Quotes from Ricky Schroder

When I turned 18, my agent was like, 'You should change from Ricky to Rick.' So I thought it was a good idea. Rick never really fit. I tried for 18 years to make it work, and no one wanted to call me Rick. It should always have been Ricky. That's what it always should have been, so I'm going back to it.

I have fond memories of my childhood. I spent five wonderful years on a popular TV show, but I didn't have a normal childhood. I was tutored for grades 4-11.

My daughter's wanted to be an actress since she was six years old, but I didn't want her to go through the same experiences as I did as a child actor.

I never cared about money because I never needed money, you know what I mean? When I was 12 to 17 I never saw any of the money, so the money never motivated me.

I always knew I was going to be a family man.

I have been a huge nerd to my kids. I haven't done the cool movies that they like. With '24,' I gained a lot of respect. '24' is now, it's hip, it's their generation.

Trying to understand women is a tall order period.

I don't like doing movies that are meaningless or unrealistic. I like things with a lot of reality to them. I'm a pretty serious kind of person myself. Things affect me.

There are always moments of despair when you get close to jobs and lose them at the last second. It feels like getting punched in the stomach. You feel like, 'Why do I do this?' Then you go to bed, get up the next day and forget about it.

I think one of the things that saved me is that I never put all my eggs in one basket.

I have a real eclectic taste for work, for movies, for characters and jobs.

I'm absolutely an optimist. It's the only way to get through life.

I demand excellence from the people I work with.

I did a lot of gasoline commercials - Hess, Texaco. I was part of the family in the car, the little brat in the back.

I don't have an iPod. I mean, I have a couple. Doesn't everyone? But I don't use it. I need to because I go to the gym now, and I'm tired of listening to morning radio. I want some music! I do have a video iPod, but I don't use it either.

I've been very blessed. My parents always told me I could be anything I wanted. When you grow up in a household like that, you learn to believe in yourself.