Quotes from Tony Shalhoub

It was never really one of my goals to gain tremendous amount of celebrity or make a tremendous amount of money necessarily.

I've been lucky that even when I was younger, just because of my look or whatever, I was afforded the opportunity or called on to try. 'Can you do this Hispanic character?' 'Can you do this Italian character?' 'Can you do this Jewish-American character?' I just had to develop a facility for their accents.

My dad was a meat peddler who drove a refrigerated truck. He bought his meat in Sheboygan, Wis., and sold it to stores in the region. He was a terrific salesman. People loved and trusted him, and he never let anyone down.

'Quick Change' was my first real movie. It was an interesting audition process because there were no lines in the script. Bill Murray's character would say something, and Geena Davis and Randy Quaid would say something, and then it would just say, 'The cabbie speaks.' How do you audition for that?

And Big Night, I think by the end the brothers find that balance, when they touch each other on the shoulder over breakfast and it's understood that what should never have driven them apart almost drove them apart. I think that's a true moment.

I don't look as handsome in Men in Black II as I did in the first one.

You're not really necessarily the coolest guy in their life. You are a conduit to the really cool people.

I was in my first play when I was 6. My older sister was in a high-school production of 'The King and I.' They needed children for a scene, so she brought me in. I had a costume and a couple of serious lines that got a laugh. I loved the feeling.

My only preference is to have a lot of variety and diversity in the material that I work on.

To my fellow nominees, whoever they are - I'm not that familiar with their work - I just want to say, there's always next year - except, you know, for Ray Romano.

I was one of those people who put too much emphasis on work and career and material possessions, and it took its toll on all my relationships, on my physical health, my emotional and mental health.

You're not really necessarily the coolest guy in their life. You are a conduit to the really cool people.

I'm drawn to that period, the '50s.