a leather jacket and is a tough kid, y'know?

What I would do in order to be popular was, I'd put myself on line and joke around and be funny, and I was always known as the crazy kid.

I've managed to keep a clear head and remain sane in this business because I remain a kid off-camera.

When I grew up, I lived in the ghettos of Hollywood; it was the most disgusting place to be. I was known as the crazy little kid. I did impressions. Then I realized that's not what I want to do. I don't want to be a comedian to please other people.

I was always the kid in school who tried to get attention, not necessarily the class clown, but I'd do little unexpected performances.

Yes, I can play younger than my age. But I can play characters older than I am, too. I'm not an actor who can just play the kid.

I think everyone has some sort of connection to Gatsby as a character... he's created himself according to his own emotions and dreams and lifted himself by his bootstraps from a poor kid in the Midwest and created this image that is The Great Gatsby and it's a truly American story in that regard.