Patrick Wilson quotes:

With actors like Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Harrison Ford, what made them such icons is that even in dramatic movies, their characters had a sense of humor.

Somebody can paint with a fine brush like Monet and do millions of little dots or somebody can splatter it up there like Kandinsky or Jackson Pollock and go "Yep, that's art." That's okay.

If you look back on the breakups that you've had, whether it's a long relationship or a one-night stand, it's always awkward.

There are a lot of Christian fundamentalists; there are a lot of Muslim extremists. Every religion - Mormonism - has something way on the side that's completely using the religion as some weird backbone for their twisted faith. It has nothing to do with their religion.

I think your teenage years define your musical roots forever. You're always looking for a theme for your high school years.

I don't like being lied to.

My father is an anchor and my brother is as well.

I try to shave at night so my skin has a chance to settle by the early morning call-time.

The great thing about doing theater is that you get to do it better the next night.

I was convinced in middle school that I invented tight-rolling your pants, because I would get hand-me-downs from my brothers, and of course they were bell-bottoms from the '70s. So I would fold and fold over the bells. I like to think I started the trend. But I didn't.

Musical theater is one of my passions.

Nobody ever wants to really make someone feel bad.

The way you deal with a scare is the way you deal with a laugh. The timing has to be perfect. When you're dealing with fear or laughter - emotions that happen spontaneously - you hope it's working. But in the moment, you really have no idea.

I love to go to casinos with my wife. I play poker, and she's an old-fashioned slot queen. She even has a visor.

You're defined by your older brothers' or sisters' music.

When I look at a character, whether he's good or bad, one scene or 10 scenes, I just have to find my way in.

I love making movies, but there's nothing like being in front of an audience.

For everybody that does something bad there's gotta be someone that does something good.

Yeah, I'm a spiritual person.

Emasculation does seem to be a theme in the roles that I choose.

I'm an early-morning owl.

I am an avid runner, mainly on weekends.

There's just a natural instinct to want to be great, I think.

A heroic nature is very Greek.

If somebody wants to go to church because they like the ritual of it and want to sit in silence for a while one time a week, then that's great. If someone wants to go because they believe that God them and Jesus rose after three days, then that's great, too.

I like it when my wife is in her jeans, with very little makeup. But, I also appreciate the range - the different ways she can look. The moment she walks out all dressed up and... whoa! That's always good.

It's very hard to maintain focus in the gym.

When you're playing the good guy, you want to find the dirty parts - and when you're playing the bad guy, you want to find the vulnerability.

A wide receiver like me wouldn't have won. The quarterback - or even the running back - always wins.

For me, I always have to establish a reality for the character. In very actor-y terms, you just have to understand his reality.

For me, it doesn't matter whether it's a comedy, a Western or horror. As long as you've got a good story to tell, the genre almost doesn't matter. As an actor playing the role, it's all rooted in reality.

I am fascinated with religion or things that people believe in and question that. I think it's interesting.

I did have Skidz overalls. Remember Skidz, those baggy plaid pants that look like pajamas? So I did rock overalls, but not in purple velvet. I couldn't find those.

I didn't win prom king. By that point, I'd quit sports except for soccer, so I was really just a theater guy. I totally lost to the captain of the football team.

I just don't watch a lot of TV.

I like the not knowing of what the next job is.

I remember seeing Extreme play with [Debra] Winger and Cinderella. Gary Cherone was wearing purple velvet overalls with no shirt and saddle oxfords.Afterward, I went home and told my mom, "I need to find saddle oxfords." And she said, "Like little girls wear?" Naturally, I couldn't find them in my size, so I went to a shoemaker and had him make me a pair. I wore them for a while, but they didn't seem as cool on me, because when your foot is size 12, they sort of look like clown shoes.

I think you have to pick and choose what is most important to tell the story.

In a normal movie, you'd never see one guy talk for an entire page, whether good or bad.

I've always had good relationships with directors. I'm one of those people where, if there's a good idea coming from the sound guy, I'll take it. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, whether it's a first-time director or it's Mike Nichols. I think that's the standard that the great ones set.

I've got whole years of unfortunate clothing in '80s.

There are tons of different reasons why you do TV series and why you don't, and how it'll affect your career, and all that. Without a doubt, it has always come down to the script for me. I'm an actor who wants to do great parts, and I've been very fortunate, for a long time, to get meaty roles.

When you shoot a movie so quickly you can't really afford to shoot a bunch of extra footage because you don't have that luxury.

You don't ever see a thriller with a spiritual backbone.

You have to know what you're shooting. Don't just make your movie in the editing room and just get everything you can on the day.

You have your vision and you need to be focused, but you have to listen. I never felt a sense that the wheels were going to come off because we're all friends and family. It was all good.

You know, I gotta be honest. I have not done a lot of CGI work. I just haven't. I mean, there were hundreds of effects in Watchmen, and I probably dealt with almost none of them, because all my stuff was very practical.

You never want to judge your character.

I don't concentrate on if a moment is scary or not. That's not my job.